Something To "Mitch" About

 

Courtesy: Keith Hershmiller 

--Game 7! If you are a fan of the Pats and Broncos, should we have expected anything less?  What a series this has been! I don't know if I have ever seen one that has had as many changes in momentum as what I have seen in this series. It has me to the point that I have no idea what to expect in this game with solid arguments being made for both teams to move on.

I'll be honest.  After seeing the Pats get spanked in Game 5 on Friday night, I didn't know if they would be able to bounce back off the canvas.  The inability of the team to stay out of the penalty box has been a big factor in this series and it was a huge factor Friday.  Not only did Regina bounce back off the canvas, but as we found out, they delivered a haymaker of their own.  Did they ever!

Regina spanked Swift Current as bad if not worse in Game 6 than what the Broncos did to them in Game 5.  To make matters better for Regina, Sam Steel and Matt Bradley scored.  Say what you will about this series, but the fact that until the 3rd period of Game 6, the Broncos top guns were scoring, but two of Regina's weren't. That changed in the final 20 minutes.

Swift Current goes home for Game 7, and I have always liked the home team in a deciding game for a variety of reasons.  Add in the fact that Swift Current has won all the odd-numbered games in this series and Regina the even numbered one.  In a series like this though who knows what we'll get. The winner has been those fortunate enough to watch it and many will either have a late night travelling back and forth or they will be glued to Access or 620 CKRM to take it in.   Oh, one other thing.  We haven't seen overtime in this series yet.  Don't say you haven't been warned!

--While Swift Current and Regina are going 7, so are the Raiders and Warriors. This PA team will not give up! This series should be over and would have been over had it not been for the two minute meltdown that the Raiders had earlier in the series.  Can you imagine the shockwaves throughout the WHL if Round 2 featured Prince Albert vs Regina when everyone has been salivating for a Moose Jaw-Swift Current series.  Again, don't you love playoff hockey!!


--I couldn't have been the only one to recognize the significance of John Chick calling it a career on Good Friday!  What better day for Chick to hang up the helmet for good.  The tributes have been many and well-deserved.  What a monster! As good as a football player as he is, those who know John and there are many know he is even a better person.  The Hall of Fame and the Plaza of Honor are shoo-ins.  In his decade of work, there weren't many better.  He should be considered as one of the best ever Riders to play on the defensive line shouldn't he?   I am guessing many a quarterback whispered "Thank you" to the heavens when they heard the news.

--Two thumbs up to the CFL for their April Fools joke. They had the Riders and Bombers playing on a ship in the Port of Churchill. Great gag!  I'm sure some people fell for it.  

-- If the Blue Jays tried to trade Josh Donaldson in the off-season, how much are they cringing now? Donaldson isn't 100 percent, Stroman got roughed up, Tulowitzki is on the 60 day DL.  That being said, they did split with the Yankees on what was an interesting first weekend of the year and they also showed some power hitting one out of the yard in each of those first four games.

--The Scott Foster story is one of the great sports stories out there.  Accountant by day, goalie by night.  One has to wonder what was going through his mind when he was called upon to play the final 14 minutes of a Hawks win over Winnipeg.  This ain't no beer league now son!!  He stopped seven shots and had the memory of a lifetime.  No word on whether or not Peter Chiarelli has offered the Hawks a 3rd for him.

--While there are arguments being had for whether or not Connor McDavid should be in the conversation for the Hart Trophy, there are other awards where I have no idea who the finalists will be.  The only shoo-in will be Gerard Gallant for coach of the year.  Who is the Norris Trophy winner? Who is the Vezina Trophy winner? Who will end up with the Rocket Richard Trophy?

Speaking of which, the NHL says Seattle will get the same rules as Vegas for the expansion draft.  I can only wonder how existing teams feel about that seeing what the Knights have done and how they feel about the fact Vegas will be exempt from that draft because they are still "new".  Sorry, but Vegas is now a member of the NHL and they should have to submit a protected list like everyone else.  I don't think that is fair to the other 30 teams.  The Knights should be forced to make some hard decisions just like the other teams had to do when it came time to populate that initial roster.

--They didn't get the title, but congratulations to Lafleche for getting to the final stages of the Kraft Hockeyville contest and winning 25,000 dollars.  I find it hard to believe that this province has not had a winner in this promotion.  Saskatchewan is hockey! If the truth be known, I can't believe Wilcox hasn't won the award.  You could call the home of Notre Dame College Hockeyville and no one would bat an eyelash. Am I wrong on that one? 

--That's all I got. Have a great week!