WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

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

THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED IN HOCKEY TUESDAY NIGHT AND THAT IS:

“MERCURY IS IN RETROGRADE”.

FOLKS OF MY GENERATION WOULD SAY, “THERE MUST BE A FULL MOON”, BUT THIS IS THE NEW THING.

HOW ELSE COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED IN SPORTS IN THE PAST 24 HOURS?

CHARLESTON HUGHES SIGNING WITH THE RIDERS WAS JUST THE FIRST THING TO MAKE YOU GO, “HUH?”

OH, AND DON’T GET ME WRONG. NONE OF THESE ARE NECESSARILY BAD THINGS. DEPENDING ON WHAT SIDE OF THE FENCE YOU’RE ON, TUESDAY’S RESULTS COULD BE QUITE HEARTWARMING.

I’LL BEGIN WITH THE MOOSE JAW WARRIORS, WHO HOSTED THE WHL’S #1 TEAM – THE WINNIPEG ICE – IN GAME 3 OF THEIR ROUND 2 SERIES.

THE ICE HAD OUTSCORED MOOSE JAW 13-1 IN THE OPENING TWO GAMES AND WINNIPEG VIEWERS OF THE RP SHOW SET THE OVER-UNDER FOR ICE GOALS AT 7 FOR TUESDAY’S GAME.

NUH UH. THE WARRIORS PREVAILED 3-2 TO CUT WINNIPEG’S SERIES LEAD IN HALF.

WHO SAW THAT COMING?

AND THEN IN THE NHL, TAMPA BAY LED TORONTO ALMOST ALL GAME LONG BUT A FEROCIOUS COMEBACK GAVE THE LEAFS A 4-3 WIN, AND NOW THEY HAVE THE 2-TIME DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS ON THE ROPES.

AND WHAT ABOUT IN EDMONTON? THE OILERS HAD A CHANCE TO PUSH THE KINGS TO ELIMINATION BUT DESPITE 3-POINT NIGHTS FROM MCDAVID AND DRAISAITL, THEY LOST 5-4 TO L.A. IN OVERTIME AND NOW FACE ELIMINATION THEMSELVES.

LAST NIGHT I WAS THINKING THE SLOGAN FOR THESE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS COULD BE “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.”

BUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER MERCURY IS IN RETROGRADE BEGINNING ON TUESDAY AND LASTING FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, ALL I CAN SAY IS TO BUCKLE UP FOR A WILD RIDE!

TO “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED” IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

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 and listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)