Commentary: Happy Days

(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on the All New Hits 98 CKHD & LTD Radio)

For the Calgary Flames and their fans, it feels like Happy Days are here again.

For now.

Of the four games in the NHL Wednesday night, none were bigger than the one in Calgary where the Flames hosted the rival Vancouver Canucks with a playoff spot on the line.

Again, for now.

RP Show viewers from Southern Alberta were bouncing off the walls in anticipation of the game, saying it had all the feels of the 1990s and 2000s playoff wars between the two.

As it turns out, it ended up being a “three-pointer”. Conor Garland scored in the shootout to give Vancouver a 4-3 victory. That pulled the rivals even with 71 points, but right now the Flames get the nod for the final playoff spot due to having played one less game.

There are less than 20 games to go.

Very, very dark days were predicted for the Flames going into the season; Year 1 of a rebuild.

But lo and behold, second-year head coach Ryan Huska has them in a playoff spot and playing meaningful games in March. There’s no reason to think that won’t happen in April, and perhaps carry into a playoff spot.

Tell me Huska shouldn’t be named NHL Coach of the Year!

I heard a pundit on NHL radio the other day saying it should be Columbus’s Dean Evason, another Dub grad. Honestly, it’s tough to argue with that.

In truth it’ll probably go to Washington’s Spencer Carbery who came out of the Junior B ranks on Vancouver Island, and has led the Capitals to perhaps the most surprising season of anyone.

Oh … and they howl in Winnipeg if you don’t mention first year Jets coach Scott Arniel. And honestly, for good reason.

Newsflash: Every coach in the NHL is good. 

So for a lot of teams, Happy Days are here.

And happy feels good.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 4 pm ET on Game+TV, Podcast & YouTube Live)