The NHL returns after the break for the All-Star Game. If the NHL had gone to the 2018 Olympics, there wouldn't have been an All-Star Game. We are deeply ashamed of Gary Bettman's greed.
Rogers Sportsnet has Wednesday Night Hockey with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New York Islanders. Rogers Sportsnet 360 runs the Calgary Flames home game Thursday against Tampa Bay.
The NHL Center Ice midseason free preview hasn't been scheduled yet. We only got a week preview at the start of the season. And we know how little notice or publicity the NHL likes to give any potential free preview.
NHL Network
Tape delayed
Wednesday Montréal @ St. Louis, 3p
Thursday NY Islanders @ Toronto, 1p
Rogers Sportsnet
Wednesday
NY Islanders @ Toronto, 7:30p
Rogers Sportsnet 360
Thursday
Tampa Bay @ Calgary, 9p
---
The Montréal Canadiens got an extraordinary 5-game stretch on U.S. television. For a team with injuries and a lack of offence output, how impressed should the U.S. audience be with the Habs in that stretch.
- SO loss to Boston
- OT loss to NY Islanders
- regulation loss at Boston
- win at Washington
- regulation loss against Boston
Montréal went 1-2-2 for 4 points in that time. Boston, a hot team that on some level the Habs are chasing, got 6 points just from the 3 games with the 2 teams. The lone win in the U.S. capital came after the Habs had a 5-game road losing streak on road and hadn't scored more than 1 goal/game.
The Canadiens did score the first goal in all 3 Boston games but couldn't hold the lead. There was definitely a fear that once relatively behind, the Habs didn't have enough to tie the game.
If only the Habs still had P.K. Subban, who was on the Daily Show last Wednesday. We wrote about that here.
P.K. Subban talks charity work with Trevor Noah on the Daily Show
With the cancer treatments, NBCSN's primary lineup looked a bit different with Doc Emrick, Mike Milbury, and Ray Ferraro. Doc rarely does a Canadian team in the regular season, especially with his schedule. Milbury in for Ed Olczyk meant not having a Chicago analyst connection. And the presence of Ferraro in for Pierre McGuire meant not just a Canadian covering a Canadian team but one who actually calls some Maple Leafs games for TSN4.
Ferraro and Milbury are fun together. Their rapport back and forth was interesting and relevant. They also had a bit of fun with the old Boston-Hartford rivalry when Ferraro played for the Hartford Whalers. Ferraro pointed out some of the Whalers alumni in the building, including Greg Millen, who was on ice level for the Rogers Sportsnet telecast.
Emrick made a reference to Ferraro being a student of Mike Babcock. Ferraro does a number of Leafs games for TSN4. Ferraro's knowledge of the Leafs are highly valuable in a telecast that wouldn't have spent much time on the Leafs. Whatever you might think of McGuire, the current version can't come close to Ferraro's knowledge.
NBCSN is getting closer to Olympics coverage that might explain the "Made in America" segment in the open. The idea was to point out Patrick Kane and Auston Matthews are being from the United States. This conveniently leaves out Hawks captain Jonathan Toews, who is Canadian. When NBCSN covers Toews, the telecast is quick to point out that he went to the University of North Dakota.
Toronto hadn't won in Chicago since 2003.
Chris Cuthbert called a game for NBCSN in Detroit 7 days ago. Chris Cuthbert works for NBCSN tonight in Nashville. Ray Ferraro works for NBCSN on Friday in St. Paul.
---
Glenn Healy was back on CBC and Rogers Sportsnet for the All-Star Game coverage. Rogers is paying the last 3 years of Healy's contract. They have used him on Rogers radio shows. Healy worked some for MSG last season but hasn't been seen this season. You do get the impression that Healy is limited, otherwise NBC would hire him. Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson are like scrambled eggs and Healy is the hot sauce. Those eggs aren't as tasty without Healy.
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
Corner Brook, Newfoundland looked really nice and snowy given all the flooding the area got. Hockey Day in Canada in that part of Canada meant a quick sunset compared to the rest of Canada.
The Winnipeg-Calgary game was one of the best I've seen in a long time. You really wanted both teams to win. the U.S. fans caught the short straw: Battle of Ontario was exciting while the Habs struggled. Edmonton and Vancouver also played a good game.
---
We didn't get a CBC feed for prime time during Hockey Day in Canada. We did get a matinee CBC feed for the game in Calgary. The Tuesday comedy block and Wednesday block were held together but in new positions during the telecast. The 1st period promos ran fairly close together toward the end of the period.
Caught doesn't premiere until after the 2018 Winter Olympics on February 26.
Early game: Schitt's Creek; Workin' Moms (1st); 2018 Winter Olympics; Caught (2nd); Burden of Truth; The Detectives (3rd)
Comments