They're Already Starting With This Crap

As soon as the Winter Classic ended, you knew everyone was going to start gushing about what a wonderful event it was - even if there was a whistle approximately once every six seconds during the first two periods. This one, hot off the presses, is entitled "NHL Sets Higher Bar with Latest Classic".

For Marco Sturm, it was his son wanting to stay on the ice at the family skate the day before the Winter Classic.

Doesn't every kid want to stay on the ice when the session is over? I mean, I'm 28 years old, and when the sessions at Cantiague Park end, I start to cry and beg the attendant for five more minutes on the ice.

Maybe it was James Taylor's lyrical version of the national anthem.

Isn't EVERY version of the national anthem performed by a singer considered "lyrical"?

It is not a stretch to suggest that for every Boston Bruins player, every Philadelphia Flyers player, every coach and manager, and the 38,112 who jammed into the Fenway Park stands, there will be a separate memory of the Winter Classic that they will tuck away forever.

OK, first of all, this is a one-sentence paragraph. Second of all, this isn't even possible. Third of all, people are going to have exactly two memories of this game - it was cool to see a rink at Fenway, and the Bruins won in overtime. In that order.

First, would this audacious plan work? The Buffalo experience on Jan. 1 2008, answered in the affirmative.

Fun fact - if the Winter Classic didn't debut in Buffalo, it would NEVER be held there. Somehow, I doubt the allure of Ralph Wilson Stadium could attract non-hockey fans.

Corporate sponsors are clamoring to get on board and NHL teams are now bidding to host the event.

Keep this sentence in the back of your mind.

"It is a cornerstone of the strategy we began over three years ago to build scale and connect with our fans in ways we haven't done before, using all of the platforms available to us," commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday.

Except, of course, ESPN. This game was listed ninth in ESPN.com's top stories just an hour after the game was over, behind non-stop college football coverage. That'd probably change if ABC was airing the game. Not saying it's fair, but that's the way it'd be.

Success is said to breed success, but at the same time, the bar has been set extremely high and the risk of backsliding, of having an event that doesn't measure up and therefore becomes subject to criticism or disappointment, goes up.

The bar was never NOT high. Last year's game set the bar as high as it was going to go. This year's game just happened to have a better finish. Now, every Winter Classic will have to be held at an iconic stadium and feature two major-market, media-friendly teams.

The NHL has for the first time opened up a bid process to come up with a host for the 2011 game.

Hey, this sounds familiar! I think I read this somewhere before.

The process will force teams to think outside the box in suggesting venues and activities that will "wow" the league.

I'd imagine the bids of teams like Nashville and Columbus will be pieces of paper stating simply, "We know we have no chance of ever getting a Winter Classic. However, we're submitting this so we can tell our fans we're in the market for a Winter Classic someday."

The New York Rangers, for instance, are the only U.S.-based Original Six team that has yet to play in a Winter Classic, and it is important they are involved given their heritage and importance to the league.

Wrong. A GOOD Rangers team is important to the league. The current Rangers team doesn't do anything for the casual fan outside of New York. It'd be like putting the Knicks on a Christmas Day game... oh wait, nevermind.

Yankee Stadium may not be a possibility, though, with word college football will be using the facility over the holidays; so, the league must consider ways for the Rangers to host a game somewhere else or invite them to play in the contest as a visiting team.

Let's also not forget that the new Yankee Stadium has been open for exactly one year. A game there isn't what it would have been a year or two ago. I'd rather see a Winter Classic at the decaying carcass of Giants Stadium than at new Yankee Stadium.

One memory many fans will cherish from Friday's Winter Classic was watching former Bruins great Bobby Orr skate onto the ice as the team's honorary captain. Former Philadelphia captain and GM Bob Clarke was the Flyers' honorary captain, and to see the two Hall of Famers skate to center ice together for the ceremonial puck drop was a nice moment.

It was also a "nice moment" when Clarke pulled the ultimate dick move, "winning" the ceremonial faceoff despite being the road team. What a prick.

Are we saying that places like Tampa, Atlanta, Carolina or Phoenix should never have an Outdoor Classic?

What's an Outdoor Classic?

Wrigley and Fenway were no-brainers, but now it becomes more difficult to find those iconic venues.

This is actually a good point. I guess there's a first time for everything.

The game also has to celebrate its biggest stars, and that's why we don't have any problem with Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby being involved in a second game, or Detroit hosting a Winter Classic in the near future even if the Red Wings have already been in one.

