TUESDAY COMMENTARY – FREDDIES AND JOES
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
90 seconds likely aren’t going to be enough time to cover all my thoughts on tonight’s Game 3 of the Blades-Pats series at the Brandt Centre in Regina. But here goes …
Unless your paycheque says BRANDT on it, there’s no one who thought the Pats would be up 2-0 coming home against a heavily-favoured Saskatoon team. Yet here we are. (Brandt Industries owns the Regina Pats, if you didn’t know).
Yes … the majority of the credit goes to Connor Bedard who leads the Dub playoffs in scoring with 8 points in two games (along with Kamloops’ Logan Stankhoven). Somebody said the Blades had a plan for Bedard going into the series, so I wonder what that is?
I’m searching all over for loads of coverage of the series but didn’t find a lot so I scanned the WHL website for pertinent stats. I like this one: Regina is #1 in the Dub on the powerplay at 50%. But again, you can cue Bedard for that. However the Blades might want to stay outta the penalty box.
I also learned lonnnnng ago not to doubt Pats Coach & GM John Paddock on anything. I’ve questioned things along the way (like trading away 20-year old goalie Tyler Brown in the Memorial Cup year of 2018) but by and large, it’s always worked out for the Queen City Kids on Paddock’s watch.
Ditto for the decision to deal away goalie Matthew Kieper this season. The Winnipeg product showed a lot of promise and the Calgary Flames were impressed with him at their prospect camp last summer. But apparently he wasn’t a fit for Regina. Oh well!
The tandem of Drew Sim and Kelton Pyne has been just fine and believe it or not Sim has the ELEVENTH-best goals against average in these playoffs. If he falters, Pyne can go in because he’s always seemed to have the Blades number.
Paddock strikes again.
But this series is far from over, and Game 3 in any series is always pivotal. I’ve broadcast dozens of Pats playoff series and witnessed even more and those are stories we’ll perhaps get into down the line the longer this run goes.
But the numbers and history don’t really matter. It’s not about X’s and O’s; it’s about Freddies and Joes.
And the Pats have the best Freddy of ‘em all.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, YouTube Live and WQEE Radio)
Ahem
Ol R.W randy west called it. I said long ago the Pats were going up there to punch them in the mouth and they did.
Hall of Fame AHL Head Coach. Best player in WHL History. A goalie that makes the right save at the right time. The rest are blue collar, black and blue hockey players that pay the price.
The truth does not answer questions
I will concede that yes you did!!!
I too wonder what the Blades are doing with Bedard on the ice…..obviously nothing!!! They let him skate, freewheel and barely do they hit him. Don’t you think it is as simple as shadowing the guy and hack and hit him every time he moves. I’m not talking moves when he has the puck, I am talking old school hockey where he gets hacked when he steps on the ice til he leaves. Just do a Bobby Clarke on him. The Blades coach is being out coached big time, it is embarrassing. One guy makes or breaks the Pats success… Read more »
I think sometimes – I’ve said this all along and I’m trying to remove the character defect of non judgement. Do you watch hockey? First of all we’re 30 years ago to the day where Guy Carbaneau is going to follow Gretzky around all game out of position. There are no more Esa Tikanens’ doing that either. We’re also about 50+ years where a lump like Bobby Clarke two hands a Russian hockey player. The Pats are NOT one guy and most important the Pats no this. The one guy had 70+ goals….he also had 70+ assists so no he’s… Read more »
chip at Bedard, chip his legs with your stick….constantly. Stay beside him all the time, chirping in his ear. The guy is a big baby and will get frustrated and fold like a cheap lawn chair. I bet my paycheck on it. I was at both games last weekend and Bedard doesnt come within 8 ft of any corner. He is a floater with speed. Others have speed too and some are on the Blades team. Then see how he reacts. He is a kid!!! He will cry to his mommy and fold. No doubt in my mind. Cant wait… Read more »
Your paycheck? Put it this way. Next year Conor will be doing Direct TV commercials. You will be the guy installing it.
Wrong, the Pats are a one horse race. The rest of the team is average, look at their record. Take away the one horse and its over. heeeeeheee
The main reason the Pats are up 2-0 is because of their goaltender. He is the difference, not Bedard. Even with Bedard scoring 5 points per night, without that goalie, they lose. Give credit to the goalie not the floater boy.
Thats a great idea. A few hacks, next thing the Pats are back on the PP. No big deal, the average on the PP is only 50%.
Bedard doesn’t get hit much because he is hard to hit. He doesn’t get caught with his head down.
he doesnt get hit because he firstly doesnt go into any corners, I saw if for 2 straight games last weekend. He floats around center ice waiting for the lead pass in the open so he can turn on his speed. I am not talking about hacking to the point where its a penalty, chip at him nudge him, all within the rules like you see most nights on any given WHL game. Chirp at him, get in his ear for every shift, all shift long. Except can you imagine if he gets that every shift, all shift long. I… Read more »
Uncle nic basically is a little to 1977 with the Reg Dunlop motivational speech. The only thing missing was “get that stick in his side let em know your there. Lay that lumber in his teeth let em know your there” I am sure he has a buddy that will chime in “bleed all over em let em know your there” Of course Saskatoons coach can always threaten the Blades with bus tickets (Uber rides for 2023) “got some of your best Jr b hockey teams right here. Medicine hat. Blind river…and Squaw Island…and I’ll do it too” What are… Read more »