Broadcast News: 3 New York Teams in Would Cause Epic NHL Screwup, Again

Only three times since the Devils have come to New Jersey in 1982 have all three New York-area teams been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  In 1990 and 1994, the Rangers and Islanders faced off while the Devils battled the Caps.  In 2007, however, all three teams were playing in separate series.  For some reason, the NHL decided they’d play almost all of their games on the same night.  Game 1 of all three series started at the same time!  What kind of logic is that?

I say this because if the season ended today, all three teams would be in again, with the Devils and Rangers going at it, and the Isles against the Caps.  Would the NHL make the same mistake again?

Current Matchups

East

#8 NY Islanders vs. #1 Washington
#7 Ottawa vs. #2 New Jersey
#6 NY Rangers vs. #3 Buffalo
#5 Boston vs. #4 Pittsburgh

West
#8 Los Angeles vs. #1 Chicago
#7 Calgary vs. #2 San Jose
#6 Vancouver vs. #3 Colorado
#5 Phoenix vs. #4 Nashville

Canadian Networks Draft

#1 (CBC): VAN-COL
#2 (CBC): CGY-SJ
#3 (TSN): OTT-NJ
#4 (CBC): BOS-PIT
#5 (TSN): LA-CHI
#6 (CBC): NYI-WSH
#7-8 (TSN): NYR-BUF and PHX-NSH

Could Phoenix-Nashville be the most ignored Stanley Cup Playoff series in the history of the league?  Or the most hyped for it’s feel good stories?  Anyway, my reasoning for the two western series?  They’ll get better ratings at 10PM than an Ottawa series at 7PM, and Crosby/Ovechkin night after night will be good lead-ins.

American Networks

NBC:

Boston-Pittsburgh remains the cream of the crop, series-wise, and that will get a ton of play.  Sabres-Rangers and Washington-Islanders might not be strong enough to keep LA-Chicago off network TV, provided the games take place in Chi-town.  Sorry, Phoenix-Nashville.

VERSUS:

Boston-Pittsburgh and Washington-Islanders will likely get most of the 7PM timeslots, with Calgary-San Jose/Vancouver-Colorado being the VERSUS produced western series when they’re in American markets, with Chicago-LA getting play on VERSUS when out in Hockeywood.  Sabres-Rangers and Ottawa-Devils will likely substitute on weekends.  Sorry, Phoenix-Nashville.

VERSUS Available Announcers

Play by Play:

John Forslund
Rick Peckham
John Ahlers

Color:

Darren Eliot
Daryl Reaugh
Brian Engblom

Reporters:

Charissa Thompson
Bob Harwood
Lindsay Soto