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The NHL's television ratings typically pale in comparison to those of the NFL or NBA, which is usually cited as the reason why mainstream sports outlets dismiss hockey out of hand as a topic for discussion unless something controversial happens, like an egregious act of violence, or... well, that's pretty much about it.
The other way to look at it is to see television as the great realm of opportunity for the NHL to grow their business. The league's new 10-year deal with NBC has seen an impressive effort to get the game out there in front of as many national viewers as possible, and the commitment to carry all playoff games from the second round on through their outlets (NBC, NBC Sports & CNBC) is a welcome development.
But how well will this arrangements pay off in its first year, especially with some popular teams already knocked out?
Follow after the jump, where talk of TV ratings both local and national kick off our afternoon hockey notes...
Nashville Predators News
Preds Collecting Record TV Ratings Along With Playoff Wins - Nashville Predators
The team is touting its highest ratings ever. It will be interesting to see how the Conference Semifinals fare, now that they'll be on easier-to-find channels.
NHL Playoff Snapshot: Can Predators Counterattack Continue? - Lighthouse Hockey
Dominik expands on the discussion from his video blog shared here earlier today.
Paul McCann - Monday Thoughts
Paul notes that maybe Detroit isn't such a dream destination for Ryan Suter after all.
Bring on the Blackhawks(and NOT the Coyotes!) | The Predatorial
James wants Chicago.
Nashville's Bridgestone Arena likely to get upgrade | The Tennessean
Once the Music City Center gets completed, it's expected that attention will turn to renovating the "back door" of the arena, which faces Demonbreun.
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
Bruins-Caps Game Six Marks NHL's Best Non-Final Overnight In 14 Years - SportsBusiness Journal
Stanley Cup playoff ratings around the league have been good so far, but will that last once the big-market teams like Detroit, Pittsburgh (and potentially Boston, Chicago, and New York) are no longer around?
Why the Western Conference Second Round Won’t Be a Disaster… Even if We Get Preds/Coyotes " Puck The Media
...then again, maybe they won't fall off too much.
A Peculiar Second Season - The Spin
Vancouver's disaster could prove to be Montreal's gain.
Backes, Bergeron and Datsyuk named Selke finalists - NHL.com
There you go, the finalists for Top Defensive Forward.
Campbell, Eberle, Moulson are Lady Byng finalists - NHL.com
And here are the three Most Gentlemanly gents.
Claude Giroux's the 'best player in the world,' and other things said after Game 6 - Broad Street Hockey
Yeah, they're not really missing Mike Richards or Jeff Carter in Philly.
NHL Average Save Percentages Still On The Rise - The Copper & Blue
I say, take a radical look at goaltending equipment, keeping the primary emphasis on protecting the player. For example, do the glove and blocker really need to be as big as they are?
Driving Play: How Often Were Suspendable Plays In The Regular Given Penalties On The Ice? (And Some Ideas On How To Change This)
For those who wonder why the Raffi Torres hit didn't draw a call during play... that's not as rare as you might think.
Thanks to Human Rats, Panthers no longer selling Rubber Variety - Litter Box Cats
Really? New Jersey fans in Florida throwing rubber rats on the ice to try and get a delay of game penalty on the Panthers?
The absurdity of small samples: judging a five-game playoff performance | Backhand Shelf
Stats-minded folks sometimes have difficulty dealing with the playoffs. Take them for what they are, because unless we move towards best-of-21-games series, there's just no guarantee that the "best" team will win. And that's OK.
Systems Analyst: Breaking down Steve Sullivan’s terrible first shift | Backhand Shelf
Poor Sully.