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NBC Talks Game 7
by Paul on 06/11/09 at 01:24 PM ET
Comments (15)
DECIDING GAME 7 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL TOMORROW, 8PM ET ON NBC SPORTS
“It is the ultimate in professional sports.” – NBC’s Olczyk on a Stanley Cup Final Game 7
“The Penguins have more mood swings than a teenage girl.” – NBC’s Milbury
”In practical terms, a Stanley Cup Final can’t erase what this city is going through, but as a means to help them feel pride in their city, to help provide some relief and some excitement, it’s important to Detroit.” – NBC’s Olczyk on Detroit
”For the NHL and NBC, it’s ideal. There couldn’t be a better script. A classic Game 7 will make this one of the all-time great series in Final history.” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
NEW YORK – June 11, 2009 – NBC Sports will broadcast the seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup Final between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, tomorrow, 8 p.m. ET from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Penguins forced a Game 7 with a nail-biting 2-1 home-ice victory Tuesday night.
Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass analyst) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty in the on-location studio show alongside Mike Milbury and former NHL netminder Darren Pang.
Detroit is seeking its 12th Stanley Cup championship in their long history as an NHL “Original Six” franchise, having won their 11th Cup last season against Pittsburgh; the Penguins have won two championships (1991 & 92). Twenty-one current Red Wings players (total of 40 times) have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup compared with just five for the Penguins.
OLCZYK ON STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 7: ”Players are always thinking about it, dreaming about it, wondering what it would be like. There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ going on in players’ minds right now. This is about opportunity, it’s about history, it’s about forever. It is the ultimate in professional sports.” [Olczyk was a member of the 1994 New York Rangers team that won the Stanley Cup Final by defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7].
OLCZYK ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN: ”The greatest equalizer in professional sports is goaltending. One team can play great but if the guy in the other net says ‘no,’ that will be the decider.”
OLCZYK ON WHAT A RED WINGS WIN WOULD MEAN TO DETROIT: ”I think the people of Detroit are looking for something to grab on to. In practical terms, a Stanley Cup Final can’t erase what this city is going through, but as a means to help them feel pride in their city, to help provide some relief and some excitement, it’s important to Detroit.”
MILBURY ON THE PENGUINS UNPREDICTABLE PLAY: “The Penguins have more mood swings than a teenage girl.”
MCGUIRE ON THE PENGUINS: “They are much more mature both mentally and athletically than last year. They are much better equipped to handle the theater.”
MCGUIRE ON HOW PITTSBURGH WINS: ”Pittsburgh will win if they stay out of the penalty box, Fleury repeats his performance from Game 6 and their star players find a way to fight through the matchup of Zetterberg, Lidstrom and Rafalski.”
MCGUIRE ON HOW DETROIT WINS: ”Detroit wins if they get an early lead to keep the crowd in it and force the pace to keep the Pittsburgh defense on their heels.”
MCGUIRE ON THE RED WINGS: ”The problem for Pittsburgh is that Detroit is so poised, so professional, that Pittsburgh has to play an almost perfect game, particularly in goal, to beat them.”
GAME 7 NOTES
• In the last 18 Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Final, NBA Finals and World Series combined over 30 years, the home teams have won all 18.
• The last road team to win a Game 7 came from Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the ‘79 World Series.
• Friday’s Game 7 is the 15th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final history – the home team is 12-2.
• The last road team to win a Stanley Cup Final was the 1971 Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Blackhawks in Chicago.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins have never lost a Game 7 on the road in four tries.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Comments
For the NHL and NBC, it’s ideal. There couldn’t be a better script.
And that’s exactly how we got to a Game 7 this year. It was scripted from the start by Lil’ Gary and his band of nincompoops.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/11/09 at 12:48 PM ET
Yeah, it was Bettman who payed the Wings’ players to not score on their two powerplays in the 3rd period of game 6.
Sure!
OTC, your comments on this message board have been getting worse and worse with every day of the finals. Can’t think how rock bottom you’ll sink when game seven is over!
Posted by Joe on 06/11/09 at 01:07 PM ET
MILBURY ON THE PENGUINS UNPREDICTABLE PLAY: “The Penguins have more mood swings than a teenage girl.”
That describes unpredictable play? That doesn’t even make sense…
Posted by Garth on 06/11/09 at 02:10 PM ET
These finals have not been all that exciting because, with the exception of game 6, the games have been decided well before the final horn. They’ve also lacked the lead changes that make games exciting. Thats what made the division finals so exciting in both cases.
Posted by dip on 06/11/09 at 02:16 PM ET
Well, you know Joe it’s a conspiracy.
The refs and the NHL hate the Wings and are working against them. Except for game one, and two, and especially game five…
But, I bet if we search through the forums we’ll see whining about the refs. Even for those games. Because, as you know, it’s impossible for the Wings to lose on their own. The NHL has to be working against them for that to happen.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Wings and Pens fans have been an embarassment to hockey during this year’s finals. Although I think I have to give the Wings fans the edge. They seem to be working overtime making the little tin-foil hats…
Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 06/11/09 at 02:17 PM ET
But, I bet if we search through the forums we’ll see whining about the refs. Even for those games.
