Blackhawks Burish nearly has throat sliced by teammate Eager's skate

Video from YouTube of Game 1 incident in Detroit on Sunday.

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Huge Ratings News for NHL

VERSUS enjoying 31% increase in playoff viewership MediaLife Magazine

Versus has been posting sizable year-over-year ratings increases for NHL
semifinal games.

Its audience for these games is up 31 percent from last year, to an
average 806,000 viewers, based on 19 games over 12 days, compared to 616,000
viewers for 15 games over 11 days last year.

Its household rating for the same time period is up 33 percent, to a
0.8 rating.

Versus is also up in its core male audience.

Among men 18-34, semifinal games are up 19 percent. Versus is posting a
29 percent increase among men 18-49 and 38 percent among men 25-54.

CSN Chicago Sets All-Time Blackhawks Ratings Record of Game 6 Coverage Press Release

Citing Nielsen Media Research, Comcast SportsNet-Chicago, cable broadcast partner of the Chicago Blackhawks, Monday night’s Game 6 set the all-time ratings record for a Blackhawks telecast on the station (including previous incarnations FSN-Chicago, Sports Channel, Sportsvision, etc).

Monday’s game drew a 7.82 household rating (a average of 273,145 households) with the peak quarter-hour coming in at a 12.6 rating (440,095 households) from 10:30-10:45 (the game ended at 10:40).

To show how big Monday night’s game played to the Chicagoland audience, the telecast nearly doubled the network’s average for the previous nine Hawks’ playoff games shown on the network. Overall, the ten CSN games drew a 4.82 average. The Vancouver series itself (4 telecasts, games one and four were exclusive VERSUS) drew a 5.27 rating.

The CSN press release also claimed the Blackhawks-Blues 2002 playoff opening-round series (the last time the Hawks participated in postseason hockey) drew an averaging rating of 1.93 for then Fox Sports Net. Of course


-- From George Malik's Snapshots at MLive.com, on the heels of a record-setting rating on FSN-Detroit for the Red Wings/Ducks Game 5 on Sunday, Tuesday’s late night Game 6 (aired locally in Detroit from 10pm to 12:45am) drew a 13.5 rating (averaging 260,145 Metro Detroit households). Sunday’s Game 5 registered a 17.1 rating, the highest ever for a Red Wings game on Fox Sports Detroit.

Game 6 out-pointed all other Tuesday evening programming in Detroit (though only hour two of The Biggest Loser ran directly opposite the game) including American Idol on Fox (13.2), The Biggest Loser on NBC (10.2) and Dancing With The Stars on ABC (9.6).
Tuesday’s Ducks/Wings broadcast peaked at a 15.8 rating during the second period (11-11:30pm).

Fox Sports Detroit is averaging a 12.0 rating for its seven playoff telecasts. As noted in the article, that’s a 32% increase from last spring’s playoffs in which the Wings average a 9.1 rating for five telecasts on FSN Detroit.

Pens/Caps Game 6 draws record rating in Pittsburgh SN/SportsBusiness Daily

Coyotes move would have little impact on TV deals Phoenix Business Journal

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Maggie the Monkey predicts the second round....

This isn't something I would normally consider newsworthy, but let's face it, Maggie's getting a little long in the tooth.

Click the link below and watch and as TSN's chief prognosticator uses her highly scientific methods to predict the NHL's Conference semi-finals winners and losers.

http://watch.tsn.ca/nhl/clip166720#clip166720

Caps, Canes, Wings and Nucks fans beware, Maggie predicted just two of the eight first round series correctly. Also notice Maggie cheat on her Wings/Ducks prediction.

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NHL Announces Conference Semi-Final Schedules

Here are the official line ups rundown and lifted straight from NHL.com this evening.

CBC predictably is taking the Canucks-Hawks and Penguins-Capitals as their two featured series. Somewhat surprisingly, NBC will broadcast just two of a potential twenty-eight second round contests, both this weekend.

All Times Central

SERIES I #1 vs. #6 NETWORK
Friday, May 1 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN
Sunday, May 3 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
Wednesday, May 6 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN
Friday, May 8 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN
*Sunday, May 10 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Carolina, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Boston, TBD TSN

SERIES J #2 vs. #4 NETWORK
Saturday, May 2 at Washington, 12:00 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Monday, May 4 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Wednesday, May 6 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Friday, May 8 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 9 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Monday, May 11 at Pittsburgh, TBD VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Wednesday, May 13 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

SERIES K #2 vs. #8 NETWORK
Friday, May 1 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN2
Sunday, May 3 at Detroit, 1:00 p.m. NBC, TSN
Tuesday, May 5 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
Thursday, May 7 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Sunday, May 10 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. TSN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Anaheim, TBD VERSUS, TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Detroit, TBD VERSUS, TSN

SERIES L #3 vs. #4 NETWORK
Thursday, April 30 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Saturday, May 2 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Tuesday, May 5 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Thursday, May 7 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
*Saturday, May 9 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m CBC, VERSUS
*Monday, May 11 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS (JIP)
*Thursday, May 14 at Vancouver, TBD CBC, VERSUS

