My reasons the NHL Playoffs will be a BLAST:
Ovechkin- My opinion the most exciting player in hockey. When he brings it, (which is almost always) oh it’s a sight to see.
The Boston Bruins- They have dominated their division (leading by twenty points) Tim Thomas has put on a clinic in goal this season on what it means to be consistent. They make good teams better.
If Gary Bettman and the NHL would market the playoffs right, maybe it would garner more than a 4 percent share in the ratings. They have the attention from a new crowd with the outdoor game concept. Now market the players Gary, the players and the people will follow.
San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings in a showdown of the Western Conference Finals. It might be the real Stanley Cup anyway.
My reasons the NHL Playoffs could be a BUST:
The New Jersey Devils style of defensive hockey. Is it effective and do they win? Yes to both. Can it be boring and slow down the game? Yes to both. It can make what I think is THE most exciting sport feel like a high school Physics class.
If any of these teams go far. Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets or the Nashville Predators. ZZZZZZZZZZZ
If the Canadian teams get booted early. It is truly their sport and it always adds an extra oomph when their in the race. When they’re out early it’s the equivalent in baseball to the Toronto Blue Jays playing the old Montreal Expos for the World Series. Only die-hards would’ve watched that.
If the NHL and Gary Bettman don’t use the flow of new interest in the sport to catapult this baby into the big leagues. Ovechkin. Crosby. Malkin. Thornton. Kovalev. Brodeur. Non hockey fans how many of these names do you know? They are the NHL.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Yeah, those terrible non-traditional market teams… we wouldn’t want them to do well. Let’s just go back to the original six…
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 4:37 PM
I think the Bruins could be a first-round flop depending on their opponent. As for Canadian teams, that helps interest in Canada but won’t help interest in the USA. And the Devils don’t play quite the same way they used to. In part it’s because of the post-lockout rule changes and in part because of new personnel. The biggest reason they don’t give up goals is Martin Brodeur.
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 1:34 PM
There’s nothing wrong with hockey in non-traditional cities. It’s just when they’re in places that are not as huge about (professional) sports in general.
Tennessee? North Carolina? Columbus, OH? They all have great sports fans, but they’re COLLEGE fans.
As a different example, take the Dallas Stars. They’re a great team to watch–and people do watch them–because Dallas is a pro-sports town thanks to the Cowboys (and the Mavs to a lesser extent).