Wings fans may be paranoid, but you’re out of your mind if you think these finals have been well officiated.
Wings and Pens fans have been an embarrassment to hockey? Awwww, that’s too bad.
The Avs organization is and continues to be an embarrassment to hockey, even when the team hasn’t been playing for months.
Posted by Garth on 06/11/09 at 03:12 PM ET
The more nuanced discussions haven’t claimed there is a conspiracy - partly because the league isn’t well organized enough to pull it off.
They have claimed that the officiating has been dreadful on both sides, seems to be easily swayed by the home crowd in the cases of both teams, and it makes for a feeling that there is an element of scripting in the results, because home teams winning = increased ticket sales, teams that are behind in a game being “helped” to catch up = more competitive-appearing games, and teams behind n a series being “helped” by officiating = longer, more profitable series.
No one reasonable is insinuating that the calls are being tweaked to help a particular team win - but there is an element of ignoring poor officiating if the end result of the errors is a desired result from a revenue or marketing standpoint.
If officiating costs, say, a low-profile team a playoff series win in favor of a high-profile team, it isn’t because the calls were designed to go that way - but they league has no incentive to do anything other than shrug and mumble about bouncing pucks, because they lucked out from a publicity standpoint, and if they benefit, who cares about the smaller team? They don’t matter.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/11/09 at 03:32 PM ET
OTC, your comments on this message board have been getting worse and worse with every day of the finals. Can’t think how rock bottom you’ll sink when game seven is over!
Well, Joe, the fact that my opinion causes you and your little buddy AvsRock (man, that never ceases to make me laugh) so much angst really warms my heart. The fact, as confirmed by the comments of the Versus/NBC announcers, that the Pens have gotten away with some unbelievably blatant non-calls in this series should tell you all you need to know about this subject. If it doesn’t, well, that’s too bad.
But, you know what, someday in the far distant future, your team may actually make it to the Finals. When that happens, we’ll see how you react to watching your team come up on the wrong side of the majority of the calls and non-calls in whatever series they’re in.
It’s always easy to blah-blah-blah your way through the comments sections when you have no “dog in the hunt”. Who knows who “Joe’s” team is...he’s the typical anonymous troll poster. But AvsRock (oh, man, that’s still funny), 10 years from now, when your team finally makes the playoffs again, I’m guessing you’ll have quite a different view of things. And the best part is, by then, you’ll have graduated from high school and started college, so you should be a lot smarter then, too.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/11/09 at 05:29 PM ET
OTC
You have reached a new low on commenting.
Congrats
Posted by Jimmy from Windsor on 06/11/09 at 07:05 PM ET
OTC and Garth. It’s amazing that most Wings fans fail to remember, or even know about, the 15 year span of mediocrity known as the “Dead Things” years between ‘67 and ‘82.
Good job on actually using the English language instead of a bunch of profanity laced grunts! Some Wings fans have a problem with using words, but good for you!
At least when the Avs lose the fans can admit that and call players out and critic our own team. We don’t blame anyone except members of the team.
We don’t sit around like a bunch of losers whining that the refs did it to us.
As far as the Pens getting away with calls and diving. Yes they have.
But, the Wings have been getting away with calls as well. Not to mention that a few of them have given Oscar worthy performances while on the ice. Side question, are some of the Red Wings in latin soccer teams during the off season?
Re-size your tin-foil hats. I think they’re a little tight.
I have graduated high school and college by the way. I also have something that you guys will never have. A job and a wife. Let me know when you get one of those. I guess I’ll expect to hear from you in about ten years...Especially the job. Good luck with that.
PS, Wings fans living in Detroit want to play the low blow game, I’m all for it. They are the bigger target currently, so it will be easy. Wings fans living elsewhere know less about their team than I do. Talking with them isn’t even fun anymore.
PSS, as far as the Avsrock name, sure, think it’s funny. Even though we were in last place in the west we still took the series from the Wings. We were icing the Lake Erie Monsters as well with all the injuries, the Wings had all their starters.
Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 06/11/09 at 08:02 PM ET
It’s amazing that most Wings fans fail to remember, or even know about, the 15 year span of mediocrity known as the “Dead Things” years between ‘67 and ‘82.
So, when all else fails, let’s drag up something that happened at least 27 years ago. Come on, let’s try to stick to the period during which you were alive AvsRock (seriously, you’re killing me with that name).
We don’t sit around like a bunch of losers whining that the refs did it to us.
And that’s because your team has been so incredibly inept for the past few years that even with the help of the refs they couldn’t have won. Please wait until you at least have a legitimate chance of winning the Conference crown before you criticize the fans of the team with the longest playoff-qualifying streak in any sport.
But, the Wings have been getting away with calls as well. Not to mention that a few of them have given Oscar worthy performances while on the ice.
