TUESDAY COMMENTARY – MAMA SAID
Photo: Keith Hershmiller Photography
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
It’s Tuesday and that means an all-hockey edition of the Good, the Great & The Ugly …
First, the good: The Flames bit the dust Monday night, as their 3-2 shootout loss to Nashville officially eliminated them from the Stanley Cup Playoff chase. We’ll get to more of that in a minute.
But what’s good is, hockey will go on. The Flames’ top minor league affiliate – the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League – are one of the top teams in the “A” and figure to have a long playoff run this spring in the Saddledome.
But for Calgary hockey fans, I get the sense AHL hockey is a lot like non-alcoholic beer; good, but not great, and doesn’t really get the job done.
Next, the great: It’s the junior career of Connor Bedard. It ended Monday night with the Pats’ 4-1, Game 7 loss at Saskatoon.
In this case, looking from the outside, there’s nothing to regret. Connor got in pretty much three full seasons in the Queen City so that’s a great run. His 2.02-points per game, I believe, are the most-ever by a Pat but I’d have to look that up. (Where’s Ron “Scoreboard” Johnston when you need him?)
He leaves as the best Regina Pat ever, and I’d say that’s pretty great.
And lastly, the ugly: As you’ve heard, all three of the teams I follow lost Monday night … the Flames, the Pats and even the Florida Panthers.
Mama said there’d be days like this.
What’s ugly is what’s next for the Flames and as we sit here today, I have no idea what I’d do if I was the owner. They’ve got a lot of problems as an extremely talented team who under-achieved.
Glad it’s not my job to try to explain it.
And my social media mentions lit up Monday night with what we call “trolls”, attempting to rub it in my face that the Flames and Pats seasons are toast, and the Panthers are in a perilous perch.
However the joke’s on them! I slept like a rock last night.
I pray those folks don’t ever come to the realization that there are farrrr more important things in life than whether your team won or lost.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV and WQEE, as well as all major podcast platforms)
Bedard scores goals, yes he does but he causes goals against too. He is fast, shifty and has a great shot but what about his back check game and work in the corners? Well, there isn’t any of that!!! Last night he was on the ice for 3 of the Blades goals. His plus/minus was -2 but he had a plus 10 in the ref whining department. He doesn’t back check and doesn’t go into the corners but floats around center ice waiting for a cherry picker feed. That means the Blades get lots of odd man rushes against the… Read more »
ol Kelly Lovering once told me, “the problem with sending minor youth hockey coaches to Level 1 clinics etc, is they get juuuuuuuuust enough knowledge to be dangerous.” You guys are the Western World’s equivalent of who Osama Bin Laden convinced to fly into the side of a building. Natural contrarions, and I also was the fellow who said the pandemic will reveal it all, and what I always knew – it will be the golden age of loners – malcontents – and mysonthrops. “what about his backcheck lol Please sir the floor is yours – quickly look up some… Read more »
Good hockey analysis from a observed perspective, a bit critical though directed at one person. (One person does not a team make). Yes … young Connor the offensive prodigy will have a wake up call at the next level of hockey wherever that may be, he has a lot to work on regarding his defensive play, hopefully he’ll learn that part of the game eventually.
Yes Tom fully agree. If he doesn’t learn to be an all around player he will not have a fun career. The kid is awesome at offense but not so much in the defensive area. I am only critical of him because how he acts when confronted in areas he doesn’t want to be. Like contact and when his offensive space is cut off. He whines and cries to the ref and then last night broke his stick over his own cross car. Not a good way to represent yourself
Bedard did not have a stellar outing in game 7. Not sure if he just ran out of gas or what, but at the end of the day one superstar isn’t going to single handedly drag you through the playoffs. Just ask the Edmonton Oilers about that.
Besides, Bedard is the consensus number one pick in the draft. He got what he needed out of junior hockey. No need for him to drag it out and risk injury.
Last night the Blades played him a bit different. I watched all the games live in Saskatoon . The Blades reduced his open ice space and didn’t allow him to get wound up to where he dangles around the defence. He only had one or 2 good open space rushes. Oh boy did he get frustrated.!!!!!
Good analysis Olaf, he couldn’t pull off his hot knife through butter thing vs the Blades defense.
MAMMA SAID, life is like a box of chocolates.
In young Connor Bedard’s case, Mamma said Thank goodness that one horse town Regina is fading in our rear view mirror as we go home to Beautiful British Columbia never to return again. C’mon Connor, pack up fast. 🤠