If the Pens can bring this to game 7 the ratings might be ginormous for the NHL

Posted by bcrt on 06/01/09 at 11:05 AM ET

And hopefully, that was the last time anyone has to watch hockey and that God-awful production, on that channel, this year.

Posted by Aaron from Phoenix on 06/01/09 at 11:30 AM ET

If Fleury wasn’t such a garbage goalie the ratings would be even better. He is ruining these games for me. How many pucks is he going to put in his own net? He sucks… As for NBC..how are they doing a bad job? They don’t have Don Cherry babbling between periods like CBC does…? NBC does Olympics and Superbowls…I think they know what they are doing

Posted by kevin from boston on 06/01/09 at 11:38 AM ET

They don’t have Don Cherry babbling between periods like CBC does..

No they Have McGuire and Milbury babbling at each other between periods.

Seems like a push to me.

Posted by Primis on 06/01/09 at 11:47 AM ET

McGuire and Milbury both work for CBC and/or TSN in Canada as well so how is Canadian production so much better….? I really don’t see a heck of alot of diffference except there’s no Don Cherry doing his 5 minute schtick

Posted by kevin from boston on 06/01/09 at 12:13 PM ET

i’m just bothered by the fact that the NHL would bow down and give NBC back to back games for the Stanley Cup Finals. NBC doesn’t pay a dime to the league for broadcasting rights. They contribute nothing to the game, and the league still meets their ‘demands’.
Also, that whole Hossa “slash”, and mcguire calling it a penalty, thing. Someone tell that guy to STFU.

i got to watch the CBC broadcast luckily, i just went outside when coaches corner came on.

So long NBC. Versus has the next two, and (hopefully, with some more Red Wing “luck”) that will be all there is.

Posted by Aaron from Phoenix on 06/01/09 at 01:37 PM ET

This whole back-to-back thing was such a bad idea.
Yeah, right.
In terms of garnering more viewers it was a brilliant idea. Take that Bettman haters.
The production and announcers were fine really. My two minor complaints - Hossa’s mysterious slash, there wasn’t one, and the cameras weren’t white balanced properly, too much glare off the ice.

Posted by auxlepli on 06/01/09 at 02:00 PM ET

The biggest problem with the back-to-back games wasn’t the production value it was the product itself. Game 2 was sloppy and you could tell the players were tired by the end of the first period. It would be great to have higher ratings, but wouldn’t you want the new viewers to see the best possible product?

If you’re a Red Wing or Penguins fan, the quality of play won’t matter as long as the games are close. The intensity was ther ebecause the players are willing, but it looked like they were playing in sand for long stretches. These teams have been going at this for a month and to see anything less than the best hockey in the Finals is a shame and unfair to the athletes.

Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 06/01/09 at 02:30 PM ET

My favorite part of the CBC broadcast was, with just under a minute to go, the camera cuts to Lemieux in the press box. he motions to someone of camera, “lets roll” by moving his fingers in a circular motion, then into the hitchhiker thumb.

didn’t mean to dis the Production quality at NBC. It’s more of the commentators. Makes me wish for a local broadcast to follow.

Posted by Aaron from Phoenix on 06/01/09 at 03:07 PM ET

The only thing “sloppy” was the Pens goaltending…I don’t have a problem with the back to back games. Sat nite is a perfect nite for the NHL. Canadian TV demands a game for HNIC so they got it. Also, Sat nite is a very bad nite for TV in the US so the NHL can win the ratings game for NBC which is saying something because NBC sucks ratings wise for the most part. Sunday nite is a big TV night in the US on the other hand…so the NHL is exposed to the largest possible American audience….and Game 2 was second in ratings for the night which was another plus for NBC

Posted by kevin from boston on 06/01/09 at 03:07 PM ET