THURSDAY COMMENTARY – DID MCDAVID EVEN PLAY?

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

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS STANDING OUT TO ME TODAY …

THE FIRST WAS WHAT YOU’D HAVE TO CONSIDER AN UPSET; THE WINNIPEG JETS TAKING A 4-1 VICTORY OFF THE EDMONTON OILERS IN GAME 1 OF THEIR FIRST ROUND STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF SERIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

CONNOR HELLEBUYCK STONED THE OILERS TIME AFTER TIME AND WINNIPEG WON DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF TWO OF THEIR TOP STARS!

I REALLY HAD TO SEARCH TO SEE IF CONNOR MCDAVID WAS PLAYING BECAUSE HE CERTAINLY DIDN’T STAND OUT. HE WAS VERY NOTICEABLE IN THE DYING MOMENTS WHEN EDMONTON PUT ON A FURIOUS PUSH BUT IN THE END, MCDAVID AND FELLOW OILER STAR LEON DRAISAITL COMBINED FOR ZERO POINTS AND A MINUS-4.

YOU KNOW TODAY IN EDMONTON THEY’RE SAYING “IT’S JUST ONE GAME” BUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR BETWEEN NOW AND FRIDAY’S GAME 2 IS GOING TO BE HUGE.

THERE’S ALREADY TONS OF HEAT ON MCDAVID AND DRAISAITL FOLLOWING GAME 1 THAT THEY’RE ONLY REGULAR SEASON PLAYERS AND NOW THEY’VE GOT TWO DAYS TO SIT IN THAT.

GAME 2 ON FRIDAY WILL POSSIBLY ANSWER WHETHER THEY ARE OR NOT.

AND THE OTHER THING IS THE WEIRD STUFF RATTLING AROUND THE CFL RIGHT NOW.

CFL PEOPLE FROM A VARIETY OF TEAMS HAVE TAKEN TO TWITTER TO BASICALLY GUARANTEE A SEASON BEGINNING IN AUGUST AND THEN BO LEVI MITCHELL WENT ON A TORONTO PODCAST TO EXPLAIN WHY HE’D SUPPORT A MERGER WITH THE XFL.

TALK ABOUT WEIRD TIMING.

THEN BO WENT ON, APPARENTLY, TO SAY THAT THE CFL NEEDS TO ATTRACT A YOUNGER FAN BASE TO ENSURE ITS LONGTERM SURVIVAL. WE ALL KNOW THIS – WE’VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR YEARS – BUT I THOUGHT CRITICIZING THE LEAGUE OFFICE WAS TABOO?

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S DONE BY ARGUABLY THE FACE OF THE LEAGUE.

AND WHY ARE WE ONLY TALKING THE CFL’S MARKETING PROBLEMS NOW, WHEN THE LEAGUE’S POTENTIALLY ON ITS LAST LEGS?

OH WELL, IT WAS JUST ANOTHER WEIRD DAY IN A WEIRD YEAR.

AT THIS POINT, I ONLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE GAMES.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.

(Photo Edmonton Oilers)