Potential Disaster for the NHL in this Playoff Round?

[Barrie 900]

f*** the ratings.

That kind of thinking is why ESPN doesn't show games anymore, and NBC can show games for free. The NHL is HORRIBLE at Marketing itself. There's way to many upsets in the playoffs, and it has hurt the game in many many different ways.

Mediocrity rules the NHL.

Edit: Despite seeing the Wings win 4 Cups in 11 seasons, I have thought for years the NHL playoffs are a joke and favor the 5-8 seeds over the 1-4. Allowing teams to play "the trap" against their most marketable teams has dumbed the game down, lead to the horrible tv ratings, and overall low interest in the game. I think there's a problem if 6, 7, or 8 seeds can go all the way to the Finals. You'd never see that in the NBA, they wouldn't allow it.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Barrie

[teckaholic 0]

The NBA rigs it so that certain teams will advance to the Finals through officiating help (Lakers). The NHL does the opposite and allows the referees to screw over its best teams (Wings last game).

Get over it, the ref made a mistake. Carolina/Edmonton Anaheim/Ottawa all those sucked in ratings

Pitt/Det...so how do you explain why the NHL didn't rig that. Quit making excuses for a loss. You won tonight, so in your thinking, you should be thanking the refs

[teckaholic 0]

I think there's a problem if 6, 7, or 8 seeds can go all the way to the Finals. You'd never see that in the NBA, they wouldn't allow it.

So then why have those seeds then? The Cinderella stories are great for ratings! Look at the NY Giants...

[RedWingNut78 0]

When this playoff round began, I thought the best bet for the NHL was to have the Wings, Blackhawks and Bruins advance to the semis. Original 6 teams, big markets and possibly good TV ratings especially with a heated rivalry in there with the Wings and Hawks. I was actually excited at the prospect of such a scenario.

Right now, all 3 of these teams are behind in their series. So I have to wonder, how bad would it be for the league if Carolina, Anaheim and Vancouver advance to the next round?

Can you imagine the TV ratings in the U.S. for a Vancouver vs. Carolina Final? That would be a disaster in my book after the success last year for the NHL having the Wings going against the Penguins.

I know it's still early to tell who's going to advance, but I was wondering if anyone else shares my outlook on this?

Bettman is fine with it as long as his girlfriend, Sindy Crosby makes it to the final

[Opie 308]

Hooray for no 10:30 starts, but games 1,2,5, and 7 would be 45 from you. Wings being 4pts behind Boston and all.

OOPS, what an asshat!!

[Opie 308]

Get over it, the ref made a mistake. Carolina/Edmonton Anaheim/Ottawa all those sucked in ratings

Pitt/Det...so how do you explain why the NHL didn't rig that. Quit making excuses for a loss. You won tonight, so in your thinking, you should be thanking the refs

Umm sir you need to familiarize yourself with something called Flawed logic. If the Wings win (and your a wings fan) it was the Wings, however there is no way in hell the Wings would ever lose without the other team cheating or the refs screwing over the Wings. Otherwise the Wings would go 98-0 and win 10-0 each game. Why only 10 you ask, the league would have to implement a 10 goal mercy rule!!

[/sarcasm]