10 Weekend Things

Truth & Rumours

1 – TIME TO HUNT: There’s no reason to expect the Florida Panthers won’t win the Stanley Cup in two weeks time. (Well actually there is, which we’ll get to). The Cats literally defied the odds and won the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final in six games Saturday night, knocking out the NY Rangers 2-1 in the series clincher. You think the Presidents Trophy Curse isn’t real? The Rangers won the 2023-24 NHL regular season title but got bounced in the playoffs just like every other team to win the Presidents Trophy since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks. You don’t want it!

2 – HISTORY: We predicted the Rangers to win the series in seven games on the Cats N Bolts Podcast and that irked plenty of Panthers fans. Hey – I’m not going to pick your team just to get you to like me! But it’s been a lot of good-natured ribbing since Saturday night, and South Florida hockey fans aren’t the type to rub it in. However history wasn’t on their side, and still isn’t. Only six teams in the NHL’s modern era have gone to the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons after losing the first time. Of those, only two teams went on to win the Stanley Cup (1984 Oilers & 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins). However the Panthers’ playoff theme is “Redemption” and so far they’ve followed the script.

3 – TALE OF THE TAPE: It was a weird series, and should’ve gone seven games. The goal margin was 1-one-less for 95% of the series and Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin actually had a better Save Percentage and Goals Against Average than Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky in the series but came out on the losing end. Weird! … Vladimir Tarasenko scored the series clinching goal for the Panthers and also scored a conference-clincher with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Other players to score a Conference-clincher with two different franchises? Artturi Lehkonen, Rod Brind’Amour, Martin Gelinas, Bobby Smith and Hec Kilrea.

4 – NOW WHAT: S0 now the Panthers await their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final, and it could be determined Sunday night as Edmonton hosts Dallas in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final. The Oilers have a 3-2 series lead. No predictions here! … It’s been an historic run for the Oil, who are one of 20 teams in NHL history to make the playoffs after being 10+ points out of a playoff spot during the regular season. Only one of those went on to win the Stanley Cup – the 2019 St. Louis Blues. … Meanwhile Oilers target Stuart Skinner has been Jekyll & Hyde. In the first eight games of these playoffs, the Edmonton product had a .877 PCT and 3.22 GAA. However in the seven games since, he’s gone 5-2 with a .908 PCT and 1.92 GAA. THAT’S MENTAL TOUGHNESS! And should the Oilers win Sunday night, Skinner will tie Gerry Cheevers and Mike Palmateer by going 4-0 in series clinchers. (Bill Ranford holds the NHL record for going 6-0 in elimination games to begin a playoff career).

5 – CATS N BOLTS PODCAST: Here I thought I was too old to win anymore awards but our Florida NHL podcast walked off with the Fastest Growing Podcast trophy at the Podcast Junkeez Awards this week in our home city of Boca Raton, FL. Co-host Sarina Taylor accepted on our behalf. Gosh darn it feels good! It’s one of the things I love the most about America — there has to be a winner and a loser. None of this “everyone gets a trophy” monkey business. In the USA, the harder you work, the more you get ahead. And I get to run that show my way. So thanks to any and all who’ve tuned in!! If I had a nickel for every one of my friends in Florida who’s said, “Boy did you start that podcast at the right time.”

6 – AWARDS: Speaking of, Sportsnet’s Kevin Bieksa won the Best TV Sports Analyst trophy at the Canadian Screen Awards last week. Congrats to Kevin, but let’s just say the competition isn’t what it once was. I’d have voted for TSN’s Mike Johnson! It happened to fall on the same week as Bieksa calling the Edmonton media “raw, dead and dumb” for their criticism of Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse. Boy oh boy the fallout has been fun to watch! The sports media cancel culture picks and chooses who gets away with what, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. Oh and by the way, Don Cherry revolutionized the role of the TV sports analyst in the 1980s – for all sports – but was shown the door and the industry wipes their feet on him. It’s a disgrace!

7 – TIP OF THE WEEK: Talked to a longtime NHL coach on the phone this week who’s been hired and fired more than anyone I know. His life advice? “Don’t be bitter,” he said. “Even if you have good reason to. It’s a sh*tty way to live and nobody cares but you.” Noted! It’s critical to look forward, not back, and make the most of the present.

8 – CFL: Okay, here we go. The 2024 CFL season kicks off Thursday night with a Grey Cup rematch featuring Montreal at Winnipeg. Are we gonna do picks? I think we should. … By the way the final preseason Grey Cup winning outrights at Northstar Bets have these as the favourites:

Winnipeg +200
Montreal +500
Toronto +500
BC +650
Hamilton +800
Sask +1500
Calgary +1600
Edmonton +1600
Ottawa +2200

I love the CFL, always have, and plan to give it A TON of coverage on the RP Show and on this website this summer & fall. The league has plenty of problems and challenges but we’d prefer to be part of the solution rather than the problem. GO CFL! … Commissioner Randy Ambrosie is being inducted into Mike Ditka’s Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame this weekend. It’s a Hall for pro football alumni who’ve done great things for the game post-career and past CFL inductees include Jim Hopson, George Reed and Leo Ezerins. One day I’d like to attend!! … One football great noted to me this week that “We’re running out of Hall of Fame candidates in the CFL”, and it really got me wondering. Who’s a current player that’s a shoo-in for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame? There are more than he thinks, like Willie Jefferson, Zach Collaros, Bo Levi Mitchell and, yes, Andrew Harris.

9 – WCBL: We’re just over a week into the Western Canadian Baseball League season and it’s been fantastic. I’ve been broadcasting Moose Jaw Miller Express games on HomeTeam Live and they add up quick! We had a wild one Saturday night as the Millers (established in 1931 btw, and named for Miller High Life beer) were up 7-0 on Fort McMurrray at Ross Wells Park, fell behind 8-7 and 10-8, and rallied to win 12-11 in 11 innings! Bobby “Biceps” Potorney of Margate, FL knocked home the winning run for the Millers. … Join us for a Sunday 2:05 pm first pitch against the visiting Weyburn Beavers, then join us for the annual Meet The Millers event at the Crushed Can Nightclub at 6 pm. … Life is so great!

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: Once a fat kid, always a fat kid. … The Regina Red Sox host Swift Current Sunday afternoon as well. … Who’s kidding who – the Canadian Elite Basketball League is a threat to the CFL. Now in Year 6, it’s become Canada’s largest pro league and attendance is on the rise. Commissioner Mike Morreale is an absolute rockstar and deserves most of the kudos, plus league owner Rickard Petko who’s footed the bill. … The CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers are 3-0 for the first time in franchise history and visit the 3-0 Edmonton Stingers on Sunday. I took in Thursday’s Rattlers game at SaskTel Centre and can tell you the Snakes have it going on under GM Barry Rawlyk and coach Larry Abney (Clippers alum). And it was great to see UofR great Steve Burrows on the Sask bench! See you there people. … If you’re on a flight and see the person behind you is 6’0″ or taller, please don’t recline your seat. THANK YOU! … We don’t choose our destiny. It chooses us. … Has anyone tried Spam on a pizza? … When you borrow someone’s car, fill it with gas! I guess not everyone had a dad like me. … Saskatoon Berry Pie blizzard. Make it happen. … Bruhat Soma was unbeatable before he arrived at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington this week and remains unchallenged! The 12-year old from Tampa, FL spelled 29 words correctly in the tiebreaker to win the title on Thursday night, taking home the trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. You should’ve paid more attention in school! … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

Y’er welcome,
RP