Nhl

[XeroState]

The Rangers might go one round further, but it doesn't look promising. As the other 3 teams that appear to be making it (Ottawa, Buffalo and either NJ or Tampa) have much more experience than Atlanta does and are more playoff teams (well Ottawa is this year, maybe not in the past) where ya, Atlanta looked like they just gave up once the playoff's got around and didn't put up much of a fight (and goalie swapping was a badddd move).

[mgm1979]

so - b/c Hockey is a CANADIAN sport, the NHL should dick the US hockey fans (aren't there more US teams than Canadian teams?)!?!?

I dunno if I'm understanding your post, from an AMERICAN standpoint...I get it as far as "Canadia" is concerned...but, to air ONE of FIVE playoff hockey games in the US = BAD MOVE if you want to BUILD the fan base back up after the lockout...

And I'm a TRUE "sports" fan in EVERY sense of the phrase...loyal 'til the day I die...if I could watch ALL the Rangers/Avs games, I would - and when they're on, or ANY of my teams (Mets/Broncos) you could ask my friends and family - I schedule my day/night AROUND the game, and the phone is NEVER answered during play.

As for the Rangers - for decades now they've been a STREAKY team...they got RED hot, and cool off, sometimes ice cold. The whole "drought" was b/c they could never STAY hot long enough to finish anything. Considering the played MUCH of the season "room temperature" at best, and they just TOTALLY dismantled Atlanta - I'm liking my chances of getting to the Cup.

Now - I'm not discounting Buffalo and Ottawa, by any means...but NJ, nor TAMPA bother me, in fact I would WELCOME playing one of them in the Conference Finals.

Buffalo owned "us" during the regular season and Ottawa stuck it to us as well...but remember, this is the STREAKY HOT Rangers, NOT the regular season Rangers.

[XeroState]

No I get what your saying and I know what the NHL isn't helping to build the fan base in the States that it really really needs to build, but at the same time they are going where the fan base is (which they have to make an attempt, not sure how they would do that, what with TSN and CBC controlling the rights).

Just to give you an idea, if you go to www.tsn.ca and look at the right hand panel... the Under-18 World Hockey Championship has a bigger section than the NBA playoff's do..... That is the difference that the NHL see's and they don't want to "take a chance" as it were (remember Fox tried it's little glowing puck thing and failed horribly and got lower ratings than anything).

I personally think ESPN, NBC, ABC, CBC and TSN should all get equal rights to the playoff's, but at the same time I don't work for the NHL it doesn't make a difference what I think. I know the NHL needs a bigger fan base in the States, but when they can't even sell out the seats in the arena, why spend the money broadcasting it to people who obviously don't care? It's unfair to those who are into the game though, you can never win all the battles.

Now at the same time I don't know if ESPN wants to air the games or not... you get ONE round of NHL playoff's before NBA playoff's come in, which is bigger in the States to begin with (though I am unsure if ESPN air's that either, I would assume they do or at least on one of their channels). This is what I think is the biggest problem, why would a company spend millions bidding on the NHL playoff rights when the NBA comes in after one round (even before the first round is even over unless there is eight 4-0 sweeps...)

[XeroState]

Hehehe, I get to watch 3 games tonight on one channel.

Oh and MGM, in the next round if the Rangers don't get air time for you, you can try going here:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup2007/streams/

It's CBC's online steaming video feed for the games they air (and you get to choose, like tonight there is 3 games, but 2 will overlap so you can pick one or the other). Though it will not have games that CBC is not covering, but it's worth a shot..

If it's not on there, go here
http://broadband.tsn.ca/tsn/ [you'll have to click "Hockey" at the top right if the game isn't showing up on the main page, but it likely will]

It's TSN's streaming feed for the games they air.

Both will be about 30s to 2 minutes behind real time though.

[mgm1979]

That's awesome, if either of those links will get me some "video" - with 4 series' being played, I'm sure the Rangers will get bumped once or twice, so hopefully I can pick them up with that!

Couldn't have shared those earlier, eh? LoL

[XeroState]

Originally Posted by mgm1979

That's awesome, if either of those links will get me some "video" - with 4 series' being played, I'm sure the Rangers will get bumped once or twice, so hopefully I can pick them up with that!

Couldn't have shared those earlier, eh? LoL

Sorry I just remembered TSN had the broadband thing (new as Jan this year, not much use for it when I watch everything on tv..lol) and I just heard of the CBC thing while watching the Sens game right now...


I put the Sens game on the TV and on the streaming feed, theirs is about 5 minutes behind. But it's the entire broadcast, whatever I see on the TV for the game you see in the feed (same goes for TSN's).

[Ah1cobra]

*sigh* the Wings apparently forgot they went to Calgary to play a hockey game............maybe they went for the nightlife???? Ahh well Buffalo is tonight and I have tickets woooot!!!!

[XeroState]

Well tonight decides the 2nd round match-ups with the East already having the games set.

Hopefully tonight's game won't be a silly 1-0 game, I want to see like 9 goals from these guys tonight, screw this goaltender war stuff...lol

[Ah1cobra]

Damn REF's wouldnt let em play last night it seemed! I am not blaming them for Dallas losing but jesus every two fricking minutes it seemed like they were stopping play! I was pulling for Dallas to pull an upset because I think Detroit would have walked through them. The San Jose matchup for the Wings is not a good one for them

Predictions!?!

Wings/Sharks - Wings in 7

Ducks/Canucks - Ducks in 6

Sabres/Rangers - Sabres in 5

Senators/Devils - Devils in 7

[XeroState]

I wanted Vancouver to win (1 they are Canadian, come on all Canadian final..not gonna happen...lol and because Luongo deserves to have a chance at the Cup with the way he has been playing) but at the same time I wanted them to loose so Team Canada could have Luongo for the World Championships...lol

Wings should win, unless the Sharks can get a shit load of shots on Hasek (he isn't that good of a goalie, no one ever seems to get shots on him though)

If the Sedin twins can break open the Duck's defence they have a chance at winning, otherwise it's the Duck's series to lose.

Sabre's should walk over the Rangers unless the Rangers can some how stay increadibly hot and stop the high-flying, super fast-paced game that the Sabre's play.

The winner of the Sens-Devil's series will be who ever takes the least penalties and who can play their own style (if the Devil's get away with their trap style, defensive minded game Ottawa doesn't have much of a chance, but the Sen's can break that and make them stretch out and skate, the Devil's won't be able to skate with them and have to rely on Brodeur..he can steal games, has stolen series before but Tampa should he isn't invincible)