We are guessing it is a formality that wherever the game is held next year, the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin will be involved in some way. It is mystifying that three events have passed without the Caps being involved.

You can bet that Ovechkin and Crosby will each play in three Winter Classics before they retire. God forbid NBC and the NHL promote the other teams in the league.

In the end, the challenge of maintaining the Classic's magical spark isn't about being fair, it's about making the right choices.

Awesome. So teams like the Islanders will always be stuck playing second fiddle to the "big" teams and attractive venues. And the "right choices" will always be what yields the biggest TV ratings, not what hockey fans want to see. Get ready for Rangers-Capitals next year, which will be followed by some regurgitation of past Winter Classic matchups. Thank goodness NBC is here to expose the unheralded talent in the NHL.

Ruining A Classic

The 2008 NHL Winter Classic was one of those events we'll always remember. The novelty of an outdoor game, the snow falling, the almost-too-perfect ending with Sidney Crosby scoring in the shootout. The 2009 NHL Winter Classic was no less entertaining, with a resurgent Blackhawks team and the defending champion Red Wings taking over Wrigley Field. The 2009 game showed that the Winter Classic was a sustainable commodity, something that could get the casual sports fan to take an interest in the NHL. Most true hockey fans, though, had the same thought - as great as the Winter Classic is now, if there's a way for the NHL to screw it up, they will certainly do so.

Fast forward to this year. The debate over who would play in the 2010 Winter Classic was red-hot, which is usually a great sign. Hockey fans had high expectations for the third installment of this event, and with good reason. So when the NHL announced that the Boston Bruins would be playing the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park, many were a bit underwhelmed. Sure, Fenway Park is an iconic venue, but Bruins vs. Flyers?

Many have pointed to the Flyers' sorry start to this season - 38 points in 38 games, 13th in the East - as proof that the NHL screwed this one up. My thought is that the NHL didn't screw anything up. Instead, NBC stepped in and got who they wanted - as in, who they thought would pop the best rating. The far more appealing Bruins-Canadiens matchup was shelved, and instead we get Bruins-Flyers, a matchup of two teams who have no rivalry whatsoever and combined to win exactly one playoff series last year.

A Bruins-Canadiens Winter Classic would have done so much to promote the event as a true hockey event. The Montreal Canadiens have one of the richest traditions in all of sports, maybe even more rich than that of the almighty Yankees. Casual fans might not be able to name one player on the Canadiens roster, but they know the team and understand something about the their history. They could come to understand the Canadiens-Bruins rivalry (assuming the NHL and NBC promoted it) and get into this matchup, giving the Canadiens the same respect they'd give to any well-known NHL team. Lastly, and most importantly, including the Canadiens in the Winter Classic would have been a huge bone thrown in the direction of the Canadian teams, who got the ball rolling when it comes to outdoor games and deserves to be part of this event going forward.

Of course, that's when NBC stepped in. I can picture the conversation...

GARY BETTMAN: For the 2010 Winter Classic, I'd like to have the Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens at Fenway Park.

NBC EXECUTIVE: The who?

GARY BETTMAN: The Montreal Canadiens.

NBC EXECUTIVE: What are they, an expansion team?

GARY BETTMAN: No, sir. They've been around for a hundred years. They've won 24 Stanley Cups. They may well be the most famous...

NBC EXECUTIVE: Hold it right there. I don't know what you're talking about with all this Montreal nonsense, but I'm not interested. This is NBC, damn it. We only show games that include the Penguins, Capitals, Rangers, Bruins and Flyers. Hey, Bruins and Flyers, that'd be a great matchup, no?

GARY BETTMAN: Not really.

NBC EXECUTIVE: Well, that's how it's going to be. If you think about it, it doesn't really matter who the Bruins play. ESPN will see that a Boston team is involved and promote the hell out of it, so neither of us will have to do anything.

GARY BETTMAN: Good point. Besides, we don't really care about our Canadian audience anyway.

NBC EXECUTIVE: Then it's settled. It'll be Bruins-Flyers at Fenway, and I'll tell you what. We'll put you in our NFL studio show for Wild Card weekend. We already have 30 analysts on that show, what's one more?

(Both Bettman and the executive laugh uproariously, then roll around in a pile of money.)

