When in Doubt, Colour Coordinate

The games: Portland Winterhawks vs. Tri-City Americans. Montreal vs. Anaheim.

Best play: Winterhawks' rookie defenseman and NHL prospect we should all pay more attention to Taylor Aronson scoring the difference-making goal in the waning seconds of the second period.

Why I love the Walker-Francis-whoever line: They never give up on a play or a scoring chance or anything else, for that matter. Ever. Period. Exclamation point.

Hey look, there is sportsmanship in hockey: Jordan Staal stepped forward after the Rangers game to admit that he didn't touch the puck in the game winning goal. The goal was eventually credited correctly to Evgeni Malkin.

I told you so: Final score Portland Winterhawks 6, Tri-City Americans 3 = T-O-A-S-T.

Reason you should brave the Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday night: It is the last regular season home game and the last time Chris Francis and Stefan Schneider play on home ice during the regular season. It's not the "last" last time: We'll see them again in the playoffs, which get underway next week. But still, it's a milestone and we should still be there to send them all off to the last road games of the season and the playoffs in style.

I'm averting my eyes: Anaheim went down to Montreal in a heart-breaking shootout, where Jonas Hiller had the puck, let it go and it slipped behind him into the net. Their battle to fight back to the number 8 spot and get into the playoffs slipped just a little further away.

The rule: Section 2, Teams, Players and Equipment. Rule 240, Uniforms.

Choice tidbits: 240.a. All players from each team shall be dressed uniformly in sweaters, pants, stockings and helmets (except for the goalkeeper who is permitted to wear a helmet of a different colour to the rest of the team). Sweaters, including the sleeves, and stockings shall be of the same colour.

I would not want to be the team that has to do this: If, in the opinion of the Referee, the uniform colours of the competing teams are so similar that there is the possibility of miscalling a penalty, it is the responsibility of the home team to change their sweaters, if ordered to do so by the Referee.

So, no mullets then?: If player's hair is long and obscures the name plate or number on the sweater, the hair shall be worn in a pony tail or under the helmet.

The morals of the story:

The game: Stockings? Why do I suddenly have an image of grown men in lederhosen doing the chicken dance at the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest? On the other hand, there's no rule about webbing, so presumably it's ok to dress like Spider-Man in European competitions. The whole matching thing is like Garanimals for hockey. If your team has an animal as its mascot, even better. Zebra pants go with Zebra sweaters and Zebra stockings. Perfect.

Life: I must say, the one good thing about working in Corporate America is that at least you get to choose your own wardrobe, but there are some people that let's just say, could use a little help from the IIHF. If you see either of the following running amok around the water cooler, perhaps you could suggest the matching pants, stockings and sweater scheme to them:

1) Young people who don't know yet that just because you were smart enough to wear the tie and business shirt, doesn't mean you can get away with accessorizing it with pink hair and two or three nose rings.

2) Their polar opposite...any man near retirement who has given up altogether and is wearing a large oversized sweater over the beer belly and loose pants, with the one gray hair that's hanging on for dear life wrapped around his head three or four times...and a desk that if fire inspectors ever saw it, they would have to cite the company for multiple violations.

Oh, and by the way, note to naysayers who don't think much of the Portland Winterhawks' playoff chances: How do I put this so as to be polite? Oh right. This is hockey. Never mind. Who cares if we only make it a few games in? WE ARE IN! We are officially turned around from where we were last year, which if I recall correctly was nowhere. Personally, I bought my playoff tickets already and I have budgeted for additional charges. I suggest you join me.

Next up on 3/10: Section 2, Teams, Players and Equipment. Rule 250, Puck. Rule 260, Measurement of Equipment.