THURSDAY COMMENTARY – IS ALL RIGHT AFTER NIGHT ONE?

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

OPENING NIGHT IN THE NHL DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

WELL IT DID FOR THE FANBASES OF THE FIVE TEAMS WHO LOST, BUT OVERALL IT WAS A FANTASTIC NIGHT OF HOCKEY.

WHEN THE MAPLE LEAFS AND CANADIENS WERE LINED UP ACROSS THE BLUE LINES AT TORONTO’S SCOTIABANK CENTRE FOR OH CANADA, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, “IT DOESN’T GET BETTER THAN THIS”.

NOT SURE ABOUT YOU BUT MY YOUTH WAS SHAPED BY WATCHING JUST ONE NHL GAME A WEEK, SATURDAY NIGHT, AND IT USUALLY FEATURED ONE OF THOSE TWO TEAMS. KEN DRYDEN’S “TARGET” MASK WILL BE BURNED IN MY BRAIN UNTIL I LEAVE THIS EARTH.

BUT THE PENGUINS/FLYERS GAME FROM PHILLY WAS GREAT TOO, AND SIDNEY CROSBY PUT HIS NAME FORTH AS AN EARLY MVP CANDIDATE.

THAT BROADCAST REMINDED ME THAT FOR A LONG TIME CANADIAN KIDS HAVEN’T BEEN RESTRICTED TO JUST WATCHING CANADIAN TEAMS, AND IT EXPLAINS WHY THERE’S SO MANY PENGUINS FANS NORTH OF THE BORDER.

SIDNEY CROSBY’S ON TV UP HERE ALMOST AS MUCH AS AUSTON MATTHEWS.

AND THE OILERS CONTINUED TO DO OILER THINGS, UNRAVELLING IN A 5-3 HOME LOSS TO THE CANUCKS WHICH HAS THE SKY FALLING IN THE ALBERTA CAPITAL TODAY.

YOU’D ALMOST BE TRICKED INTO THINKING THAT ALL IS RIGHT IN THE WORLD. BACK TO NORMAL.

THE FUN CONTINUES TONIGHT WITH 10 MORE MAGNIFICENT GAMES AND THE ONES WHICH CAUGHT MY EYE ARE FLAMES/JETS, DUCKS/GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND A REMATCH OF CANUCKS/OILERS.

IT’S GONNA BE 116 CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS OF NHL HOCKEY IN MY LIVING ROOM, AND I’M HERE FOR IT.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.