Re-evaluating the 2018-19 NHL on NBC Schedule

The NHL on NBC schedule does not look as compelling today as it did before the season started. What games are still worth tuning in for in 2019?

The NHL is currently entering the eighth year of its 10-year contract with NBC as an exclusive broadcaster of nationally televised games. Hockey fans in the United States have gotten used to listening to Doc Emrick and the crew for the biggest games of the regular season and playoffs.

This year, NBC Sports Network has announced an expanded national schedule that will see 109 regular season games broadcast on NBC and NBCSN. Teams on the rise such as the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche will be more visible for viewers around the country.

Of course, the gem of the regular season calendar is the Game of the Week that airs on network television. Traditionally, NBC broadcasts the game as a Sunday matinee, although there are exceptions such as the Thanksgiving Showdown and Stadium Series games.

Back before the season started, I ranked every game scheduled for the flagship NHL on NBC weekend matinee broadcasts for the 2018-19 season. Back then, I argued that there were some very intriguing matchups available for the league’s largest weekly audience.

As with many of my preseason predictions, this claim does not hold up at all when reflecting on it today. The struggles of teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers who will be heavily featured on the network make the schedule look a lot less compelling today.

In this article, I’ll re-rank the NHL on NBC schedule from worst to best before it begins in earnest with the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. There are only twelve games to rank, as the Thanksgiving Showdown from November is already over.

For games that do not appear entirely riveting, I will also suggest a ‘flex’ game: if the NHL had a system of moving games around as the NFL does, what game from the same day would be better suited for that spot?

Keep in mind that this endeavor is entirely subjective, and it is possible that some of the games I rank towards the bottom of the list will be more exciting and intriguing than the ones at the top. That being said, let’s get to it!

#12: Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers (3/31/19, 12:30 pm)

Preseason Rank (out of 13): 4

‘Flex’ Game: Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Originally, I had this ranked fourth of the thirteen games. Yikes. The absolutely abysmal season the Flyers have had makes this year’s NHL on NBC schedule look quite boring considering how heavily they are featured. Compound that with another struggling, heavily-featured team in the Rangers, and this game epitomizes the issues fans have with NBC.

Every criticism of the network and its apparent focus on the same few teams appears justified when looking at this game, the regular season finale for NBC’s schedule. Neither team is playing well enough so far to justify featuring them in a big-time matinee like this one.

Instead, the Buffalo-Columbus game scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET on that same day looks like it could be a fun one. Both teams have been good to start the year and feature copious young talent. In addition, they could be jockeying for playoff positioning at this point late in the season.

#11: Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues (2/17/19, 3 pm)

Preseason Rank: 11

‘Flex’ Game: Anaheim Ducks vs. Washington Capitals

Although this game is technically in the same position as when the season started, any excitement level for it has drastically decreased. The Minnesota Wild had a good run earlier on in the year, but between injuries and slumps, they have been on a downward trend of late.

However, while the Wild’s struggles do not help matters, the state of the St. Louis Blues is what really takes away any interest. St. Louis was supposed to be a playoff contender, but they have been even worse than last season, when they missed the postseason.

Anaheim and Washington, and both teams are in the playoff hunt, meaning this could be an important and exciting game.

#10: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild (2/2/19, 8 pm)

Preseason Rank: 13

‘Flex’ Game: Mentioned Later

This was my lowest-ranked game in the preseason, and given how poor both teams have been to start the year, it appears as if that decision was the correct one. The Chicago Blackhawks have been absolutely awful all season, and while, as mentioned, Minnesota is technically only two points out of a playoff spot, I do not anticipate this being a particularly riveting hockey game.

This game is part of a unique Saturday night showcase event, where two different games will be broadcast on NBC in separate parts of the country (more on that later). These are the only two games on the countdown that will not be available in all US markets.

The flex game will be mentioned when this other game at the same time is discussed.

#9: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Boston Bruins (1/1/19, 1 pm)

Preseason Rank (out of 13): 7

‘Flex’ Game: Washington Capitals vs. Nashville Predators (12/31/18)

This year’s Winter Classic was already looking quite pedestrian, but the aforementioned struggles of Chicago make it so uninteresting that even the spectacle of the outdoor game cannot save it. As such, it drops from its preseason position.

