SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT
1 – DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME: Yes, I am stealing that from Jack Michaels, the voice of the Oilers who obviously got it from the guy who does the Kentucky Derby. We have one week to go in the NHL regular season before the fun starts and there are so many questions to answer. You could say it every year, but these playoffs are going to be so good with so many good teams that will be knocked out after Round 1. I could see any of the teams in the West winning and who knows what teams will be in the Eastern Conference playoffs as there is a lot of jockeying for playoff spots that will go right down to the final game.
Whoever wins the Cup this year will have earned it and they will likely have to do it by winning the war of attrition because we know how injuries can affect teams at this time of year. Right Florida and Matthew Tkachuk as we look back to last year?
2 – LEAVE THE FORMAT ALONE: At this time of year, hockey insiders, pundits and columnists want to change the NHL playoff structure. Why? The 1 vs 8 debate seems to have fizzled out, but now the 1 vs 16 talk is starting to bubble up. I remember back in the 80’s when that format was what was used. Some want to see an all-Eastern Stanley Cup, others want to see an all-Western Stanley Cup. STOP IT! Just for poops and laughs, here are the current playoff matchups followed by 1 vs 8 followed by 1 vs 16. Look at it all you want, but at the end of the day buckle up as the quest for Hockey’s Holy Grail gets ramped up. This is the way it looked before play started Thursday night
CURRENT: Boston/Tampa
Florida/Toronto
Rangers/Washington
Carolina/Islanders
Dallas/Vegas
Colorado/Winnipeg
Vancouver/Nashville
Edmonton/LA
1 VS 8: Rangers/Washington
Carolina/Islanders
Boston/Tampa
Florida/Toronto
Dallas/Vegas
Vancouver/LA
Colorado/Nashville
Winnipeg/Edmonton
1 VS 16: Rangers/Islanders
Dallas/St. Louis
Carolina/Vegas
Boston/LA
Vancouver/Nashville
Colorado/Tampa
Florida/Toronto
Winnipeg/Edmonton
By the way, a lot of this 1 vs 16 bluster comes from Toronto. No matter what, the Leafs look to be playing the Panthers in Round 1. Sorry Toronto!
3 – PERRY VS KANE: A lot of people are jumping on the Edmonton Oilers and the verbal exchange between Corey Perry and Evander Kane last Saturday in Calgary when the latter got yelled at for making a lazy play.
This just in, Corey Perry knows how to win. Look at his resume. Like him or not, he is a leader and he has seen a lot of success in a career that arguably could see him be a Hall of Famer one day.
Yes, you might want to do that when the cameras aren’t on you in the quiet of the room, but its just a case of two guys having a disagreement in the workplace and many of us have been involved with that.
It’s called accountability and sometimes you have to push some buttons to get that.
4 – HUMBOLDT: It is hard to believe that it has been six years since the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash that shook everyone in and outside the hockey world to their core. I can’t remember what I did three days ago most of the time, but I can remember just about everything about that day from 5 o’clock on. I had just left the CKRM studios where RP was doing Sportscage, I got home and moments after settling in on the couch to begin what I thought would be a relaxing weekend, I got word that the Broncos bus had been involved in an accident. At that time, I had no idea how serious it had been, but then I got word that were fatalities, I texted RP and he had heard the same thing.
I drove back to the station hearing originally that five were dead, I wondered if the bus had hit a van or something killing the people in the other vehicle. When I got back to CKRM, the magnitude of what had happened started to hit with the number of dead growing and growing.
That evening was a blur as you were looking for information and trying to keep people informed When I made my last update at 11 pm, I was the only one in the building That is when the emotions of the night hit me as I sat at my desk and cried—or maybe I should say I bawled, As it was for everyone else, it was awful as were the days that followed. I don’t need to tell you the rest.
I didn’t realize it until after it happened, but the SJHL playoffs went quiet on Saturday night, I wish other leagues and that includes the NHL, especially in Canada, did the same thing Good on the SJHL for doing that. I always thought the WHL should never play on December 30 after the Swift Current Broncos bus crash but that sadly has not happened,
5 – WILL CHAPLIN AND PARKBEG SURVIVE? It should be a great couple of weeks in Saskatchewan, especially in the southern part of the province as the WHL playoff continues with East Conference semi-finals. The Blades and Rebels will meet in one in a rematch of last years second round series that Saskatoon took in 7. The other matchup should be an absolute ring-a-ding dong dandy as the Swift Current Broncos take on Moose Jaw. Chances are I might make the trip to whatever the barn is called in the Band City these days to watch what should be a great series. You know fans from Swift Current will be making the trip and you know fans from Moose Jaw will be headed to Speedy Creek to watch this series. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Just be respectful to one another folks and whatever you do,
6 – GIVE VIC HIS DUE: There are many great p x p guys out there. Chris Cuthbert, Joe Buck, Kevin Harlan are three that come to mind and if you go in the way back machine, there are guys like Don Chevrier, Don Wittman, Pat Summerall and Dick Enberg and of course the late Vin Scully. While curling isn’t a sport that gets the attention that football, baseball, basketball and hockey gets, there is no doubt that Vic Rauter has to be put up there as one of the best. He has been doing curling on TSN for years and his commentary alongside Linda Moore and Ray Turnbull in the past and in the current with Cathy Gauthier, Joanne Courtney and Russ Howard is as good as it gets. TSN has helped curling get to the level it is in Canada and one of the reasons for that is Vic and his style. He needs to be recognized as one of the best.
7 – STOP IT TOM! Tom Brady said on Thursday that he isn’t opposed to a late-season NFL return if a contending team should lose its quarterback, Someone please tell Tom to stop this stupid talk, Don’t ruin your legacy. Of course this is what people said when Joe Flacco came back and got Cleveland into the playoffs.
8 – CONGRATS DAVE: The worst-kept secret in Saskatchewan was finally made official this week as Dave Thomas became the new voice of the Riders as he will join the likes of Pedersen, Taylor, Currier and Barnet as those who have brought the good times and bad times to Rider Nation. Dave is a great guy and he will succeed. I look forward to listening to him and Luc Mullinder do their thing,
9 – GREAT QUESTION: While scanning through RP’s 10 Weekend Things, he asked the question “Where is Heather Thomas?”. Great question. 80’s kids like me had three mega-crushes, One was Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell) and the other two were the Heathers—Thomas and Locklear. While the Farrah Fawcett poster of the 70’s hung on the walls of many teenage boys in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the Heather Thomas poster of her in the pink bikini was right there in the mid 80’s.
I remember she was hit by a vehicle and sustained some injuries in the late 80’s after “The Fall Guy” had done its run, but she has disappeared.
That’s all I got. Have a great weekend!
