FRIDAY COMMENTARY – KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
A coupla three thoughts headed into the weekend …
#1 – Before we look ahead, let’s look back a moment. What a great lesson we could learn from what happened to the Kamloops Blazers Thursday in a Memorial Cup tiebreaker. The host team blew a 4-1 second period lead and wound up losing 5-4 to the Peterborough Petes in overtime.
With that, Kamloops’ season is over, all the air went out of Memorial Cup weekend, and now Seattle and Peterborough will meet in a Friday semifinal with the winner taking on Quebec City on Sunday.
Everyone, maybe even the Blazers included, was talking about how amazing it would be tonight to have an all-WHL semifinal between the Blazers and Thunderbirds.
And then this.
Just remember: if you get caught looking too far down the road you’ll trip over what’s right in front of you.
I’ve taken my eye off the ball plenty and wound up in the ditch in my lifetime, so I feel quite comfortable dispensing this advice. It won’t happen again.
#2 – The CFL preseason concludes tonight with a pair of games: Hamilton at Montreal and Saskatchewan at Winnipeg. Exhibition games don’t count, but they do matter and these games are worthwhile following.
Cody Fajardo makes his Alouettes debut and wants to have a strong showing, obviously. Similar to what Vernon Adams did last night for BC; going 12 for 12 and throwing three touchdowns in the Lions’ win over Calgary at BC Place.
Trevor Harris wants to prove all the money the Riders spent on him was worth it and that’ll begin tonight at IG Field against the best team in the CFL.
Thanks to the CFL’s new streaming service, I’ve been able to follow this all.
And lastly, #3 – No idea why we had to wait so long for the Stanley Cup Final to start and this wonky schedule has thrown a big kink into my travel plans. But no matter; Florida is at Vegas Saturday night for Game 1.
The Panthers have taken glee in proving me wrong all year and this could be no different.
So … Vegas in six.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE Radio & Streaming)
I agree, Vegas in six.
What a year for hockey. I think it does go to show you just need to get into that tournament and how it happens matters not. Florida was a good team last year that could have contended, but had some significant injuries and a coaching upheaval. They added the right mix and at a certain point they have just been giant killers. Vegas – he basically made the NHL version of the Brandon Wheat Kings. – big, mean, skilled, surly, and loaded top to bottom. How Vegas is in 2 finals after 6 years in this league I just will… Read more »
Every time McCrimmon trades a fan favourite like Fleury and everyone complains, I think it just proves he’s playing chess to everyone else’s checkers. It’s a throwaway, we’ll provide for you as long as you provide for us world, but not one day longer. Maybe one day less just to be safe.
Meanwhile, Dubas is making a ‘progressive hire’. The only way a guy like that will ever win is when every team thinks like that and someone has to.
Lol hockey changes…but hockey n.e.v.e.r changes. If a guy wants to score a goal in playoffs he has to do it just like Maurice Richard had to in 1944. Drive the net and it’s his life vs the other guys. As a Leafs fan….pfft they don’t scare me. “Progressive” like the coincidence it’s always the Hunters in OHL, Roy in the Q, and gee Seattle never seems to reload. As I say. People can go be “progressive”. Leave the heavy work to the m.e.n. I still get a kick of Bobby Lowes describing his Pats tenure lol…20 yrs later they… Read more »
Go Bombers Go! Go Bombers Go!