Broadcast News: In Which I Revive a Poorly-Title Segment

(NOTE: This used show up every Monday on Puck the Media. It’s something we did a couple of times last season. They were fairly popular, and people asked for them to return, so now it’s back.)

Current Matchups

#8 Boston vs. #1 Washington
#7 Montreal vs. #2 Pittsburgh
#6 Philadelphia vs. #3 Buffalo
#5 Ottawa vs. #4 New Jersey

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

Canadian Networks Mock Draft

#1 (CBC): LA-Vancouver
#2 (CBC): Montreal-Pittsburgh
#3 (TSN): Ottawa-New Jersey
#4 (CBC): Philadelphia-Buffalo
#5 (TSN): Boston-Washington
#6 (CBC): Colorado-Phoenix
#7-8 (TSN): San Jose-Nashville & Detroit-Chicago

Under other circumstances, CBC might pass on Montreal with RDS draining them of potential viewers.  However, with the other option being low-rated Ottawa, and with the sport’s biggest star taking on the Habs, there’s simply no chance they don’t throw the Habs up there with the Canucks every other night.  A Pens-Habs series would dominate coverage of the sport in Canada like no 1st round, non-Leafs matchup has in years.

After that, expect CBC to take Philly-Buffalo over Boston-Washington due to the likelihood that series won’t get picked by NBC (see below) and Colorado-Phoenix to give them doubleheaders every night.  TSN gets a pretty raw deal, as Ottawa is the least popular of the Canadian teams, but having Ovechkin and Wings-Hawks should make up for it.  Also, it’s Canada, so people will watch.

American Networks

NBC: Wings-Hawks and Bruins-Caps.  Thank you for asking.

Seriously, it’s these two series and nothing else.  Flyers-Sabres and maybe, maybe, Coyotes-Avs stands in waiting if one set ends early.  These series give NBC big names, good markets (well, 3 okay ones and 1 good one) and a likely high 1.-rating or even a 2.0 for at least one of their four broadcast windows.

VERSUS: More of the same.  Boston-Washington and either Pittsburgh-Montreal and Philly-Buffalo alternating nights in the 7PM slot.  Maybe a Detroit-Chicago game.  On the weekends you might get to see Sharks-Preds.  In the 10PM slot, LA-Vancouver and Colorado-Phoenix, with Avs-Yotes being the VERSUS production crew.

VERSUS Announcers Available For the Post-Season

Play by Play
1. John Forslund
2. Rick Peckham
3. John Ahlers

Analysts
1. Darren Eliot
2. Daryl Reaugh
3. Joe Micheletti

Reporters
1. Charissa Thompson
2. Bob Harwood
3. Billy Jaffe
4. Lindsay Soto
5. Darren Pang