Your TV Guide and Open Thread For Night 26 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs

(Ed. Note: We’re desperately trying to get rid of italics.  This is the beginning of that proposition.)  Enjoy tonight’s info.

7:00 PM ET, Washington vs. Pittsburgh, Game 6 (PIT Leads 3-2)                          

National TV: VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Daryl Reaugh
Reporter: Chris Simpson

National TV (CANADA): TSN (HD)
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Color: Pierre McGuire

Regional TV (WASHINGTON): CSN Mid-Atlantic (HD)
Play by Play: Joe Beninati
Color: Craig Laughlin
Reporter: Al Koken

Regional TV (PITTSBURGH): FS Pittsburgh (HD)
Play by Play: Paul Steigerwald
Color: Bob Errey
Reporter: Dan Potash

9:00 PM ET, Vancouver vs. Chicago, Game 6 (CHI Leads 3-2) 

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD) (Joined in Progress)

National TV (CANADA): CBC (HD) 
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Reporter: Scott Oake

Regional TV (CHICAGO): CSN Chicago (HD)
Play by Play: Pat Foley
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Reporter: Pat Boyle 

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Penguins Draw NHL Record Rating on FSN Pittsburgh

From the Penguins:

FSN Pittsburgh, the exclusive rights-holder for Pittsburgh Penguins regional telecasts, recorded a 21.38 rating on Sat., May 9, 2009 when the Penguins defeated the Washington Capitals, 4-3 in overtime for Round Two Game Five of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  It marked the highest rated game ever on FSN Pittsburgh and the highest rated NHL game on any FSN regional sports network.

The Pens 5-3 win over the Caps on Fri., May 8 recorded a 19.26 as the third highest rated game on FSN Pittsburgh.

FSN will televise Game 6 tonight with pre-game starting at 6:30PM and Game 7 on Wed., May 13, if necessary.  The network has received many inquiries about whether tonight’s game will be shown on the outdoor screen.  “Fortunately, FSN Pittsburgh believes in the importance of this outdoor hockey celebration and, therefore, will continue to give the green light for the FSN televised games to be shown outside of Mellon Arena.  We embrace this new Penguins tradition,” said Black. 

FSN with the diss of NBC.  I love the fire Pittsburgh hockey folks show!

Baby, I’m a Fanarchist!… VERSUS Launches New Series While Blogger Forces Terrible Against Me! Pun

Oh lord, here we go again.  The writing of John Ourand of SBJ (Reg. Req.):

Versus is set to unveil its next original series, which will feature sports fans arguing with each other via Web cams.

Dubbed “Fanarchy,” the series will be made up of seven fans discussing various sports issues of the day from their homes, interacting via Web cams. During each episode, the series’ in-studio host, Zach Selwyn (runner up on ESPN’s “Dream Job” in 2004), will kick two of the fans off the show. Selwyn will host the show from a Los Angeles studio.

“It’s like nothing that’s out there,” said Versus President Jamie Davis. “We said early on that Versus’ original shows were not going to be made up of guys sitting at a desk with a plasma screen behind them giving news and data.”

Umm… dude, what do you call “Hockey Central”?  Anyway, this sounds like it could be fun… or just a complete disaster that becomes a guilty pleasure.  Like a VH1 show.  VERSUS could probably get more viewers with “I Love New York” debating Bret Michaels on whether the Phillies should’ve pinch-run for Howard in the 8th, but as always, we digress.

Why Adrian Dater is Right… and Wrong

Hey kids!  Adrian Dater’s gone and done it again, and the incredible Tapeleg has captured everything for you.  Here’s the screencap of what Mr. Dater said on a post about watching an NBA game this weekend:

And you will find an agreement from us on almost every point there, before the post was taken down by Denver Post editors (who apparently were cool with it in the first place).  Basketball is more boring than Panthers-Wild in the middle of November, even during the post-season.  Female color analysts take you out of the traditional dynamic of the game.  We spoke to one of our favorite writers, Greg Wyshynski, who called it akin to “a woman playing James Bond”.  Well, Roger Moore did it well enough…

Anyway, what Adrian said was correct.  We’ll stand by him here, but we have to wonder if he’d be so angry if, say, Cammi Granato were calling a game.  Considering she’s better than about 95% of the team he currently covers, wouldn’t anything she says then have to hold a little bit of gravitas?  What’s your take on what Adrian said, and female analysts in sports in general?

Kevin Weekes, Amazing Human Being, Not Surprisingly a Great Analyst

This marks the first time since the Game 7 disaster that we’ve had to say those awful words: “You know, I may be a Devils fan, but…”.  It’s good to live again.

We think Kevin Weekes is amazing, if we may just get down to brass tax.  Very friendly, articulate and a good goalie when given a chance, which he obviously isn’t playing in Jersey.  But we’ve noticed him the past couple of nights doing analyst work on NHL: On the Fly, the terrific highlight show that usually gets bogged down by dull personalities, like an anti-NHL Live before Don and EJ left.

But when given a chance to shine on the network’s flagship program, Weeksie has proven himself to be just as articulate and analytical on TV.  He gives good insight while being from a position where he can’t reveal too much as a current player.  Hopefully he and Jeremy Roenick and Jim Dowd (as we’ve said before, find it yourself!) will be part of a new wave of NHL analysts kicking out the sort of old wave that’s starting to get, well… old.  Or at least take the Devils job after Chico is rendered mute from a piercing funnel cake.