MONDAY COMMENTARY – THE DIFFERENCE

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)

I like NHL hockey a lot. But I love Junior hockey.

What’s happened over the weekend is a great illustration why.

In Calgary, the Flames have caught fire since one of the most humiliating losses in franchise history; an 8-2 drubbing at L.A. two weeks ago. Call it “rock bottom” if you will.

Since, they’ve won five of six, and their last four in a row, including a 5-4 heartstopper against Anaheim Sunday night in the Saddledome.

See what happens when your back is up against the wall?

The trouble for the Flames is the team they’re chasing – the Winnipeg Jets – have gotten hot as well and remained two points up for the final playoff spot following Sunday’s 6-1 rout of New Jersey at Canada Life Centre.

Umm, where was this effort all year?

Coaches Darryl Sutter and Rick Bowness have repeatedly been in front of reporters all season bemoaning the lack of inspiration by their top players.

Now this.

I’m always shocked that Canadian NHL fans continue to fill these barns knowing full well they’re not getting a top effort from these players until the chips are down.

However that’s not the case in Junior. Forever in Regina if the fans thought they weren’t getting maximum effort, they’d let the players know or just stop going to games entirely.

But that hasn’t been the case of late with the Queen City Kids whom have shocked the hockey world in the playoffs so far by taking a 2-0 lead in their first round series with the Blades.

Of course a lot of Pats fans are cooing and crowing to the point you’d think the series is over. But it’s not. And that’s another thing which makes Junior hockey better:

The unpredictability.

And if you’re one of those scoffing at the suggestion the Pats should’ve traded Connor Bedard and are making noise about that, you just don’t understand the business of Junior hockey.

We’ll have that conversation next year, if I can find you in the Brandt Centre.

Until then, let’s just enjoy the ride.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, YouTube Live and WQEE Radio. It’s also available on all major podcast platforms)