You see, this is what really gets to me. Folks like you and “Joe” make these claims, but there’s never any description of what these events were. It’s the old argument that “everyone commits penalties that don’t get called and it’s exactly equal for both teams.” That’s simply not true in this series and the folks that are broadcasting the event have been very clear about that. Your “argument” is as hollow as your team’s ability to make it past the second round.
I also have something that you guys will never have. A job and a wife. Let me know when you get one of those.
Sorry. You lose. Done. And done. Next hollow “argument” please.
PSS, as far as the Avsrock name, sure, think it’s funny.
At last...a smidgen of reality from the guy with the funniest screen name on the Internet.
...we still took the series from the Wings. We were icing the Lake Erie Monsters as well with all the injuries, the Wings had all their starters.
And I’m sure that has given you great comfort in the past two months. Maybe next year you can sweep the entire series from the Wings and finish tenth in the West. If yo do, that’ll give you even more comfort as you watch the Wings and “whoever” face off in the SCF next May.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/11/09 at 10:44 PM ET
OTC
You have reached a new low on commenting.
Congrats
Thanks, “Jimmy”. I’m sure your thoughtful and detailed analysis will be of great interest to all true hockey fans. I hope all of your fellow eigth graders give you a big pat on the back for, um, well, for just posting, I guess.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/11/09 at 10:50 PM ET
OTC,
don’t worry about my club making it to the finals: It IS already in the final since I am a Penguins fan.
I am absolutely disgusted about this year’s officiating because this was supposed to be the “new” NHL and it worked fine until the cup finals. Then all of a sudden the refs put the whistles away and don’t call anything but the blatant fouls. That’s not what the fans want and nobody understood why they made that sudden change.
That said I have to say that the refs are very consistent. As mentioned above they only call the very blatant penalties as they did in the “old” NHL. (Except of course every high stick and delay of game that were also always called in the old NHL).
That is why Hal Gill and the rest of the Pens are never called for interference: Their interference is subtle enough to be considered “legal”. Would they have been called in the regular season? No question! But they get out of their path to the puck only for about 3 feet for a “little” interference and that’s OK with the refs and has been for the whole final series. Consistency! And the call on Ericsson in game 3 for interference, where all you Wings fans whined about, was also consistend: He went out of his way for about 10 feet to block the Pens forward and that was WAY to blatand and had to be called.
Of course there were huge mistakes by the refs in the finals, but they went both ways. Zetterberg’s hand on the puck in the crease. The missed 6 Pens players for about 30 secs. The hook in Dupuis that led to a Wings goal. In the most recent game: Fedotenkos little hook that led to the 2nd Pens goal on Tuesday was a missed call. But don’t forget that Scuderi’s stick was held when the Wings scored their goal was a missed call, too. And the call on Malkin in the 3rd period was pretty ticky-tacky, too. This kind of little crosscheck has often been let go in this series and I could hardly believe it was called in a 3rd period where the refs usually put their whistles away. Therefore the Pens got the 1st PP of the game for an goalie interference call that was bullsh*t.
My point is: The refs missed some calls. But the refereeing has never been one-sided in favour of a team. I can’t see that and I guess except of the Pens fans who think the Wings get all the calls and the Wings fans vice versa, I have not met one single neutral fan who thinks one team is favoured in this series by the refs. The zebras are not the reason we haven’t seen the Cup on the ice so far.
Please don’t give us as a “proof” for your theory one single quote of the Versus announcers. I have heard them also say that the refs missed some calls on the Wings as well. As did the guys on CBC. No tv crew accoused the refs of being once-sided the whole series. That’s a fact!
Posted by Joe on 06/12/09 at 01:24 AM ET
You see, this is what really gets to me. Folks like you and “Joe” make these claims, but there’s never any description of what these events were. It’s the old argument that “everyone commits penalties that don’t get called and it’s exactly equal for both teams.” That’s simply not true in this series and the folks that are broadcasting the event have been very clear about that. Your “argument” is as hollow as your team’s ability to make it past the second round.
That is one of the dumbest posts I have ever seen. Do you actually watch the games?
I’m done. Not because I am out of arguments. I’m just tired of the battle of wits with un-armed opponents.
Joe, you made some very good points, but it’s clear that Wings fans can’t see anything through their red tinted glasses.
Logic is lost on them, and there is no point in arguing with them anymore. “It’s obvious that the NHL is against them and the only way it’s possible for the God-like Red Wings to lose is if the refs stack the deck”. I’m being blinded by the glare from all the tin-foil hats when they go outside. Good thing they usually stay in their mom’s basement.
Well, if they win the Cup, good for them. They need all the happiness they can get. After all, they do live in Detroit…
But again, good job on using words guys! We’re so proud of you!
Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 06/12/09 at 09:49 AM ET
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lol @ “For the NHL and NBC, it’s ideal. There couldn’t be a better script. A classic Game 7 will make this one of the all-time great series in Final history.” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
i can name 10 other finals that were better
Posted by FlyersFan on 06/11/09 at 12:26 PM ET