OK, so maybe it didn't go exactly like that. But it may as well have. In the mean time, the NHL is already doing everything it can to weaken its "flagship event". (Editor's note: Anytime your "flagship event" isn't your championship game/series, you're in trouble.) Bettman has talked about creating an outdoor game solely for Canada, largely because he knows there's no way in hell NBC is letting a Canadian team anywhere near the Winter Classic. With more than one outdoor game in any given year, the NHL seriously risks ruining the uniqueness of the Winter Classic. It might be running against crappy college football games, but the viewing audience still needs something new and fresh to watch.

Sadly, NBC doesn't do "new and fresh". NBC does "whatever will get us the highest TV ratings possible". So, while the 2010 Winter Classic might be about the Bruins and Flyers on paper, it's a bit different to diehard hockey fans. Years from now, we may look back at the 2010 Winter Classic as the year the Winter Classic changed from a hockey event to a TV event - the year the NHL gave its huge showcase event to NBC in the name of ratings and advertising dollars. You know what the worst part is? The only thing that's surprising is that it took this long.

Transition...

Well, much like your heroes - whether they wear blue and or blue and orange - I've made the transition from a hockey mindset to a golf mindset. Instead of blogging, reading blogs, checking websites, looking at MSG, and reading the newspaper, I've been hitting the golf course once or twice a week. This week, I believe it will be 4 times.

Today, the entire NHL might switch into that mindset. With a win on home ice, Detroit captures another Stanley Cup, and the focus of the NHL goes to rebuilding - the draft, free agency, training camp.

Everyone talks about Pittsburgh's incredible home record and how they were 9-0 until they lost 2-1 to Detroit in Game 4. No one mentions Detroit's 9-1 record, though. They only lost one game, 2-1, and it was Game 5 against the Stars with the Stars facing elimination.

It should be a good game today. I happen to be working, and we only have 2 TVs at work, so it's hard to get a hockey game on one of them if a New York team isn't in it. Luckily, the Mets play on the Left Coast tonight, so I might get the bartender to put on NBC.

No worries, I have it set to be TiVoed, as I love watching a Stanley Cup celebration. I particularly enjoyed the Hurricanes celebrating in 2006, partly because I was so happy to have hockey back, but mostly because I love when veterans lift it for the first time, even if Carolina didn't deserve the Cup. Seeing Rod Brind'amour and Doug Weight, with his injured shoulder, lift it was fantastic, and I was anxiously awaiting Erik Cole lifting it after he had his neck broken by Brooks Orpik. However, NBC ended their coverage about 15 seconds before Cole lifted it. That was not fantastic.

I would love to see Chris Osgood get the Conn Smythe today, and my second choice would be Henrik Zetterberg, who had an amazing regular season until he started playing hurt. I wouldn't be terribly upset if Johan Franzen received the hardware, but he only really played great for 4 games. He wasn't electrifying in the Nashville series, and he didn't play in the Stars series. He just lit up Jose Theodore.

Enough. Enjoy the game.

Bryan's Third Round Predictions

We've got a good final four, so we should be in store for some good games. And, if last round was any indication, we should be in store for many, many incorrect picks. Here are my stabs at doing a little better than that.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
- Pittsburgh (2) over Philadelphia (6) in 7. Looking at this matchup on paper, you'd think the Penguins would dominate. Not so fast. The Flyers are as defensively sound a team as you'll find in these playoffs, as evidenced by their victories over Washington and Montreal. People love to point to Martin Biron's GAA as "proof" that he's not that great, but the reality is that he's probably been the best goalie in the playoffs so far. Besides, when not surrounded by goalies with 1.75 GAAs, a 2.75 GAA isn't that bad. Don't forget that the Flyers can score goals, too - R.J. Umberger might not keep up his current pace, but Daniel Briere is only starting to play to his potential in Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is the NHL's Great Hope. While the rumors of a conspiracy against the Rangers are patently ridiculous - why on Earth the NHL would want to screw over its' top media market is beyond me - the Penguins are the NHL's chance at pulling a great rating in the Finals. Clearly, they've earned their right to do the NHL proud; say what you want about the competition they've faced, but losing only one game in the first two rounds is quite impressive. We all know what the Pens can do offensively, but they can play both ways. And against the Flyers, they'll need to. I just think the Penguins are better defensively than the Flyers are offensively, and that's going to be the difference in this series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
- Detroit (1) over Dallas (5) in 6. What can be said about Detroit that hasn't already been said? Simply put, they're the most complete team in the playoffs. The way they steamrolled over the Avalanche was no fluke. You don't have to worry about rust with a team this good. Hell, even if Chris Osgood falters - and he won't - the Wings have an extremely capable backup in Dominik Hasek. Sure, Johan Franzen isn't going to score nine goals this series, but the beautiful thing about this team is that you know someone's going to score goals. Oh, and they have tons of solid two-way players and grizzled veterans with Stanley Cups on their resume.

