The Monday Morning Goalie

One-timers …

1 – THE GREAT 8: Alex Ovechkin certainly has a flair for the dramatic doesn’t he? The Washington Capitals star struck again on Sunday in the Capitals’ 4-2 home victory over Seattle. It was another empty-netter, and did you know the Russian sniper holds the NHL record for most empty net goals with 65? That tally also was his 1,600th career point, and he’s just the 11th NHLer to hit that mark. I have no problem with all his empty-netters. They don’t ask how; they ask how many. And now Ovechkin is just nine goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record (894) and he’s on pace to do it on April 10 at Carolina. What a ride!

2 – BRICKWALL BOB: Last week in this space I noted that Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers is the greatest netminder on the planet, and got little argument. Last week, in a 3-0 whitewash of the Columbus Blue Jackets in Sunrise, Bob moved into a tie with Tony Esposito for 10th all time in career wins (423). He’s the only Russian in the Top 10, and Henrik Lundquist is the only other non-Canadian in the group. (Meanwhile my Rod Squad Newsletter hunch was correct — Curtis Joseph’s 454 wins place him 7th, which are the most by any goalie NOT in the Hockey Hall of Fame).

3 – HOCKEYTOWN SOUTH?: The last five consecutive Stanley Cup Finals have been played with Florida teams (Tampa Bay 2020, 2021, 2022 & Florida 2023, 2024) and we’re hurdling towards a sixth since the Lightning and Panthers are the two hottest teams in the NHL. Let me set the scene for you — there are A LOT of game night staff who’ve been working for the Panthers since the team’s inception in 1993 and most nights in the press box they simply smack their foreheads and shake their heads that every game is sold-out, and that the Cats are the defending Stanley Cup champions. You see Panthers gear and license plates everywhere you go and the team is all the talk on coffee row. Do the majority of the locals really know hockey at all? Not particularly. But they were humble enough to ask if the Seth Jones and Brad Marchand trades were good for the Panthers. I liken it to this: in 2019 when the Toronto Raptors went on their championship run, Canada was on fire from coast-to-coast. (Remember Mosaic Stadium becoming Jurassic Park and fans filling it up to watch Raptors playoff games on TV?) WE DON’T KNOW BASKETBALL! Same applies here.

4 – PLAYOFFS: It’s still mid-March and we’re a ways away from the Score App posting the NHL playoff pairings on a daily basis. I really love that! Today I’ll do it for you: EAST: Washington-Columbus, Florida-Ottawa, Toronto-Tampa Bay and Carolina-New Jersey. WEST: Winnipeg-Calgary, Vegas-Minnesota, Dallas-Colorado, Edmonton-Los Angeles. As always, some great teams are going to go down in Round 1. Shoot, some good teams are going to miss the playoffs! But it should be noted that the Florida Panthers have allowed one goal in their past four games and have won their past six in a row overall. Defence still wins championships. … Utah will have to make their playoff push without goaltender Connor Ingram. The Imperial, SK product has entered the NHL’s Player Assistance Program to help deal with the passing of his mother. Godspeed, Connor! It takes such balls to seek help when you need it. But it’s the best thing you can ever do! 

5 – COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY HOCKEY: Tip of the cap to my niece Sydney Pedersen who concluded her NCAA hockey career on Saturday as her Mercyhurst Lakers faced Penn State in the AHA Conference Championship game at Pegula Sports Arena. Penn State won the contest 4-1 to advance to nationals. As for Syd, it’s “Onto the next chapter!” as she wrote me on Sunday. We should all have the confidence and mettle of that kid. … Meanwhile congratulations to the U of S Huskies mens hockey team, who captured their first Canada West title on Sunday with a 3-0 victory over my alma mater Mount Royal University. Former Regina Pat Roddy Ross notched a 30-save shutout for the Dogs. The images and video from a jampacked Merlis Belsher Arena were stunning!

6 – DUB HUB: Kudos to the Saskatoon Blades, who clinched their sixth straight WHL playoff berth over the weekend. Maybe this will be their year. Their northern rivals, the Prince Albert Raiders, clinched awhile back. The regular season wraps up March 23, and that’ll be curtains on the season for the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors. Where you gonna go to watch your playoff hockey?? The Hounds are out in the SJ too. … Another story to watch is that of 2026 top draft prospect Gavin McKenna of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Word’s circulating that he’s getting fat offers from NCAA teams to head stateside before next season. Once the NCAA ruled major junior players are college eligible in October, a longtime pundit said “The cold war is over!” Not on your life.

7 – CFL: It’s pretty quiet on the CFL front till the National Combine in Regina Mar 21-23. Borrowing from our weekend Newsletter (sign up here), a name I heard in conjunction with the search for the next Commissioner is Paul Graham. The legendary, recently-retired TSN Executive Director would be the ideal candidate, given his love for the CFL and knowledge of the TV & streaming industry. However I have absolutely no clue if he’d be interested, nor if he’s even interviewed. But I think he’d be great. The tip came from a CFL source who also suggested the League will be talking to CEBL Commissioner Mike Morreale.

8 – TIME TO BALL Y’ALL: Standing on the sidelines at a high school 7-on-7 tournament Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, I looked down at my Garmin watch and noticed my heartrate was at 52. That was a clear sign that was a place where I find peace. The stars of tomorrow were going at it hot and heavy, even if their season doesn’t kickoff till late-August. A referee gushed, “This is great football!” and indeed it was. In my time here, Cardinal Gibbons High School got as high as #13 in the national rankings. The Roughriders will be hosting a free agent camp on that field next month.

9 – DRIVE FOR FIVE: Make that five Brier titles for Regina’s Ben Hebert, correct? Trailing 3-2 with last rock in the 10th end, Brad Jacobs of Alberta made a game-winning hit for three to outduel Matt Dunstone of Manitoba 5-3 on Sunday in the Montana’s Brier championship final in Kelowna, BC. It’s the second career Brier title for the veteran skip, who also won in 2013. Other members of Jacobs’ team are vice Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert. I was following the event closely and was happy to learn Curling Canada ruled that if Wildcard rep Mike McEwen had won the title, it would’ve ended the 45-year Saskatchewan drought going back to 1980. Now all McEwen had to do was win! Nada.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: It’s a shame when parents ruin their kids sports. … PK Subban is reallllly growing on me. He’s gotten more serious and his analysis has been as good as anyone’s. … PK drew the ire of some white-haired Florida NHL fans (yes, there are several) when he said Sidney Crosby is in the Top 3 all-time NHL players. Upon review, he may be correct. … Sunday was a sad day. I have officially watched every episode of Forensic Files on Headline News Network. Now what? … Can’t stand how Americans leave their shoes on in the house. … You see the same people on the way up as you do on the way down. … Why buy the cow when the milk’s free? … HAVE A GOOD WEEK!

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen

(With files from Canadian Press)