Tuning out

What a surprise, the NHL has marketing issues.

Now that's nothing new, but the league did add some fresh wrinkles to its long-standing problem this season.

First came the new schedule and the revelation that the poster boy for the new NHL, Sidney Crosby, would never show that mug in one-third of the league's markets. Same for Alexander Ovechkin.

Transplanted Rangers fans in California – and anyone who's been to games in San Jose or Los Angeles knows there are plenty of them – just had to make a short jaunt to St. Louis to see their team live. Ding – you are now free to move about the country.

By loading the schedule with division games in an ill-advised attempt to promote rivalries, the NHL overlooked the superstar factor that other leagues have used to their advantage so effectively.

In the NBA, struggling teams create entire ticket packages around star players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Sure the Golden State Warriors have great fans, but that doesn't mean team officials are above luring fans to the Arena in Oakland with things like Shaq Packs. Want to see the Heat? Fine, hope you enjoy the Grizz, too.

The NHL's goal for years has been to lure the casual fan over to the sport. Certainly league officials must know that for the casual fan, there are two types of players: superstars and those they've never heard of.

Enough mainstream hype followed Crosby – magazine covers, photo spreads and yes, even highlight packages on SportsCenter that aired before their calf roping and girls high school basketball packages – that he became a must-see phenomenon in the NHL.

So it's reasonable to think that a casual sports fan in Phoenix might see Pittsburgh on the home schedule, pick up the phone and order a pair of tickets. The NHL positions itself as the best live experience in sports – give us one game and you'll be a fan for life, they say – so why not do everything possible to draw new fans to the arena?

Was it their thought that fans in the desert would flock to the box office to buy Groundhog Day packages? Five games, five 96-degree days, five dates with the Dallas Stars. There's reason to expect even more excitement next season. In Pittsburgh, Crosby should be joined by 19-year-old Evgeni Malkin, who recently was named the first unanimous No. 1 prospect in hockey by The Hockey News. The top pick in the 2006 entry draft should be an American, and a record 11 other first-rounders could come from the states.

From Crosby to Ovechkin to Eric Staal in Carolina and Dion Pfaneuf in Calgary, the game is enjoying an unprecedented infusion of young talent. And with rule changes the product is better. It's just a matter of getting that product in front of more faces. But the NHL can't be trusted to market its own product. Back in October, to celebrate the return of the sport after a year on ice, the league launched a "My NHL" ad campaign that succeeded in insulting the sensibility of diehard fans, offending women and bringing an unscientifically estimated zero new fans to the game.

Now to the league's credit, the game is better and as a result live gate numbers are up. But TV ratings are still abysmal, and it's still a premier television package that stands between the league and where it wants to be.

Which brings us to the NHL's latest problem.

The best-case scenario for the league, from a marketing perspective, would be a New York-Detroit matchup in the Stanley Cup finals. The Rangers were eliminated Saturday. The Red Wings are on the brink of elimination.

Now by all accounts Calgary is a fantastic hockey town. But commissioner Gary Bettman has to be sweating more profusely than usual over the prospect of another Calgary appearance in the Stanley Cup finals, even if such an appearance is an endorsement of sound team hockey and fiscal responsibility.

Like it or not, television viewers in the United States aren't going to embrace a Calgary-Ottawa final, and it's that audience the league desperately needs.

Out East Philadelphia and Buffalo are locked in a riveting series. Even the coaches are feuding there. But where's the buzz?

It's a dilemma most hockey fans know well. There's nothing better than playoff hockey, but nothing worse than trying to convert a non-believer.

If only the NHL's marketing wing would pitch in and help.

THIRD STAR OF THE DAY

Patrick Elias wouldn't match his six-point output from Game 1, but his two goals and an assist Saturday were enough to send the Rangers packing. New Jersey finished the series 10 for 27 on the power play thanks in no small part to the play of Elias and Scott Gomez with the man advantage.

SECOND STAR OF THE DAY

Detroit dominated Edmonton in the first period Saturday, outshooting the Oilers 11-4 and creating all kinds of chances in front of the Edmonton net. Dwayne Roloson turned aside everything the Red Wings threw at him, keeping the game scoreless and setting the stage for a second-period revival from his skaters. The Lightning didn't address their goalie problems at the trade deadline and they're gone. Edmonton paid a high price for Roloson, but he's got the team on the brink of a huge first-round upset.

FIRST STAR OF THE DAY

As surprising as it was that 11 players cracked the 40-goal plateau this season, it was even more surprising that Jarome Iginla wasn't one of them. Well, the Calgary captain appears to have regained his scoring touch at the right time. He enjoyed his second straight two-goal game Saturday (he had only five multi-goal games in the regular season) as the Flames pushed Anaheim to the brink of elimination.

MINOR PENALTY

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist had just completed a mad dash from his crease, a last-ditch effort to salvage his team's playoff hopes. He beat John Madden to the puck, narrowly averting a New Jersey breakaway and preserving New York's power play. But moments later he was back in trouble, thanks to an ill-advised, cross-ice pass from Petr Sykora. Devils forward Brian Gionta jumped on the pass and converted a goal on a 2-on-1 to pretty much seal New York's fate in the third period.

MAJOR PENALTY

Conspiracy theorists will enjoy breaking down film from the first period of Saturday's Edmonton-Detroit game. A blatant Chris Chelios elbow was overlooked. Ryan Smyth's marginal slash in retaliation was called. Later Michael Peca was clearly tripped in his own zone. No call. Continuing action resulted in a Red Wings goal. Are officials taking the ice with a mandate to ensure that both New York and Detroit don't make a first-round exit? Of course not. But all coach Craig MacTavish – and everyone else for that matter – is looking for is a little consistency.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR SUNDAY

Game 5: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres: For storylines, this has been the most compelling matchup of the first round. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff called the Flyers "idiots" after Game 2, and since the Flyers have clawed back to even the series 2-2. This has all the makings of a seven-game series, and an entertaining one at that.

Game 5: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars: Colorado has proven it can win at Dallas, taking the first two games of this series and one of two in the regular season. Only two teams have come back from 3-0 deficits to win a best-of-seven series. Can Dallas become No. 3? Probably not.

Game 5: San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators: Everyone wants to say that Patrick Marleau has been outplaying Joe Thornton in this series. Certainly Marleau is a big reason San Jose has Nashville on the brink of elimination, but Thornton's ability to control the puck and create endless cycles in the Predators zone has been a huge factor, too.

Game 5: Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes : Home-ice advantage is back in the hands of Carolina after back-to-back wins in Montreal. Cam Ward is the guy now for the Hurricanes, making this a first-round matchup of first-time playoff goalies.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Watch

Calgary's first goal Saturday had a little bit of everything: Matthew Lombardi turning on the jets, a nifty drop pass to Tony Amonte and a sprawling Jean-Sebastien Giguere doing everything he could to protect his net.

If nothing else the crowd shots at the Saddledome provide a few quick looks at Calgary's sea of red. Yes, it's playoff hockey time.