* - if necessary

-- Schedule by Day --

Thursday, April 30 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS

Friday, May 1 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN2
Friday, May 1 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN

Saturday, May 2 at Washington, 12:00 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Saturday, May 2 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS

Sunday, May 3 at Detroit, 1:00 p.m. NBC, TSN
Sunday, May 3 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

Monday, May 4 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

Tuesday, May 5 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Tuesday, May 5 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

Wednesday, May 6 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Wednesday, May 6 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN

Thursday, May 7 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Thursday, May 7 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

Friday, May 8 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Friday, May 8 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN

*Saturday, May 9 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 9 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m CBC, VERSUS

*Sunday, May 10 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. TSN
*Sunday, May 10 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

*Monday, May 11 at Pittsburgh, TBD VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Monday, May 11 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS (JIP)

*Tuesday, May 12 at Carolina, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Anaheim, TBD VERSUS, TSN

*Wednesday, May 13 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

*Thursday, May 14 at Boston, TBD TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Detroit, TBD VERSUS, TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Vancouver, TBD CBC, VERSUS

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Friday night's best

'Original' Six matchup: New York Rangers 3 - Chicago Blackhawks 2, OT

Admittedly biased because its the only game I saw, being there in person, but a great game nonetheless.

The Blueshirts did their best to give the game away affording the Hawks FOUR five-on-three opportunities. Chicago capitalized finally on chance number four, tying the contest with 4:29 to play in regulation.

Chris Drury scored twice (numbers 14,15) including the deciding deflection of Wade Redden's overtime shot from the point that eluded Nikolai Khabibulin.




The Blackhawks announced a crowd of 22,624. It was their 20th sellout of the year at the United Center. Chicago has now played 21 home games, though one was at Wrigley Field. They're averaging 21,648 in 'announced' attendance at the UC this season. I use the term announced because the Blackhawks have taken to the practice of exaggerating their attendance numbers slightly all season for the purpose of ensuring they'll remain atop the attendance standings. It's a marketing thing.

They've twice this season (10/25 vs. Detroit and 12/26 vs. Philadelphia) claimed to have broken the single-game attendance record at the United Center when in fact the largest crowd ever at a Blackhawks game inside the UC came on February 15, 1997, a Saturday game against the New York Rangers which drew 22,819 fans, or 107 more people than the recent Boxing Day matchup with the Flyers.

Friday night's game with the Rangers currently ranks 9th all-time attendance-wise in Hawks' games played at the United Center. That figures in both regular season and playoffs, a number that now totals 554, just 18 of which have been postseason features. The United Center began hosting Blackhawks games in January of 1995. The all-time United Center average attendance is currently 16,632. Yes, there were a lot of lean years. And yes, I do keep those kind of statistics.

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Drew Stafford hit on Duncan Keith last night (Jan 14)

With his head down and drifting towards the middle of the ice, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (2008 All-Star) got clobbered by Sabres winger Drew Stafford last night at the United Center. The hit knocked Keith silly and he had to be helped to the bench by an official as play continued.

The Blackhawks, most notably Ben Eager, were understandably upset and Eager went after Stafford later on in the same play resulting in his team being down a man for the next six minutes.

Chicago killed the six-minute Buffalo power play and any hopes of a Sabres' comeback. In fact, the Hawks limited Buffalo to one shot on goal in those six minutes and had the better scoring chances themselves.

Ben Eager was still fuming after the game and expressed his position on the Stafford hit to the Daily Herald:

"It's a dirty hit regardless if it's a shoulder - it's shoulder right to
head and it's defenseless," Eager said. "That guy probably has two hits all year. That team has been through it before and they should know better.

"I just thought it was a dirty play. I'm sure nothing will come of it because it was a skilled guy that hit him, but we'll see what they do."

Stafford had a different interpretation of the collision:

"I hope he's OK, but you've got to keep your head up if you're going to make a play like that," Stafford said.

For the record, the hit on Keith was Stafford's 32nd of the season, 10th most on the Sabres as he averages less than a hit a game. He did however get credited with a hit on Hawks' defenseman James Wisniewski earlier in the same shift.

I've viewed the play many times now on tape. Seeing it live in person it looked to be a clean shoulder-to-shoulder check. Stafford's left tricep actually collides with Keith's right shoulder pad and glances off the side of his head in continuation of the hit. Nothing about this hit is dirty.

Stafford lines Keith up at the last second when Keith drifts to the slot with the puck to attempt a shot. Stafford merely does his job taking the body. If Stafford pulls up and allows Keith to take that shot uncontested, he catches hell from Lindy Ruff when he gets back to the bench. That's hockey.

The point of contact is tricep to shoulder. Stafford's reflex reaction after the collision could lead you to believe he also gave, or attempted to give, Keith an elbow to the head. But Stafford's motion is deceiving. Keith's head snaps back as a result of the contact.

See for yourself.

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