Stanley Cup playoffs: Lots of talking before they drop the puck
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A couple of viewing notes for the Stanley Cup playoffs, starting with Thursday night’s dramatic Game 7 between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings.
Thursday’s game, which will decide who faces the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference final, will air at 6 p.m. PDT on Versus. It will be preceded by a one-hour special analyzing the series, 30 minutes longer than the usual pregame show but worth the effort in what has been a terrific series. The Red Wings will become only the fourth NHL team to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series if they win Thursday night at the Shark Tank.
And the NHL Network will air a one-hour preview of the conference finals Friday, a day before the East finals start at Boston between the Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. The preview show will air from 3 to 4 p.m. PDT. Host David Amber will head an all-goalie panel with Kevin Weekes and Chicago Blackhawks goalie Marty Turco, who will also join the network’s “On The Fly” show during the conference finals. Turco is a good observer and a good interview, and he should do well.
The preview show also will be streamed live on www.NHL.com.
During the conference finals the NHL Network will provide live coverage of every game.
For more information, go to www.nhlnetwork.com.
One final note: Russia defeated Canada, 2-1, in the quarterfinals of the World Hockey Championships, with Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier taking the loss. Winger Ilya Kovalchuk scored the winner at 12:19 of the third period.
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-- Helene Elliott