Editor's note: CBC first-round schedule has been updated.
Connor McDavid scored a hat trick in Game 2 in Edmonton. Hockey tradition is that fans throw hats on the ice with a hat trick. With no fans in the stands, this lucky employee got the honour to throw 3 hats on the ice at Rogers Place.
The fact that we have focused on hockey and not the reality of COVID-19 is a hat tip to the NHL for pulling this off so far.
2020 Stanley Cup notebook: The 'playoff' team that can draft Alexis Lafreniere
Rogers is keeping the current format of Chris Cuthbert and Louie DeBrusk in Edmonton and Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson in Toronto. For those hoping for Garry Galley, Rick Ball, or Greg Millen, don't hold your breath. We didn't see Scott Oake in the play-in round but Oake will work out of Edmonton.
The CBC has a typical first-round type schedule in a pandemic. Vancouver gets 2 of the its first 4 games on CBC while Montréal and Calgary get full coverage of the first 4 games. The channel will also carry select all-U.S. matchups featuring Boston (popular in Atlantic Canada) and Chicago, since no Canadian teams play on Saturday.
August 11 Calgary @ Dallas 5:30p | Carolina @ Boston 8p
August 12 Montréal @ Philadelphia 8p | Vancouver @ St. Louis 10:30p
August 13 Carolina @ Boston 8p | Calgary @ Dallas 10:30p
August 14 Montréal @ Philadelphia 3p | Dallas @ Calgary 10:30p
August 15 Las Vegas @ Chicago 8p
August 16 Dallas @ Calgary 2p | Philadelphia @ Montréal 8p
August 17 Boston @ Carolina 8p | St. Louis @ Vancouver 10:30p
August 18 Philadelphia @ Montréal 3p | Calgary @ Dallas 5:30p
August 19 Montréal @ Philadelphia 8p | Vancouver @ St. Louis 10:30p
August 20 NY Islanders @ Washington 8p | Dallas @ Calgary 10:30p
August 21 Philadelphia @ Montréal 7p | St. Louis @ Vancouver 9:45p
As for the U.S. side, the roster should be fairly set. Kenny Albert and Joe Micheletti should will be in the bubble in Edmonton in the next round. Gord Miller will still call games in the eastern bubble in Toronto. For those of you dreaming about NBC using Dave Randorf or Gary Throne, again don't hold your breath. Mike Tirico worked some play-in games (none with Canadian teams) but isn't likely to call any more games. Tirico understands calling games with neutrality, something some of his network colleagues (John Forslund, Mike Milbury, and Brian Boucher) could learn from Tirico.
Speaking of the toxic trio, we are hoping they don't do as many Montréal games in the next round, hoping they have shinier objects to be obsessed about now that Pittsburgh is gone.
Gord Miller was surprisingly underused in Toronto in the play-in round. Miller called Game 2 in the Toronto series and stood up to Mike Milbury, something Forslund won't do. Even if Miller isn't working, his Twitter feed about life in the bubble is worth the read.
The NHL Network will be in force for Vancouver in Game 2 but we will see a lot fewer Rogers Sportsnet simulcasts in this round. In the recent past, local telecasts in a market share the spotlight with the national telecasts in the United States.
I rarely, if ever, criticize my former employers. But I am so disappointed in both Rogers and the NHL for not respecting the tradition of Saturday Night for #HNIC. Surely there could have been some thought to putting 1 of the 3 remaining Canadian teams in that familiar window.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) August 10, 2020
Not one to agree with John Shannon on a lot (still better than Nick Kypreos), but Shannon has it right. How do you not schedule a Canadian team in the prime time slot on a Saturday night. Calgary-Dallas was headed in that direction. NBC is carrying the Habs on Sunday night. CBC is forced to carry an all-American game on August 15.
Thank you. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/wJisCYt7eW
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) August 10, 2020
Bob McKenzie is slowing down … on purpose. The long-time TSN insider, who also contributes to NBCSN, will reduce his duties but still be visible. McKenzie has earned rest but glad there are still a few items on his menu.
2020 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview for Canadian teams
The round-robin teams played hockey but not playoff hockey. This could be a short-term advantage for the Calgary Flames (Dallas Stars), Vancouver Canucks (St. Louis Blues), and Montréal Canadiens (Philadelphia Flyers). All 3 Canadian teams are sharp underdogs but the Habs know all about that situation.
2020 Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard
The local anthem singers got to shine with the anthems. Michael Bublé sang the Canadian national anthem on August 1. That went over well except for the Montréal game where fans complained that the anthem was in English. The response was that because the Habs were the "road" team, the anthem was in English. We heard the anthem followed the traditional French-French-English pattern but were unable to confirm this first-hand.
We didn't hear Mark Donnelly in Vancouver, which was a disappointment. We did hear George Canyon for Calgary. You might remember that Canyon took some time off from his day job to run in the Central Nova riding in his home province of Nova Scotia last fall. Canyon did not win the riding.
The real seeding for the theoretical 2020 NHL playoffs
Each team got to honour a local person devoted to the COVID-19 crisis or someone in the fight for enhanced diversity. Calgary's pick is a non-profit founder and diversity advocate: former Calgary Stampeders star running back Jon Cornish. We are suffering from CFL withrawal.
Combined with Chris Cuthbert's mention of Zach Collaros, which we covered yesterday, there isn't much to say about the CFL these days.
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
The New York Rangers won Phase 2 of the NHL draft and the right to draft Alexis Lafreniere. Not sure we would be thrilled with this procedure even if a Canadian team won the lottery. The NHL is not known for having integrity with the draft.
The Canadian teams started with 6 teams and are down to 3 teams.
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in the 1993 Stanley Cup final to win the Stanley Cup. This is still the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup.
photo credit: NBCSN/NHL
Twitter capture: @JShannonhl; @TSNBobMcKenzie
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