Dallas was written off by many before the puck even dropped in San Jose, which proved to be a big mistake. The playoff choker tab can safely be removed from Marty Turco's resume after yet another spectacular performance. He might be the biggest reason the Stars managed to defeat the high-powered Sharks. Brenden Morrow is turning into one of the league's premier clutch performers; it's no coincidence that he scored the goal in the fourth overtime of Game 6. Like Detroit, they have plenty of vets with plenty of experience. However, Nicklas Lidstrom is better than Sergei Zubov, and Pavel Datsyuk is better than Mike Modano. Dallas will certainly give Detroit a run for their money, but the Wings will prevail and give NBC the best possible Finals matchup.

You Never Know

Obviously, the Rangers won tonight. Zach is there right now; he'll have the floor when he returns.

Real quick, though, you have to give the Rangers credit, even if you hate their guts. And even if you hate their guts (like me), you wanted to see this series go as long as possible. This was supposed to be a great series, but it has barely even been a good one. I'd love to see that changed, and the only way to accomplish that is to play more games.

Anyway. As I watched the Rangers tonight, I couldn't help but marvel at their effort while simultaneously wondering if they'd be able to sustain that effort for three more games. Then I looked at the schedule... and you know what? Maybe it is possible. And in a league that's often accused of copying the NBA, the Rangers' ace in the hole very well could be the ridiculous TV-sensitive stretched-out schedule.

Think about it. NBC has Game 5 on Sunday afternoon, which isn't that much better than playing Saturday night, but at least affords the Rangers another night of rest. That's followed by a potential Game 6 at home. Not exactly the situation you'd love to have. But imagine a red-hot Ranger team coming home to a rabid crowd on the verge of tying the series up. How do you bet against them? If they can pull off Games 5 and 6, they'd have three days to rest up before next Thursday's Game 7.

All of this, of course, assumes the Rangers don't fold in Pittsburgh on Sunday, which is always a possibility. But let's not think about that. Let's hope these Rangers can make this a memorable series after all.

EDIT: Game 7 is on Wednesday, not Thursday. My mistake. Still, getting to Game 7 would pretty much erase the Rangers' fatigue. They'd have all the momentum in the world and the Penguins would be reeling. Remember the "Dead Men Walking" Yankees in 2004 as they mailed in Game 7?

Round 2... So Far

It's a bit early to make judgments about the second round. But why not make them anyway?

- Detroit-Colorado: This series is pretty much done already. Jose Theodore's magic is gone, and I don't mean Propecia. Peter Forsberg is injured yet again, and the only thing that could save the Avs is a big win at home in Game 3. However, I'm not too optimistic. I can't see Colorado winning more than one game the rest of the way. They sure as hell aren't going to be winning any games at Joe Louis Arena anytime soon.

- Montreal-Philadelphia: It's a shame this series isn't getting more publicity. It's going to be a good one. Montreal's offense vs. Philadelphia's physical play. You can tell that even though this series is going to be a war, the goaltending is what's going to decide it. Montreal might have won tonight if not for the stellar play of Martin Biron. Similarly, Carey Price will most likely be stealing one for the Habs at some point in this series. It's very possible that the winner of this series will have the Token Hot Goalie required to make a Cup run.

- Pittsburgh-Rangers: The aforementioned Habs-Flyers tilt might actually be the more competitive series, but this is the one that NBC and Versus are creaming their pants over. We already explained the appeal of this series, and it's great that we get to see it. The blood is already starting to boil, and it might not be long before the chippiness reaches the levels we saw in the Rangers-Devils series. This is one of those series where it's not going to really matter who wins to the neutral observer - it's just great to see these two teams beat the hell out of each other, making the young guys on both teams better and watching this become a big-time rivalry. You just hope the refs don't become bigger stars than the players, as was the case in Game 1.

- San Jose-Dallas: I can't get into Dallas for some reason. But I love watching the Sharks play. And if the Sharks want to reach their potential this year, they will have to dispose of a tough Stars team. Most people expected San Jose to take Game 1 at home, but they lost it in overtime. They should bounce back; however, this series is far from a cakewalk. Hell, everyone thought Calgary would be easy pickings for the Sharks, and look at how that turned out. I still see the Sharks winning this series, but it's going to test their mettle big-time. After all, it's hard to imagine San Jose doing well against Detroit coming off two slugfest series. As for Dallas, now that they've captured home ice, you never know... but I don't see the Sharks going down too easily.

