WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – BE-LEAF!

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

TODAY, SOME NHL ODDS AND ENDS.

WE ARE TWO WEEKS INTO THE NHL REGULAR SEASON AND OBVIOUSLY NOTHING’S BEEN DECIDED.

BUT IT’S A HECKUVA LOT OF FUN TO DISSECT THINGS ALONG THE WAY AND ASSESS PROGRESS. NO ONE’S RUNNING AWAY WITH THINGS, NOR IS ANYONE OUT OF IT.

BUT THERE ARE SOME DISTURBING TRENDS.

LET ME FIRST SAY IF I WAS AN NHL COACH, I’D BREAK THE 56-GAME SEASON DOWN INTO EIGHT, 7-GAME SEGMENTS. IT MAKES THINGS EASIER TO FOCUS ON AND IF YOU HAD A PARTICULARLY BAD 7-GAME STRETCH, YOU CAN START FRESH IN THE NEXT ONE.

SO AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS AND THEIR SIX WINS HAVE THEM NUMBER-ONE OVERALL IN THE ENTIRE NHL. I FIND THAT DEEPLY DISTURBING SINCE I’M SURROUNDED BY LEAFS FANS WHO HAVE EITHER 54 YEARS -OR THEIR ENTIRE LIFETIMES – PENT UP, WAITING TO RUB IT IN OUR FACES SHOULD THEY WIN IT ALL.

BUT REALLY, THEY’RE ONLY IN WEEK 2.

OVER IN WINNIPEG THE JETS RALLIED TO BEAT THE OILERS 6-4 ON TUESDAY, WHICH HAD TO BE A MASSIVE DEFLATION FOR EDMONTON. PEOPLE ARE POINTING TO “FATIGUE” FOR THE REASON THE OILERS SAGGED BUT I JUST CAN’T BUY IT.

BUT THEY’RE STILL IN A PLAYOFF SPOT. IN FACT IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY, THE CANUCKS, FLAMES AND SENATORS WOULD ALL MISS!

AS FOR MY FAVOURITE TEAM – THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – THEIR 11 POINTS HAVE THEM #2 OVERALL IN THE LEAGUE BUT ADVERSITY HIT ON TUESDAY WHEN THEIR ENTIRE COACHING STAFF HAD TO SELF-ISOLATE DUE TO A COVID SCARE.

THERE’S THAT DREADED “C-WORD” AGAIN.

THIS IS ALL FUN TO WATCH BUT LET’S NOT GET AHEAD OF OURSELVES! REMEMBER WE’RE ONLY IN WEEK 2 OF EIGHT.

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