TUESDAY COMMENTARY – THEY WANT THE CUP
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
FAMILY DAY TURNED INTO DE FACTO “HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA”.
THERE WERE SOME SCINTILLATING ALL-CANADIAN MATCH-UPS ON MONDAY WITH TORONTO AT MONTREAL AND HERE IN CALGARY, THE FLAMES HOSTING THE WINNIPEG JETS.
I’VE COVERED THE NHL FROM AFAR FOR DECADES, FROM WHAT I’VE ALWAYS CALLED THE “BERMUDA TRIANGLE OF THE NHL”; WHATWITH SASKATCHEWAN BEING SMACKDAB IN THE MIDDLE OF EDMONTON, CALGARY AND WINNIPEG.
BUT IT’S TRULY SOMETHING SPECIAL TO BE IN A CANADIAN NHL MARKET, ESPECIALLY IN CALGARY THESE DAYS WITH THE FLAMES BEING THE HOTTEST TEAM IN THE NHL.
SO MONDAY’S MATINEE BETWEEN THE FLAMES AND JETS WAS MARQUEE SINCE CALGARY WAS OUT TO TIE A FRANCHISE RECORD, WITH A 10TH STRAIGHT VICTORY.
I ALSO KNEW THIS ONE WOULD BE TO COVER, WITH SO MANY VIEWERS OF THE RP SHOW COMING FROM CALGARY AND WINNIPEG.
THE FLAMES BARELY SNUCK BY SEATTLE SATURDAY NIGHT TO KEEP THIS STRING ALIVE, AND I KNEW THEY’D BE IN FOR QUITE A BATTLE FROM THE STILL-HANGING-ON JETS.
THE GOALTENDING MATCH-UP WAS STERLING AS WELL, WITH CONNOR HELLEBUYCK GOING UP AGAINST JACOB MARKSTROM. WITH THAT, YOU KNEW IT WOULD BE A LOW-SCORING GAME.
AND IT WAS. BUT THERE’S ALSO THOSE KEY LITTLE THINGS TO WATCH FOR AS WELL, LIKE FORMER PATS CAPTAIN ADAM BROOKS SUITING UP WITH HIS HOMETOWN JETS, AND ANOTHER FORMER PATS CAPTAIN, CHRIS SCHLENKER, REFEREE’ING THE GAME WITH ANOTHER DUB GRAD, GRAHAM SKILLITER.
I SHOT A QUICK TEXT MESSAGE TO SCHLENKER, AND HE’S EAGER TO MEET UP THE NEXT TIME HE’S IN TOWN TO DO A FLAMES GAME, MARCH 3RD AGAINST MONTREAL.
THEY’RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THAT MATCH-UP IN COWTOWN, AND IT’S SURE TO BE SOLDOUT ONCE THE COVID RESTRICTIONS HAVE GONE AWAY.
BUT BACK TO THIS GAME. THE JETS PROVED TO JUST NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH TO MATCH THE HIGH OCTANE FLAMES. IT WAS 1-1 INTO THE FINAL MINUTE BEFORE ELIAS LINDHOLM AND TYLER TOFFOLI BURIED FOR A 3-1 CALGARY FINAL.
THE PARTY WAS ON AND THE BIGGEST QUESTION IN FLAMES LAND IS WHO WILL GARY BETTMAN HAND THE STANLEY CUP TO SINCE CALGARY’S STILL PLAYING WITHOUT A CAPTAIN?
YES, IT’S GOING WELL.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
