I honestly don’t see how the NHL prioritizing the national market over a small disloyal market is a big deal. The heat and panthers playing the same night has very little effect on the overall national numbers.
you can rationalize it with "national numbers" and have a case, sure, but that doesn't help with the market (home of the #1 overall seed no less) feeling really screwed. At least the NCAA [Men's] Tournament prioritizes the top seeds over 'size of audience' considerations. They should have said before Tampa/Toronto Game 7 that Game 1 could have been tonight even. Just figure it out. It's avoidable. Not doing so while also scheduling a B2B just seems so dumb.
nevermind mentioning the failure by the NHL that you have a presidents trophy winner who put up offensive numbers not seen since the Lemieux penguins in pretty much complete obscurity. But hey, got to make sure the Red Wings get their 5+ national TV games a year.
The bitching about back to backs in the playoffs is fair, but it affects both teams equally. The complaint about the 7th largest metropolitan area in the country not being able to support two teams at once rings a little hollow. In another thread there’s worries about selling out 20K seats against your rival in the playoffs and a poster potentially selling his own tickets to game 1. A little introspection is in order, imo. The panthers have had three decades to prove they deserve the limelight, but the fan support hasn’t, and might still not, be there. Can’t blame the NHL for focusing elsewhere.
Roommate is an Oilers fan. He debated going to Edmonton for a game against the Kings. He ended up going to LA instead because he could get tickets for 2 games, a flight, and an AirBnB for less than the price of a ticket alone to one game in Edmonton.
This isn't consistent. You can't, as the NHL, complain about a market not overtaking interest in the Miami Heat in a conference final while not making the investment or effort to help. It's arrogance. Local media is also an issue and not just "duurrrrrrrr south Florida fans." Tampa as a city is no better from a foundation standpoint but they had way more on-ice success. It's just another Florida market otherwise as with their other sports (not great when it comes to the NFL). The building will be plenty full but this isn't need of introspection. It's acknowledging an avoidable issue, recognizing the significance of the Heat in the market and, again, in a higher-stakes series.
The schedule conflict is for all of the home games including games 5* and 7*. Game 3 is same day but afternoon for NHL so game won't overlap.
I don’t think the NHL ever expected or tried to make hockey overtake basketball in South Florida. But given the market size they should be able to coexist at the same time.
what do you mean it's one game? aren't 4 of the first 5 games scheduled on the same nights? it fucking sucks as a fan to have to split your allegiance.
They will coexist but why are you even doing this to yourself is my point. But I can't wait for Gary to tell us in a press conference how important the market is at next year's ASG! Also, it's ridiculous that this year was the first one of these teams in Florida had an outdoor game.
Okay the Panthers might not have the biggest fan base but I think we can move past that point To have a back to back in the second round of the playoffs including a team that is going for a threepeat is just absurd
Is this really ridiculous? Make sense that northern teams would play outdoor games first, climate and all. You and LA will certainly be the first iteration of Bettman’s roller hockey schtick.
Not seeing m(any) complaints from the lightning contingent for the two-time defending Stanley cup champs having to play a back to back.
Yes, it's the fanbase's fault they haven't supported a team that until last season has been complete trash for TWENTY FOUR YEARS. It's the Panthers job to sell tix regardless of competing with the Heat or not. It's the NHL's job to market its best teams. They objectively failed when they have a matchup of the highest scoring team in 30 years and the defending champs and are treating it like the red headed step child of the 2nd round.
I mean they have these things called airplanes where I think teams can go to colder cities to play. This was more of a nod to Tampa than having an all-Florida outdoor game although it's my dream that they put that matchup in Marlins Park.
I don't think its just the B2B thats the issue. It's that they did the NBA conflict while also painting themselves into the B2B. You didn't have to do either.
to be clear in no way am I endorsing him coaching anywhere again. Just predicting what former panthers coach will be named to Vegas.
Got to love it. It wasn't that Crosby missed 1.5 games, or that games 2-6 were started by the Louie fucking Domingue, it was "Heart".
Guy on our morning show Shawn Simpson is a close personal friend of Q and his family. He keeps talking about it. Not sure if he has tweeted about it tho.
lol what a weird point to make about video review ensuring the game was scored properly. Way to overcome reality I suppose.
#IrishSpiracy Also, the team with the puck tends to draw more penalties. (At least when games are officiated properly and not "managed")
Not sure how many of the media in Florida can claim to be close friends with Q for the last 30 years. Simpson has mentioned it numerous times that is a a strong possibility.
Two of the calls (Kakko interference and the Guentel high stick) were 50/50 calls at best. The fact they both went the Pens way was extremely lucky…and also potentially series changing. So yeah, I do think the Rangers overcame a bit of adversity in the series. Call it “heart” or whatever else, but how many playoff series do the Rangers need to win in the last two decades that go completely against the advanced stats for the statisticians to realize maybe they need to find additional data points that better predict success. 5 vs 5 xGF can very easily be overshadowed by shooting percentage and goaltending, both of which the Rangers have won with for years. Is it totally sustainable? Probably not. But the stats geeks pretending variance can’t exist with 5v5 xGF is amazing to watch. This coming from someone who works in analytics. They need to find more predictive data points.
I think most would disagree with you about both but it’s moot either way and lol overcame adversity? Like playing with a backup AHL goalie because their top 3 netminders were out? Or losing their best player & 1C to a dirty hit to the head? Or losing a top 6 winger to a hit to the head? Or playing without a top pairing Dman? What to the analytics say about that? this Penguins team just wasn’t all that good, choked when it mattered most & flat out didn’t deserve to advance but this “youngsters persevering despite the odds” narrative is laughably dumb
also the Panthers & their fans (lol both of them) got absolutely fucked. I’m almost surprised that I’m surprised by the league doing something this galactically stupid and would to hear the rationale behind this schedule. The way they seem to bend over backwards to hide exciting players & matchups is almost breathtaking.
Outside of this series even I will just say you can't say out of one side of your mouth no one is interesting in X while also doing nothing to invest in X. Trying to take homerism out of it, I've thought the same about women's sports for a long time. You can't say no one is interested without making the investment and effort on the front end to get people interested. Like launching a product without marketing (as said with bias by me, a marketing person). The fact that the Lightning just got their first outdoor game after like a decade of being one of the more exciting teams in the league () and having Stamkos as a household name for a long time now, it's just nuts to me. Most hockey people are giddy over the idea of another Tampa/Florida series after the intensity of last year's (and now featuring Ekblad and Giroux). It's a marketing opportunity if you're willing to make it work and invest in it. But even outside the one series even if Florida advances, I'm sure the NHL will reward Florida with a game on TBS and one more "ESPN+ Exclusive" next season.