When you grew up in Ottawa, back in the days before the Sens, you really had just two choices when it came to NHL teams to cheer for: the Habs and the Leafs. If I could afford a therapist, I imagine the good doctor would tell be that my affection for the Leafs was part of an ongoing and pathological need to be alone and unhappy. Though, quite simply, its more likely that its because thats what was on local TV in Ottawa. I admit I could be wrong. I dont have a PhD. Thats right. I was a Leafs fan. I had a Leafs sweater that I slept in, that my dad bought me after some endless whining in the aisles of a Canadian Tire. An Allan Bester poster hung above my bed. I wore number 9 in Little League because of Russ Courtnall, and I may have cried when he was traded to the dreaded Habs for John Kordic. My parents werent sports fans, but they let me bring an old black and white TV into my room to watch Hockey Night in Canada, to fall asleep to the third period charms of Bob Cole and Harry Neale. I cant often remember my postal code, or where I lived in 2009, or the name of that girl, but I easily recall the names of Dale Degray, Peter Ing, Brad Smith, Ken Yaremchuk, and Dan Daoust, forgettable Leafs from a forgettable era.The arrival of the Ottawa Senators coincided with the arrival of my first love. Well, the first reciprocated love. Fittingly I used this sea change to shift my affections to the Sens, whose losing was familiar but who provided a new hope, a virginal slate upon which to build a new love. The Sens got better, but love did not. Like it tends to, it left, mostly my doing, as I had found affections for all sorts of other things one does as they enter their 20s.The Sens and I remained true to each other, even though I carried the relationship. I lived in Vancouver for a few years, but never felt any connection to the Canucks, nor for any West coast girl. Well, there was one girl, but she left me for my best friend. In that manner, she was not unlike the Sens. All kinds of promise, ending in sure disappointment; the better looking, more mature Leafs beating the Sens in the playoffs year after year.With both the Sens and the Leafs the pain was the same: expectations were crushed by reality. No matter what I did, season after season they hurt me. They left me alone in June, as other teams and their fans moved on to full playoff beards, Cup parades, and what I can only assume is happiness.Years passed. I moved back to Ottawa. I watched hockey less. I dated seldom. I grew a playoff beard in January. My mother worried. She had nightmares that I was floating through life without RRSPs, without a mortgage, without a wife, and without kids. My dad seemed to understand, even though he wasnt much for hockey. I moved to Costa Rica. My beard got longer. My tan was superb. Televised hockey was difficult to find. Beer was cheap. There was no fear of commitment, because everyone was transient, moving on, moving forward, or at least sideways.But the rains came and I returned to Canada, but this time to Montreal, a city that truly appreciates the loveless. A city where the bars are open late, and life exists only in the present. And I found myself watching hockey again, with people who didnt know about my past, about the Leafs and the Sens, who didnt know of my failings in my mothers eyes. And I found myself cheering for the Montreal Canadiens, the longtime enemy of both the Leafs and the Sens. Outwardly I was a fan, but inside I was in turmoil. I felt like I was cheating on myself, as if I was committing hockey adultery, even though I was single and every team I ever loved sucked.And then came 2010. And a magical run through to the Conference Finals. And Halak signs. And PK Subban. And overtime wins. And there was a girl. A girl I loved. And for a brief moment I thought about breeding, about ceremony, pageantry, making my mum happy, a parade down Ste. Catherine, about my dad in a tuxedo, about rings.But, as hockey and love have taught me, all good things end in horrible, crushing, debilitating disappointment sometime in June. The Habs lost to the Flyers, and someone else won the Cup, and Halak was traded, and the girl left because I was afraid she might not, and summer arrived with condolence beers and late nights on terrasses and waiting for next year. Always next year. My mum didnt say anything, but I could see her deleting imaginary grandchildren in her mind, and transferring familial hope to my sister and her young family.And life went on. Seasons changed, both on the calendar and the NHL schedule. I still rocked a playoff beard, out of both laziness and hope, so Id be prepared in case of victory. The Habs sunk back to middle-of-the-pack mediocrity. The Leafs and the Sens lived in that same ether. My mum would send me promotional materials for post-graduate programs and ask how my married friends were doing. My dads tuxedo remained in the back of his closet, dry-cleaned and at the ready. I still watched Habs games, but my interest has waned, my commitment faltered.Then, two weekends ago, I was having a few adult beverages and watching the Sens and Habs battling each other in an important late-season game. It was like watching the past fight for your affections. With just under four minutes left, it looked like the Sens had the game won. But the Habs scored once, twice, and a third time with only .3 seconds left to tie it, before winning it in overtime.So buoyed by the victory, and spirited by the spirits, I headed out to the local to meet a friend and celebrate the victory. And in the back of the bar, a bar cheered by the win and the hour, was the girl from 2010. And we talked for a bit. And she asked about my folks. And we smiled when youre supposed to smile. 