MONDAY COMMENTARY – TOO MUCH FUN

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

The hockey lords work in mysterious ways.

And I’m not complaining!

The Florida Panthers pulled off what’s turned out to be the NHL’s second-biggest upset ever by downing the heavily-favoured Boston Bruins in Game 7 Sunday night, and punched their ticket to Round 2 for just the third time in franchise history.

Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner in the first overtime and the kid from Toronto, as my Dad would say, doesn’t waste ‘em. It was Carter’s second goal of these Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both were game-winners.

Matthew Tkachuk is the face of the Panthers and he said after the game that it was the biggest upset in NHL history. But to quote former CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon, “That is not factual.”

The biggest upset came in 1982 when the L.A. Kings upset Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers in Round 1 despite finishing 48 points behind the Oil in the regular season.

43 points separated the Bruins and Panthers this year.

But nobody cares about 1982, especially in South Florida where the Panthers have moved on to a second round date with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Believe me, the Leafs have their share of fans in Florida and they’ll be out in full force I’m sure. I believe they’re called “raisins”.

And I’ll be there too. Our two-month stint in Calgary wraps up this week with a bevy of NHL and CFL guests before the RP Show heads back to Florida for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Don’t tell anyone, but it wasn’t planned this way.

I had Boston/Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final and from what I’m hearing, just about everyone’s bracket was busted in Round 1. In fact I had the Bruins to take out the Panthers in five games.

For a moment I thought about getting out of the prediction business but then thought better of it.

It’s just too much fun!

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE & Streaming)