I write something serious and no one cares!  Oh well, I care.  Way out West, where hockey cities are few and far between, I look forward to 4 PM every day because I can get a game on the radio at work.  Not so bad after all, eh?

– 12 Point Spread – Look again.  The entire Western Conference is separated by only 12 points.  First to last, every division.  While it’s true in sports that every game counts, it’s tough to explain that to a baseball fan on May 3 with 148 games left before her.  But with 27 of 82 regular season games played, this tight race is well on pace to be a marathon.

– Phoenix Coyotes – Not a bad team, just an under-appreciated one.  They average 10,189 fans per game – just 58.2% attendance.  By far the worst in the NHL.   Worse than the Islanders who have less than half as many points.  In fact, Phoenix is tied with Los Angeles (18,060, 97.6%), San Jose (17,562, 100.4%) and Anaheim (14,596, 85%).  If that’s not an argument to move a team, I don’t know what is.

– Chicago Blackhawks – Had a rough start but have evened out.  Patrick Kane and Marion Hossa are hopefully expected back next week.  Patrick Sharpe is still hot (and off the ice) with 17 goals.  He had 66 points last season, this year he’s on pace for 81.   And I’ve got a date with Toews on Saturday night in San Jose .  Okay, Stephanie too.  We’ll be in our matching #19 shirts.

– Calgary Flames – Not quite the disaster they were in early November, but the Flames are still struggling to win consistently.  The good news is Iginla (who typically starts the season horribly) is getting on track with 25 points so far.  The better news is that Alex Tanguay is right behind him with 23 points.  The Flames can lose all day long, no one can blame it on Alex!  It’s a sad thing to be happy about but I’m protective like that.  Tanguay gets points when Iginla scores, so let’s hope this continues to gel.