the 4th star

1. Will Chris Osgood get a look for the 2010 Canadian Olympic team? I threw that out there last month and now it seems the notion might be getting some traction. Another story surfaced this week, and Mark Spector of SportsNet was echoing the same thought process on CJOB yesterday morning. If he keeps making the key saves like he did in the 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins — hello, Malkin breakaway — he has to be there. I can’t believe I just typed that.

2. Darren Helm is the new Dan Cleary. Last year, the CBC went crazy with the Cleary story, offering up a slice of his life at every chance. He’s from Newfoundland? OMG! This time around, it seems the St. Andrews-product has all the makings for the Hockey Feelgood Story in Canada broadcast. From Junior B in Selkirk to Stanley Cup champion. Canadian kid overcomes adversity to make the NHL. OK, got it. Tell us more about this Michigan-born Justin Abdelkader fellow.

3. Sidney Crosby was awful last night, no matter how the networks tried to spin it.

4. The active boards at Joe Louis Arena is not a story. Is this the first time CBC and NBC have done a game from Detroit? Everyone knows the puck comes back quick after a missed shot on net, and everyone knows the Red Wings actually practice a play designed around this feature. It has nothing to do with lucky bounces. Just because Marc-Andre Fleury — who should know the lay of the land at The Joe by now — looked like a fish out of water on the first two goals doesn’t mean the board-story is a new one. He’s a bad goaltender, and Detroit took advantage of that fact.

5. Best part of the night: Osgood plays to the crowd after blowing off a Pierre McGuire interview.

Seeing how my Star Trek transporter is still in the shop, any sort of coverage I give of the Manitoba Moose-Hershey Bears series will be of a limited variety. Checking out all the Calder Cup final games just isn’t in my future. So with that travel obstacle reality in the way, I’ve decided to provide a re-hash of last night’s action by looking at what the local media are saying about the game and where the series is headed.

Game 1: Hershey 5 Manitoba 4 (OT)

Despite the positive spin of the head and sub-headline, too many turnovers, according to Moose head coach Scott Arniel. Alexandre Giroux showed why he’s the league MVP this season, scoring a hat-trick and the OT winner. On that note, the Moose can’t get into a run and gun game with the Bears. Hershey coach Bob Woods says no lead is safe against his club. Meanwhile, a former Moose coach brought his AHL post season magic to the barn last night.

Sure, it’s just one game, but it was a blown opportunity by the Moose — no matter how you slice it. Arniel says his team made four turnovers in the first period and then 15 in the second, but his team still had a 3-1 lead going into the third. You need to hold serve when you gain an advantage like that. Turning point of the game might have been the penalty shot stop by Hershey goaltender Michal Neuvirth in the second period. Had Matt Pope scored there, that would have made it 4-1 Moose and the Bears might have been looking ahead to Game 2.

When is Game 2, you ask? Tuesday, 7:30 pm, at MTS Centre. It will be a party (sub).

Photo, Manitoba Moose