THURSDAY COMMENTARY – THE DREAM MATCH-UP

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

IF GAME 1 IS INDICATION, WE’RE IN FOR A LONG, CLOSE STANLEY CUP FINAL.

COLORADO’S ANDRE BURAKOVSKY SCORED 1:23 INTO OVERTIME WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO GIVE THE AVALANCHE A 4-3 VICTORY OVER TAMPA BAY, AND A 1-0 LEAD IN THE NHL’S CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES.

FOR BURAKOVSKY, IT WAS HIS FIRST CAREER PLAYOFF GOAL AND HE’LL BE HARD-PRESSED TO EVER SCORE ONE BIGGER THAN THAT.

AS AN ASIDE, OUR POLLS SUGGEST THE MAJORITY OF OUR LISTENERS (62%) ARE PULLING FOR THE AVALANCHE. THE NUMBER I’M SURE SWELLS TO 100% IN YORKTON, THE HOMETOWN OF COLORADO HEAD COACH JARED BEDNAR.

BUT ONE GAME DOESN’T MAKE A SERIES, AND I’D SUGGEST WE SETTLE IN FOR A LONG ONE.

LIGHTNING HEAD COACH JON COOPER – A NOTRE DAME HOUNDS GRAD – WAS ANNOYED AFTER THE GAME THAT HIS TEAM FELL INTO A 3-1 HOLE IN THE FIRST PERIOD. HE SAID IT’S BEEN AN ANNOYING HABIT IN THESE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS AND HOPED THEY’D OUTGROWN THAT BY NOW.

HE WAS ALSO LIKELY ANNOYED THAT PENALTIES PLAYED A FACTOR IN HIS TEAM’S LOSS, BUT DIDN’T WANT TO CRITICIZE THE REFS IN A NEWS CONFERENCE.

THE POWERPLAYS ENDED UP TIED 3-3, WHICH TELLS ME THE NHL WANTS TO CALL THIS THING RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE AND NOT HAVE OFFICIATING BLAMED FOR ANY OF THE GAMES’ OUTCOMES.

THAT CERTAINLY WASN’T THE CASE IN GAME 1 AND NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL SATURDAY NIGHT TO ENJOY GAME 2.

THE NHL SAID TAMPA BAY/COLORADO WAS A DREAM MATCH-UP AND INITIALLY I SCOFFED.

AFTER THOROUGHLY ENJOYING THE SERIES OPENER, I’D SAY THEY WERE RIGHT ON THE MONEY.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET and 10 pm PT on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live)