Infamous Writers Hockey Pool: Week Five Standings

Here we go.

The conference finals.

And there is no truth to the rumor that Ashton Kutcher will be moving in to play goal for the Canucks.

Even if it would boost interest among the 18-25 demographic South of the border.

The Conference finals are the time when a lot of peripheral fans decide to take an interest.

I saw a hand-made sign in a West Coast Chinese restaurant yesterday that read "Go CaLucks!" Not sure if it was the work of somebody with spelling deficiencies, issues in the political correctness department or just gleefully and giddily caught up in the thrill of the game.

Whatever the reason, I'm sure the NY office of the NHL has already dispatched somebody to take it down.

Personally, I'm hoping the sign's creator is somebody new to the game and anxious to embrace the particular Canadian craziness that accompanies the playoffs. For my money, that's how you grow the game -- not by plunking teams in places that never see ice unless it's in a cocktail glass.

For this is also the time when American mass media finally begins to notice that there's something else going on beside baseball, basketball and a football strike. And they'd still rather talk about anything else than the fact that there's also a foreign team in the running.

Therefore, Sean Avery standing up for Gay marriage gets more coverage on ESPN than all of what happens on the ice.

Like the majority of hockey fans, I don't much care for Sean Avery. But he ticked up a couple of notches for me this week. It takes guts to drop the gloves and take on another team's enforcer. But it takes real courage to stare down the hockey establishment.

Maybe if Sydney Crosby and a couple more "Good Canadian Boys" stood up with him, some of the dinosaurs of the game might finally slink off to the tar-pits.

Instead, a few have already started raising a "Spockian Eyebrow", as Fan590's Bob McGown calls it, in Avery's direction. I mean, the guy lived in the West Hollywood Gay Ghetto when he played in LA and he spent an off-season interning at Vogue magazine, don't cha know…

In a couple more days, they'll have determined his "enjoying my sloppy seconds" reference was in regard to the Quiche recipe he gave Elisha Cuthbert.

I can't tell you how much I wish David Geffen or Barry Diller would buy some struggling NHL team just so we wouldn't have to listen to this crap anymore.

As for how all this relates to the current pool standings…

Tim Stubinski, who increased his lead by two points over the week, has also been sighted in West Hollywood.

I have it on good authority that 2nd Place holder Alex House finds Joe Thornton kinda "cute".

And as for 3rd Place Will Pascoe -- well -- enough said…

Your full standings at the end of Round Two are below. I have a feeling we'll see some changes by Monday.