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Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:24 am EDT

Penguins get more (potential) NBC love than Red Wings

By Greg Wyshynski

Media watcher Steve Lepore breaks down the just-released NHL on NBC "flex" schedule over at his new haunt, The NHL Arena Program. The full schedule can also be found on the NHL's Web site.

A few quick reactions:

• The Pittsburgh Penguins have the potential to appear seven times on NBC this season. The Detroit Red Wings have the potential for six appearances. The Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers have five potential appearances. In some great cosmic joke, the Atlanta Thrashers could appear twice.

• For you East Coast bias junkies: The Western Conference has 11 teams on the schedule, while the Eastern Conference has 10. Of course, with the network's "flex scheduling" concept, it can toss matchups into the mix to placate markets that may feel slighted, even if there's a ice rink's chance in hell these games will ever get on the air. All due respect to the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators, but the game of the week on Feb. 8 might be the Penguins and the Red Wings.

• Missing in action, due to scheduling issues or indifference: The Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning (!) and, as usual, any Canadian teams. Because why would you want your audience to get a glimpse of the Montreal Canadiens before you have to air their games in the Stanley Cup finals in prime time?

Related: When Hockey and Hollywood Collide

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124 Comments

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  1. Leahy
    1. Posted by Leahy Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 pm EDT

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    Coyotes-Islanders on March 8th!
    Feel the excitement!
  2. Crashy
    2. Posted by Crashy Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:21 pm EDT

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    Of course media-boy Sidney Crosby is getting the media coverage.
    However the Wings will go to at least the Conference Finals, if not taking the whole thing... Again.
    Go WIngs!
  3. bfrank27
    3. Posted by bfrank27 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:47 pm EDT

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    still a little confusing, especially in similar markets. for example, feb 8th both the pa teams play at 3:00, what happens to the other teams fans if only one game is aired in the market, because as of that schedule, the only local coverage is detroit. and heres the thing, i am a flyers fan, but i have a pretty good feeling that if only one game will be aired on nbc in pa (and no local channel coverage as per the schedule), i wont get to see my team that day.
  4. Jon A
    4. Posted by Jon A Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    Not sure if it is a big deal cause its only 1 more game, but it does beg the question that why does a team that was dominated in the Cup Finals get more NBC games than the winner.
  5. tacwingnut
    5. Posted by tacwingnut Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:54 pm EDT

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    of course nbc loves cindy ,cindys lover gary buttman, shoved cindy down everybodys throat all last year . it broke gary buttmans heart, that he couldnt give the stanley cup to cindynotice garys fast exit when he handed the cup over to nic?
  6. Matt
    6. Posted by Matt Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    So, the three biggest US NHL markets:
    Detroit (7 tries)
    Pittsburgh (6 tries)
    Buffalo (zero)
    Anyone else see something wrong with this?
  7. Matt
    7. Posted by Matt Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    We'll be more than happy to trade one of our seven VS games for an NBC game though.
    Anything to not hear Joe Beninati.
  8. James T L
    8. Posted by James T L Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

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    Why show a team of players who work together at winning when you can show a glamour boy who really was a non factor against the Wings. I'll take watching a team vs individual anyday. Go---Wings
  9. Wyshynski
    9. Posted by Wyshynski Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    @ Matt --
    I heard from someone this morning that Buffalo may have been the victim of some scheduling issues regarding Sunday day games during the second half of the season.
  10. SteveP
    10. Posted by SteveP Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:53 pm EDT

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    The problem is Buffalo consistently gives them good ratings no matter who is playing. We need to start boycotting other teams.
  11. Leahy
    11. Posted by Leahy Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 pm EDT

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    buffalo's a bigger tv market than NY and LA? really?
  12. Lester W
    12. Posted by Lester W Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:15 pm EDT

