WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – A CINDERELLA STORY

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

HAVE THESE NOT BEEN THE BEST STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS EVER?

WELL, MAYBE NOT IF YOUR TEAM NEVER MADE IT OR IF THEY BIT THE DUST SOMEWHERE OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS.

HOWEVER WHEN WE SAY THE PLAYOFFS ARE A BRAND NEW SEASON AND TO “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED”, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENED THE PAST THREE ROUNDS.

NOBODY SAW THE CANADIENS TAKING OUT THE LEAFS, NOR THE JETS TAKING OUT THE OILERS. THEN NOBODY SAW MONTREAL SWEEPING WINNIPEG IN WHAT’S TRULY BECOME A CINDERELLA STORY.

AND NOW, THE UNTHINKABLE IS HAPPENING AS THE #16 SEED MONTREAL CANADIENS HAVE THE #2 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS ON THE ROPES.

AS A KNIGHTS FAN, ALL WE CAN DO IS SIT BACK AND WATCH IN HORROR.

AT A SOLDOUT, BUT LISTLESS, T-MOBILE ARENA IN VEGAS TUESDAY NIGHT, THE CANADIENS CAME OUT AND WHIPPED THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4-1 TO ASSUME A 3-2 SERIES LEAD.

THAT’S RIGHT. LE BLEU, BLANC, ROUGE IS JUST ONE WIN AWAY FROM THE STANLEY CUP FINAL.

THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS DIDN’T PLAY WELL. THEY’RE NOWHERE NEAR THE TEAM THAT ROARED BACK TO TAKE OUT #1 COLORADO, NOR THE UNIT THAT FINISHED TIED FOR THE TOP RECORD IN THE REGULAR SEASON.

THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS THEY’RE GOOD ENOUGH TO RALLY AND WIN THE NEXT TWO GAMES AND LOOK BACK ONE DAY AND SAY, “REMEMBER WHEN MONTREAL SCARED THE HECK OUT OF US IN ROUND 3?”

BUT THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL BREWING WITH THE MONTREAL CANADIENS AND THE WHOLE COUNTRY’S NOTICED. THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LIKE, IF NOT ROOT FOR.

IN FACT THEY WERE THE FIRST TEAM I EVER CHEERED FOR AFTER FALLING IN LOVE WITH KEN DRYDEN, GUY LAFLEUR AND THE 70’S CHAMPIONSHIP SQUADS. THAT IS TILL MY DAD FOUND OUT AND FORBADE ME FROM CHEERING FOR THEM. (A STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME).

AND IN THIS GRUELING SERIES, I’M NOT CHEERING FOR THEM NOW.

BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIT, IT’S A HECKUVA STORY.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(Photo: T-Mobile Arena)