Now that Versus is showing nearly every game, my Center Ice package is pretty much useless. It's been a good run. It's also really hard to watch hockey in bed while considering the needs of a sleeping (or crying, as the case may be) baby. Anyway, we'll see about re-upping on Center Ice next year - I really enjoyed seeing the West Coast games I never would have seen otherwise. One thing's for sure, though - I absolutely cannot live without the NHL Network.

Two More Years Of Mike Milbury

1) Read Zach's blog one spot below this one. It holds high nostalgic value.

2) It's not really being reported because the media hates hockey, but rumors out of Toronto indicate that NBC is going to renew its deal with the NHL. The annoucement is supposed to come some time this week. NBC has done a pretty good job with the NHL package - hell, at least they air more than four games a year like ABC used to do - so I'm willing to ride this out for another two years. The real question, however, is this - after NBC is done using the NHL to market the 2010 Olympics, how willing will it be to broadcast hockey?

Frozen Out

According to Steve Zipay, the Rangers are among the favorites to play in the next Winter Classic... and they're not likely to face the Islanders. Ugh.

There's already opposition from the baseball world against giving the Rangers the nod, mainly because some purists feel Yankee Stadium's final act shouldn't be a hockey game. Well, better a hockey game than another first-round exit, right? Besides, does it really matter? Trust me, if the Yankees win the World Series, nobody will be complaining about a hockey game being played two or three months afterward.

The big issue, at least from an Islander fan's perspective, is the fact that the Isles are far from a favorite to be included. Rumor has it that the NHL and NBC both want an Original Six team; Zipay says Red Sox owners are pushing for a home-and-home between the Rangers and Bruins. That would ruin the Winter Classic more than the Islanders ever could. However, it's more than a decent possibility, thanks to the one force that nobody can fight in the sports world.

You guessed it. ESPN.

That's right. The same network that is trying its best to kill the NHL could be the most influential figure in the destination of the Winter Classic. We all know that, in ESPN's world, only three teams matter - the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Patriots. Every other sports team in the world is tied for fourth. As such, ESPN would love nothing more to fellate itself one more time to the proverbial porn that is the Boston-New York rivalry. Horrid imagery aside, the truth is that ESPN would promote the hell out of this thing, just to shove the whole Yankees-Red Sox dynamic even futther down our throats. Even if it means actually acknowledging hockey as a legitimate sport.

In such a scenario, the Islanders would be on the outside looking in. And you know what? They kind of deserve to be.

I know, I know. When I first read the news about the Islanders potentially missing out on the opportunity to play in the Winter Classic, I was pretty upset. Offended, even. After all, the Islanders are the ideal opponent for the Rangers; certainly, the Islanders are the most hated of the Rangers' many rivals. Why would the NHL forgo an ideal opponent for another tired rehash of the New York-Boston rivalry? Or, even worse, some other Original Six team that has no beef with the Rangers?

However, if you really think about it, it's clear why the Islanders aren't high on the NHL's list and, more importantly, even futher down on NBC's list. The reality is that the Islanders just don't draw. They only sell out on weekends, holidays, and when the Rangers come to town. Their TV ratings, while significantly improved, are still rather dismal. Not only did they not get on NBC's Sunday schedule before falling out of the playoff race, but they weren't even considered to be part of NBC's flex schedule. Get the picture?

The sad part is, if the Islanders had even won one playoff round this year, they might have a very strong case for inclusion in what has already become the NHL's showcase. The NHL is very big on promoting individual superstars these days - just look at the aggressive marketing of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin for proof of that. Rick DiPietro, if he had an above-average supporting cast, could conceivably join that group. He has all the makings of a star; the one thing he's missing is a deep playoff run to cement him as an elite goalie in the minds of hockey fans everywhere. If the Islanders had that run this year, the whole team would have gained a ton of stature with the general public and might have had a shot at moving up to the next level. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

Ultimately, the Winter Classic isn't a game intending to please hockey fans. Instead, it's the NHL's best effort to convert new fans. And, while hockey fans might love to see Isles-Rangers in Yankee Stadium, the average sports fan who doesn't care about hockey is far more inclined to see the Rangers play the Bruins, Flyers, or any of the other large-market, recognizable teams out there. It's a shame, too, because the Islanders could put on a great show if given the opportunity. However, they ruined their own chance to do so.