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    nbc= nothing but crosby
  13. nate
    13. Posted by nate Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    the problem with the buffalo sabres is that they suck. how in the world can you let briere, drury, and campbell go? at least they resigned ryan miller, although i wish he coulda waited a year and returned home to michigan to play for a real organization. go wings...
  14. knucklehead
    14. Posted by knucklehead Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    I'd rather have a couple of ginger ales, and listen to Mickey and Ken anyway.
  15. jkrdevil
    15. Posted by jkrdevil Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:36 pm EDT

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    By rule the maximum number of times a team can appear on NBC during the regular season is 4. That means the Penguins don't have the potential to be on NBC 7 times.
  16. acardillac
    16. Posted by acardillac Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:44 pm EDT

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    "Why show a team of players who work together at winning when you can show a glamour boy who really was a non factor against the Wings. I'll take watching a team vs individual anyday"
    LOL, those Red Wing colored glasses must have a few scratches on it. It's about MARKETING and looks. Except for Zetterberg, is there anyone else on the Wings that is good looking and young enough to market? Zetterberg is a good choice, but his name is his problem. A casual fan would think it's some sort of stinky cheese, and who wants to watch that?
  17. # huit
    17. Posted by # huit Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    the great cosmic joke is the number of flyers' and rangers' potential appearances... and so is the fact that those teams have more "potential appearances" than craps
  18. Jon A
    18. Posted by Jon A Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    Right on Richard. Never did understand why the Sabres, in a 365 day period of time, let go of 2 of the league's elite defensemen and center and another solid F in Chris Drury. Miller is too good a netminder to have to play on a team like that.
  19. V G
    19. Posted by V G Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:38 pm EDT

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    To Post number 1 who said: "Coyotes-Islanders on March 8th! Feel the excitement!".. I am thinking that was supposed to be sarcastic?
    To Post number 13... Just because Buffalo opted to let go of older guys like Briere and Drury and sign younger guys like Vanek and Roy, doesn't mean there isn't a market to watch them play. Which is the point of this article.
  20. Jon A
    20. Posted by Jon A Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    @ jkrdevil: where did you find that rule (seriously I'm curious)
  21. rock
    21. Posted by rock Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    NBC is not unique. CBC has been torturing Canadians with Maple Leaf games for years, when Ottawa and Montreal have actually had teams worth watching.
  22. Jon A
    22. Posted by Jon A Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    To post number 19...I don't think the point of the post (which I dittoed) was saying that that is the reason. The whole Briere and Drury and Campbell thing (which you left him out) was backing up the belief that they are a bad team. Also check your history, Vanek was in Buffalo with Briere and Drury. They didn't let go of them to sign Vanek.
  23. rock
    23. Posted by rock Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    What is with all the Sidney Crosby haters out there? He is a KID! He has tremendous skill and potential. Mario Lemieux used to whine and cry about all the open ice tackles he had to put up with when he was playing as well. Some times he wouldn't show up on the ice, and he retired the first time partly because he was tired of the rough play (that, and cancer). The problem with large skilled players is that they are expected to take the physical abuse. Gretzky was never expected to be a power forward and had Semenko patrolling the ice for anyone who got physical with the star player. If somebody fights for Crosby, he is called a whimp (and other less savoury comments).
  24. det.junior
    24. Posted by det.junior Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    true dat..knuckelhead. maybe drinks some bells too. mickey and ken spoil us! go wings.
  25. Cletus T. Yokul
    25. Posted by Cletus T. Yokul Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:55 pm EDT

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    @ matt... i'd put philly ahead of buffalo in your tv/hockey market analysis there buddy as far as the 3 biggest us hockey markets... we do sell out our arena.
    i have no real problem with the league trying to get more marketing, what i have a problem with is ed olczyk doing any commentary period... he's awful and by proxy doc has fallen far from grace since he has joined awful ed doing the pens broadcasts... they suck... that broadcast game crew sucks... not just because they are homers for the pens, their actual oral diareah is bad, its bad for the game as well. go ahead and market crosby and otehr players for what they are worth, but it does not help the cause to have such poor quality commentary crews.
    hell, i would rather listen to the local guys do it, they'd at least bring more flavor to the game.

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