PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT
The Detroit Red Wings are at a slight disadvantage heading into tonight’s Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Detroit’s head coach Mike Babcock has been whining over how compressed the schedule has become compared to the rest of the post season, “I mean, I could have went bear hunting every series in between games.” He believes the NHL should’ve followed suit with the NFL and NASCAR by using a break to hype up the event and allow players to re-energize their engines. But sorry to break it to you Mike the NHL isn’t the NFL. It can’t afford a huge layoff between the Conference Championships and the Stanley Cup Finals.
Babcock needs to understand that this isn’t a matter of the league playing favourites to poster boy Sidney Crosby and his Penguins. The rush to get the series underway is based on marketing. League commissioner Gary Bettman is giving into NBC’s demands in order to get some national coverage for a product that is watered down in the American market. NBC is televising the first two games and wanted the finals on a weekend, to avoid messing with its prime time programming during the week.
Gary Bettman is giving into NBC’s demands in order to get some national coverage for a product that is watered down in the American market.
This was a good move by the league to retain the casual hockey fans who only tune in at playoff time. A week-long gap would’ve made those fans forget about hockey and think more about their summer vacations. Sure an eight-day break would’ve allowed key players like Kris Draper and Pavel Datsyuk more time to heal what’s ailing them. But if the Red Wings were all healthy nobody would be complaining about the schedule. If Crosby or Evgeni Malkin were injured, it wouldn’t matter. They’d still play back-to-back games this weekend.
In order to thrive in all markets the NHL needs a larger audience and it’ll take more than just the hardcore hockey fanatics to make it happen. The scheduling gives the healthier Penguins a competitive edge but Detroit needs to realize that this scenario would’ve played out regardless. Babcock and the Red Wings need to look on the bright side, at least they won’t be brushing off any dust
For OpenIceHockey.com, I’m Ashley Mabee
Topics: Detroit Red Wings, Game 1, Game One, Gary Bettman, Mike Babcock, NBC, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Stanley Cup finals
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