TUESDAY COMMENTARY – IT’S PLAYOFFS. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 FM & Rock 98.5 FM)

MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE PLAYOFFS ARE A BRAND NEW SEASON. ESPECIALLY THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.

IF I’M SHOCKED AND SPEECHLESS THAT THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ARE OUT OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS AFTER ROUND 1, THEN I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT TORONTO AND THE LEAFS NATION ARE GOING THROUGH TODAY.

IN WHAT WAS AN EPIC GAME 7 MONDAY NIGHT, THE MONTREAL CANADIENS UPSET THE LEAFS 3-1 AT SCOTIABANK ARENA TO COMPLETE AN IMPROBABLE SERIES WIN, AND MOVE ON TO ROUND 2.

WELL, THE BUILD UP TO THE GAME WAS EPIC. HOWEVER TORONTO’S PERFORMANCE WAS NOT. THEY WERE LISTLESS FOR MOST OF THE FIRST TWO PERIODS WHICH CAUSED ME TO WONDER IF THEY EVEN WANTED TO WIN THE GAME AT ALL?

I POSED THE QUESTION ON TWITTER AND EVEN LEAFS FANS AGREED. WHICH CHARACTER ON THE WIZARD OF OZ HAD NO HEART?

THE LEAFS SHOULD SIGN HIM BECAUSE HE’D FIT RIGHT IN.

TORONTO GOALIE JACK CAMPBELL WAS APOLOGETIC AFTER THE GAME, SAYING BRENDAN GALLAGHER’S FIRST GOAL WASN’T EVEN NHL-CALIBRE. JACK’S RIGHT. IT WAS STRAIGHT ON, AND A SNAPSHOT RIGHT THROUGH THE WICKETS.

LEAFS DEFENCEMAN MORGAN RIELLY TOLD REPORTERS AFTERWARDS THAT “THIS IS AS HARD AS IT GETS”.

I WONDERED WHAT HE WAS REFERRING TO? SIMPLY LOSING IN GAME 7? BLOWING A 3-1 SERIES LEAD? OR POSTING A WIRE-TO-WIRE FIRST PLACE FINISH ONLY TO BOW OUT TO YOUR TOP RIVAL; A TEAM THAT FINISHED 18 POINTS BELOW YOU IN THE STANDINGS??

YA, I CAN SEE WHY HE’D SAY THAT.

TORONTO WILL GET A BANNER FOR WINNING THE FIRST-EVER SCOTIA NORTH DIVISION, BUT THEY WON’T FEEL LIKE PUTTING IT UP NEXT FALL.

IT’LL ONLY SERVE AS A PAINFUL REMINDER OF ANOTHER PAINFUL PLAYOFF GHOST.

SO NOW IT’S TIME TO LOOK AHEAD TO ROUND 2 AND THE IMPROBABLE MATCH-UP BETWEEN THE MONTREAL CANADIENS AND WINNIPEG JETS.

NO ONE PREDICTED THAT SERIES WOULD HAPPEN. NO.  ONE.

IT’S FUN TO DO THE NUMBER CRUNCHING AND LOOK AT THE MATCH-UPS AHEAD OF THE SERIES. IT’S WHY WE LOVE THE GAME!

BUT THE BIGGEST REASON I THINK WE LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR IS THE SIMPLE PHRASE – “IT’S PLAYOFFS. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.”

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY