THURSDAY COMMENTARY – THE RING OF FIRE
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ON THIS COMMENTARY TO END THE WEEK:
IT TRULY IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD.
HAVING SPENT CLOSE TO TWO WEEKS IN ALBERTA, IT’S HARD NOT TO GET SWEPT UP IN THE HOCKEY MADNESS IN THIS PROVINCE.
I’VE FOUND MYSELF IN DAILY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE GAME AT ALL LEVELS: THE NHL, WHL, UNIVERSITY, JUNIOR A AND MINOR HOCKEY.
I LOVE IT.
WHEN THESE PEOPLES’ FEET HIT THE FLOOR EACH MORNING, THEIR MINDS ARE ON EITHER THE FLAMES OR THE OILERS. HOW DID THEY DO LAST NIGHT? OR WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT?
AND IT WAS A BIG ONE FOR CALGARY ON WEDNESDAY, FIRING AN NHL-RECORD 62 SHOTS ON GOAL AGAINST COLUMBUS IN A 6-0 WIN.
REGARDING BLUE JACKETS GOALIE ELVIS MERZLIKINS – AS DON CHERRY WOULD SAY – “HE SAW MORE RUBBER THAN A DEAD SKUNK ON THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY!”
THE TALK RIGHT NOW IS WHICH OF ALBERTA’S TEAMS WILL GO FURTHEST IN THE PLAYOFFS? THE EXPERTS RIGHT NOW SAY IT’S THE FLAMES, BUT EVERYBODY EXPECTS BOTH TEAMS TO BE IN THE POSTSEASON NO MATTER WHAT.
MEANWHILE IN TRUE CHRIS JONES FASHION, HE’S GOT ALL THE FOOTBALL FANS GLUED TO THE GOINGS-ON IN EDMONTON.
ON WEDNESDAY JONES SIGNED CFL MERCENARIES ADARIUS BOWMAN AND MANNY ARCENAUX, AND THIS COMES ON THE HEELS OF DISCUSSIONS WITH DURON CARTER.
AS USUAL, LIKE ANYTHING JONES DOES IN THE OFF-SEASON, THESE MOVES ARE BEING MET WITH SCORN.
BUT WHAT HASN’T CHANGED IS CHRIS JONES STAYING UP ALL NIGHT THINKING OF WAYS TO GET AN EDGE.
IN THIS AGE OF 1-YEAR CONTRACTS, JONES KNOWS THAT A LONG-TERM REBUILD IS OUT OF THE QUESTION BUT THE NOTION OF A 1-YEAR REBUILD IS VERY MUCH ON THE TABLE.
THE FOOTBALL-TYPES CAN SCOFF ALL THEY WANT, AND THEY WILL.
BUT DON’T TELL ME THEY’RE NOT GETTING A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THE FORTRESS JONES IS BUILDING IN THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
As of this moment I would say Flames. But apparently Evander Kane & the Oilers, as of this moment, are close to a 1 year, $1MM deal. So if a deal is imminent, IMO Oilers will do better. Like him or not, he’s a difference maker on the ice. Nothing surprises me about Jones. Cooking something up in his lab again. Look, you can sign anybody & everybody &, in the end, you only keep the guys that will help you. I’m not making judgements till I see who he brings over in free agency. Same goes for Riders &… Read more »