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Kelownas Jordon Cooke made 27 saves for the win. Victorias Patrik Polivka started in net, but was pulled 1:38 into the second period after giving up four goals on just 12 shots. Coleman Vollrath stopped 20-of-21 shots in relief. --- OIL KINGS 7 COUGARS 6 (SO) PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. -- Henrik Samuelsson scored the winner and Reid Petryk had a pair of goals in regulation as Edmonton came from behind to defeat the Cougars. Cody Corbett, Riley Kieser, Edgars Kulda and Curtis Lazar also scored for the Oil Kings (31-13-1), who trailed 6-2 heading into the third period. Todd Fiddler had three goals and an assist for Prince George (17-24-7), Marc McNulty scored twice and Jordan Tkatch scored the other. Edmontons Tristan Jarry gave up six goals on 21 shots and was replaced by Tyler Santos to start the third period. Santos made four saves to earn the win while Ty Edmonds stopped 36 shots in a losing cause for the Cougars. --- PATS 4 RAIDERS 2 PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. -- Morgan Klimchuk scored three times and Daniel Wapple made 38 saves as Regina doubled up the Raiders. Dryden Hunt also scored for the Pats (24-18-5) and Dyson Stevenson tacked on two assists. Sawyer Lange and Reid Gardiner scored for Prince Albert (22-21-2), which lost for the first time in three outings. Cole Cheveldave turned aside 23-of-27 shots for the Raiders. --- ICE 5 BRONCOS 2 SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. -- Sam Reinhart had two goals and an assist as Kootenay downed the Broncos. Luke Philp and Jaedon Descheneau each had a goal and two assists for the Ice (24-20-4) and Tim Bozon added a goal and an assist. Swift Current (23-18-6) got goals from Glenn Gawdin and Nathan Burns. Kootenays Mackenzie Skapski made 34 saves for the win while Landon Bow stopped 28-of-33 shots for the Broncos. --- WHEAT KINGS 4 BLADES 3 SASKATOON -- Rihards Bukarts scored twice, including the winner, as Brandon edged the Blades for its third straight win. Richard Nejezcheleb and Ryan Pilon also scored for the Wheat Kings (25-17-4) and Rene Hunter had two assists. Logan Harlaand recorded a pair of goals for Saskatoon (13-32-4) and Connor Sanvido had a goal and an assist.dddddddddddd Brandons Curtis Honey made 33 saves while Alex Moodie turned away 43-of-47 shots for the Blades. --- REBELS 5 HURRICANES 2 RED DEER, Alta. -- Patrik Bartosak stopped 35 shots and Scott Feser scored twice as the Rebels handed Lethbridge its fourth straight defeat. Brady Gaudet scored once and assisted on two more for Red Deer (23-21-2) while Mason McCarty and Lukas Sutter had the others. Riley Sheen and Reid Nemeth scored for the Hurricanes (9-34-5). Jonny Hogue started in net for Lethrbidge but left at the 16:36 mark of the first period, giving up two goals on six shots in the process. Jarrod Schamerhorn took the loss, stopping 35 shots in relief. --- TIGERS 6 HITMEN 2 MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -- Curtis Valk and Miles Koules each scored twice as the Tigers defeated Calgary. Blake Penner and Tyler Lewington also scored for Medicine Hat (26-15-3) and Trevor Cox chipped in with three assists. Jake Virtanen and Adam Tambellini supplied the scoring for Calgary (30-11-5) while forward Greg Chase was ejected in the third period for a checking-from-behind major. Marek Langhamer made 22 saves for the Tigers as Chris Driedger stopped 22-of-27 shots for the Hitmen. Kyle Dumba made 10 saves on 11 shots in relief. --- THUNDERBIRDS 3 BLAZERS 2 KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- Taran Kozun made 30 saves as Seattle slipped past the Blazers for its sixth straight win. Kevin Wolf, Justin Hickman and Roberts Lipsbergs scored for the Thunderbirds (28-14-5) while Ryan Gropp had two assists. Joe Kornelson had both goals for Kamloops (10-31-5) and Cole Ully assisted on each of them. Bolton Pouliot stopped 27 shots for the Blazers, who lost for the seventh straight time. --- SILVERTIPS 4 WARRIORS 3 (SO) EVERETT, Wash. -- Manraj Hayer scored the winner and Cole MacDonald had a goal and an assist in regulation as the Silvertips downed Moose Jaw. Everett (25-14-7) also got goals from Patrick Bajkov and Kohl Bauml. Tanner Eberle scored twice for the Warriors (13-26-7) and Torrin White had the other. Austin Lotz made 16 saves for the Silvertips while Moose Jaws Justin Paulic stopped 36 shots in a losing cause. --- AMERICANS 3 CHIEFS 1 KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Philip Tot scored twice as Tri-City handed Spokane its first regulation-time loss in eight games. Brian Williams also scored for the Americans (21-21-4) and Parker Wotherspoon tacked on two assists. Keanu Yamamoto scored for the Chiefs (27-14-4). Spokanes Eric Williams turned aside 20-23 shots in defeat. ' ' '