The Stanley Cup Playoffs

Would like Elliotte or someone to explain why NBC dictates start times on Saturday or any other day considering the pittance they are probably paying for broadcast rights compared to CBC.

Does "Hockey NIGHT in Canada" not mean ANYTHING to the fucking NHL?

 

Now he stones Eaves on a one-timer from dead-center in the slot.

 

DOES NBC dictate the start time? Isn't the NHL buying the time? If so, wouldn't it be, essentially, the NHL's call on how much it wants to spend?

/just a guess

 

Ottawa wins.

 

Alfredsson 1-on-3 to the far post. Looked harmless. Went in.

 

Sorry Sabres fans. I was rooting for you actually.

 

Oh, and the hockey game is over. Alfredsson scores in OT.

The Preakness hasn't come close to starting yet. We've been treated to several minutes of interviews with trainers, jockeys, et al ... no actual racing, though. If they had any more time built into this prerace show, they'd be trying to get a quote from the horses.

"Well, Will-burr, I've got to get my blinders on to get focused. It's a big race, you know. My jockey will do a great job of whipping me in the back. The Wild Grain Hay and Ray-Ban Blinders will certainly carry me through."

 

I'm really not sure. It could be both who are at fault - the NHL wants to put the game on but the network says, well, okay, but only if you agree to start it at such-and-such a time. The NHL, eager to pick up a couple thousand extra American viewers at the expense of tens of thousands of Canadian viewers, agrees. It's bullshit.

And yay Sens.

 

Nuts. You're right, mustard, that's a tough shot to lose a series on.

Okay, Sens, if you're going to knock the hometown team out, you'd BETTER not effing gag in the Finals.

 

Get ready for Ottawa and Detroit! ... gag

 

Methinks it was a compromise to satisfy both nations' network "partners."

Last week, both of the weekend games were in prime-time (the CBC/HNIC start time). This week, both weekend games were in the afternoon (NBC's start time). Of course, NBC *could* put one of the conference final games on in prime-time, but that would be blasphemy to network execs (who once complained about the WS going to 7 games and cutting into NBC programming).

 

Last Canadian team to win the cup was Les Habitants 14 years ago. In the interest of the game maintaining some semblance of its geographical roots, I'm pulling for the Sens.