In the second round, NBC Universal has no more local feeds and will produce its own telecasts, a significant improvement from the first round. However, one flaw in the NBCU system in the second round will confound people watching the Edmonton Oilers series.
The Canadian networks are well-suited in case the early game goes to overtime. NBCU doesn't like to use CNBC or USA in the second round preferring to have as much hockey on NBCSN.
For Games 1-2, Game 4, and likely Games 5 and 7 (depending on what teams are left), Edmonton will have conflicts on U.S. television if the early game goes to overtime. We expect this in the first round, but not the second round. The NHL Network should be the go-to outlet for U.S. viewers, as well as NBC Sports streaming. After 18 overtime first-round games, we hope the teams can settle the conflict in 60 minutes. If the Oilers start late, don't blame Rogers, blame NBCU.
Montréal went 0-1 on NBC in Game 6 while the Ottawa Senators went 2-0 on NBC in the first round. The Senators will play their second home playoff game of 2017 on NBC Saturday afternoon. Game 5 in Ottawa could also be on NBC but that is Kentucky Derby day. If the game runs in the early afternoon, overtime might be shifted to NBCSN.
That would remind viewers of the 2007 disaster with Ottawa clinching the Eastern Conference title in overtime and NBC pushing the overtime coverage to Versus so the OTA network could cover the Preakness Stakes pregame. By sheer coincidence, I was in Windsor watching the CBC feed. U.S. hockey fans were justifiably upset.
The other option is similar to the threatened move in the first round to have simultaneous games where NBC and NBCSN would split the feeds.
Here is a breakdown of the second round games if you are following Edmonton and Ottawa.
April 26 Edmonton at Anaheim 10:30p
April 27 NY Rangers at Ottawa 7p (CNBC)
April 28 Edmonton at Anaheim 10:30p
April 29 NY Rangers at Ottawa 3p (NBC)
April 30 Anaheim at Edmonton 7p
May 2 Ottawa at NY Rangers 7p
May 3 Anaheim at Edmonton 10p
May 4 Ottawa at NY Rangers 7:30p
May 5 Edmonton at Anaheim+
May 6 NY Rangers at Ottawa+
May 7 Anaheim at Edmonton+
May 9 Ottawa at NY Rangers+
May 10 Edmonton at Anaheim+
May 11 NY Rangers at Ottawa+
Games through May 4 on NBCSN unless otherwise marked; + if necessary
2017 NHL Stanley Cup notebook: Edmonton, Ottawa survive to Round 2
2017 NHL Stanley Cup notebook: NBCU not appreciating large Toronto crowds
2017 NHL Stanley Cup notebook: Awkward San Jose and Washington feeds
We sense that NBCSN is reluctant to show Canadian teams because of the lack of a local market for ratings. Then again, the fact that NBCSN knows that its telecasts don't get many outside local fans is a sign that its coverage needs to be so much better. As we have seen in the 2017 first round, Canadian teams in the right matchup will draw lots of U.S. eyeballs.
The Game 6 telecasts for the Habs (2.055 million) and Sens (1.723 million) drew well on NBC but there will always be more viewers on an over-the-air network. Those 2 games got the best numbers in the first round. The best NBCSN number was Game 6 of the Maple Leafs series at 1.128 million. That number is about 4x the number of a good regular-season game.
The 1.128 million number is better than the NBC number for Game 2 in Ottawa (1.12 million) and 329,000 better than the second-best NBCSN numbers from the first round.
Yes, Alex Ovechkin was there at the Air Canada Centre but the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs had a lot to do with that rating.
NBCSN took a NHL Network game during the opening NHL Center Ice free preview and had a live look-in on November 29. The channel didn't send a crew to cover the Maple Leafs all season. Even with the improvement, NBCSN will find some excuse not to show the Maple Leafs next season leading to lesser ratings and less money in its pockets.
2017 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview
2017 Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard
Announcers
Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson didn't spend much time out west. They usually call a few games out west, where they both live, but not as much this season. Well, Simpson can travel from his house to the arena and Hughson's plane rides will be much shorter.
Paul Romanuk and Garry Galley drawing the Ottawa series allows Galley to commute from home to Kanata. We don't know if this means the pair will call a conference final. Galley is almost certain to be part of the mix, but the question is mostly Romanuk vs. Bob Cole. This assumes that Hughson and Simpson stay out west if Edmonton advances. If Ottawa is the only Canadian team left standing, then the #1 pair will shift east. We'll know closer to the conference finals as to how the scheduling will go.
NBCU's logic, such as it is, is to accommodate Kenny Albert on days where he isn't calling the New York Rangers on radio. So working the "Norris" series fits well with that. Yet Albert is calling Game 4 of the Rangers on NBCU. Again, logic that isn't.
The network is keeping Cuthbert warm but separating him from the Edmonton Oilers for the first 2 games. If Cuthbert is out for those games, then send him to Ottawa instead of John Forslund. Yes, Cuthbert called the Senators for TSN5. My idea of Cuthbert and Micheletti for the Sens-Rangers was on purpose: one announcer for each team. Fair and balanced in reality. They are both professionals and would have fun with the challenge. The viewers would get more from that arrangement than from Forslund and Brian Boucher. Both of them root against Canadian teams. Forslund is biased but Boucher is biased and incompetent.
Darren Pang is available now that there is no local TV. Brian Engblom was available in the first round. Mike Johnson should be retained by NBCU to go either to the Edmonton or the Ottawa series.
Smart for NBC to keep using Brendan Burke. The smarter choice would be to keep Burke and Johnson together and keep Cuthbert and Micheletti together with the Ottawa series. Forslund and Boucher can stink together in the U.S. Midwest where they don't have bias against those teams. This is the second round. This isn't the best NBCU can do.
CBC TV schedule
The CBC will cover the whole Ottawa series; the Pittsburgh-Washington series (not Game 1); and Games 1-2 and a potential Game 5 of the Nashville-St. Louis games.
The Ottawa Senators have no Sunday games in this round so there won't be conflicts. The CBC Sunday night ban will be done after the second round.
The network carries Saturday afternoon/evening doubleheaders depending on how far the Eastern series will go.
The CBC will split time with the other 2 playoff series, giving the CBC a game per night, except for the required Sunday break, at least through May 4. CBC prefers to have early evening games to get most of the country to The National after the game at a convenient time.
April 26 Nashville at St. Louis 8p
April 27 NY Rangers at Ottawa 7p
April 28 Nashville at St. Louis 8p
April 29 NY Rangers at Ottawa 3p
April 29 Pittsburgh at Washington 8p
May 1 Washington at Pittsburgh 7:30p
May 2 Ottawa at NY Rangers 7p
May 3 Washington at Pittsburgh 7:30p
May 4 Ottawa at NY Rangers 7:30p
May 5 Nashville at St. Louis+
May 6 NY Rangers at Ottawa+
May 6 Pittsburgh at Washington+
May 8 Washington at Pittsburgh+
May 9 Ottawa at NY Rangers+
May 10 Pittsburgh at Washington+
May 11 NY Rangers at Ottawa+
+ if necessary
photos credit: all through NHL 1) NBCSN 2) NBC
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