First Round Craziness and Lack Of Sleep
There were 48 games played in the first round and I missed watching just three of them as live telecasts. There were days when 5 games were televised; dropping the puck beginning at noon and the sudden death overtime winning goal being scored at 1:30 the next morning. The games were fast and furious, long and excruciatingly tense right up to the last moments. I was sending and receiving texts with just under a dozen folks for each game and that kind of 'live' interaction was far more important and meaningful to me than being able to blog during them. The fact that I was going to sleep watching hockey and waking up to watch hockey also prevented me from doing any decent kind of blogging during the first round. Not that I'm complaining in any way, shape or form. It's all Bliss!
Click here for the greatest interactive rundown of the first round ever put together. Outstanding job by the good folks at Puck Daddy.
Ratings, Ratings, Ratings
More people are watching the Stanley Cup playoffs in the United States this year, thanks to NBC Networks. NBC Sports stated Friday that an average of 929,000 viewers tuned in for each first round Stanley Cup Playoff game on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC in Round 1. This made it the most-watched first round of the NHL playoffs in history.
Per the NBC press release games on NBC Sports Network averaged 744,000 viewers, up 16 percent from a year ago when the network was know as Versus. Those are the highest numbers for hockey on cable since 2001, when ESPN's first round coverage averaged 745,000 viewers.
Not only are those impressive numbers but here's the Big Tell: Game 7 on NBCSN last Thursday had 984,000 viewers for the Rangers/Sens. When that game ended and the remaining play of the game 7 for Devils/Panthers was shown, 867,000 of those original viewers stayed tuned in. You all remember that game went to double OT, right? It was 12:15 a.m. here in Georgia when that one was finally over.
Nothing like a little National Network broadcasting to bring up the numbers for the sport we love, eh?
Best Texts From Round One
Sally - from the PENS/FLYERS series:
"Get in the fast lane grandma! The bingo game is ready to begin!" Quoting the great Mike Lange, longtime radio man for the Pens. His "Lange-isms" are epic.
"2 goals slide in under Fleury's ass!!", "It's like he's pooping goals for the F-heads!!" My response: "but it's a cute ass??"
"Dear Malkin, stop trying to score goals from behind your back while doing a pirouette. Slap the shit out of the puck and send it in!"
Coach/Ref Daggett
"Does Shana-Nuts have a freaking dart board he is using?"
Nan
"Regulation? We don't need no stinkin' regulation!"
Tim
"Did they just say Phil-Lip...and not Phil-Leep...for KUBA??"
Robyn
"What doesn MAF stand for?"
Ben
"Vancouver Out - Let the Rioting Begin."
Who's In Round Two
Capitals - wait, really? Even though I had them picked to be one and done this post season I have to admit I'm always happy when my boyfriend is in the thick of it. Of course, the way they're playing in game one of round two is exactly why I thought they'd be out in round one.
VS
Rangers - huh? Yep. There they are. And now I have to rely on my Caps to usher them out. I just realized the ridiculousness of that last statement. Rangers lead the series 1-0, FFS.
Flyers - or as Sally so eloquently refers to them as: FuckHeads. What the Hell, Penguins?? I know I was only bandwagonning (what, not a real word?) because I hate the Flyers worse than a dental or OB-GYN visit but you couldn't get the job done for us in round one? Never mind the fact that I had the Pens picked as a Cup finalist. Remember, never bet the farm on my SC picks.
VS
Devils - sorry Panthers but the Wild needs that 3rd round draft pick. Now hear this Marty and Company: Stuff Zhidlicky into a gear bag and ship him to Vancouver for the duration of the playoffs. You there - Parise, Kovalchuk, Zajac, Henrique...score your little asses off and shut those FuckHeads down! Do It Now.
Kings - who have my everlasting gratitude for having sent the Canucks packing in the first round. I hear Luongo wants out of Vancouver...Bwuuhahahahahaha!! God Bless the idiot team that picks up his redonk contract and inability to stop a puck in the playoffs. Kings lead the series 1-0.
VS
Blues - sent San Jose packing after some very entertaining games. Get bent, Havlat. Good to see Brent Burns getting some playoff time under his belt. And now the coaching staff really know what they have to work on with him. Is there a training routine for de-Goofballing?
Coyotes - shut the aging Wings down and reminded everyone else in the NHL that hockey exists in the desert. Some of the best games in round one, bar none. Goalie Mike Smith will have to be on his toes for round two. Across the ice he'll be facing someone who will make it very difficult for his teammates to score...
VS
Preds - PEKKA RINNE. That name should strike fear into the hearts of the Coyotes. He's tall, lanky, bendy in all the right goalie places, moves across the crease like lightning and covers the posts like he's an extension of them. He's the kind of goalie you're always cheering for, unless he's in net against your team. That being said, the Coyotes lead this series 1-0. In overtime. Cuz that's the way the Preds and Yotes roll.
Best Commercial In Playoffs So Far
Second Best Commercial So Far
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