Even as somebody who still appreciates (and is not yet tired of) the outdoor craze, the constant inclusion of the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic has taken something out of it for me. The Boston Bruins are a good team, but not interesting enough to save this.

Because this is a special occasion, however, I cheated a bit when considering the flex game. Still, while it is technically coming the day before, wouldn’t a Winter Classic between Washington and Nashville be both fresh and special?

The two teams are amongst the best in the league, and represent the success of the NHL in non-traditional markets. This is the kind of game the Winter Classic should be trying to promote, not the same Original Six matches involving a declining team.

#8: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Washington Capitals (1/20/19, 12:30 pm)

Preseason Rank: 10

‘Flex’ Game: New York Islanders vs. Anaheim Ducks

The only reason this game has moved up from its preseason ranking is because the games behind it look even worse. Plus, the Washington Capitals are in the midst of another extremely good season where they look like legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

That being said, you will have a tough time convincing me to watch any game containing the Chicago Blackhawks, even one featuring the defending champions. As such, this game is still in the bottom half of the NHL on NBC schedule.

To make matters worse, this is a pretty weak day in the NHL schedule, with the best alternative being this Islanders-Ducks matchup. It’s not exactly the most riveting choice for a national broadcast, but at least both teams are in the midst of their respective playoff races.

#7: Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues (2/10/19, 12:30 pm)

Preseason Rank: 3

‘Flex’ Game: Boston Bruins vs. Colorado Avalanche

Other than the game ranked dead last in this countdown, no match has fallen further in my eyes than this one, which I foolishly believed could be a legitimate contender for match of the year. Sadly, with how awful the Blues look, I no longer harbor any confidence in this.

It is still nice to see a team like the Nashville Predators getting a national broadcast; the franchise and its great fans deserve it. It is a shame that their opponents are so poor as to drag down the quality of this game.

To make matters worse, both Winnipeg and Colorado, the two other contenders from the division, are in action against playoff-bound teams on this day, facing Buffalo and Boston, respectively. Any combination of those four teams with Nashville would make for a much better game here.

Either of those matches could be flexed into a national broadcast, although I would personally elect for the Boston-Colorado one. It may be the more competitive and “playoff-like” than the other, although both are massive upgrades over Nashville-St. Louis.

#6: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers (2/17/19, 12:30 pm)

Preseason Rank (out of 13): 8

‘Flex’ Game: Anaheim Ducks vs. Washington Capitals

Entering the top half of the draw, we get a Metropolitan Division matchup moving up from its preseason rank. This may be a theme going forward in the countdown, so let me explain why I appear to be giving teams like the Rangers and Flyers top billing.

The fact of the matter is that none of these games are very compelling, so at the end of the day what stands out is bad blood and rivalry. That is what these Metro Division matchups give us, and what automatically elevates them into the top half.

The Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be on the upswing after a tough start to the season, while the struggles of the Rangers seem likely to continue. This matchup likely will not get a second glance from many hockey fans, but the divisional factor is what propels them so high.

This also happens to be the lead-in for the Minnesota-St. Louis game from much earlier in the countdown. The same Anaheim-Washington game I talked about then would obviously a better fit here as well.

#5: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals (3/3/19, 12:30 pm)

Preseason Rank: 6

‘Flex’ Game: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Winnipeg Jets

Everything I said about the Rangers-Penguins game before goes for the Rangers-Capitals game. Ideally, this would be no better than the eighth or ninth-best game on the NHL on NBC schedule, considering how poor the Rangers have been.

Unfortunately, this is a weak year for the network’s Game of the Week listings, and this otherwise unspectacular meeting gets forces up this high. This is only above the Pittsburgh game because Rangers-Capitals is arguably the better rivalry.

The Columbus-Winnipeg game is very similar to the Columbus-Buffalo game I recommended earlier on in this article. Both teams are very talented and legitimate playoff contenders, and this game may even be a preview to a potential Stanley Cup matchup.

#4: Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3/24/19, 12:30 pm)

Preseason Rank: 2

‘Flex’ Game: Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators (3/23/19)

Once again, everything I said about the previous two matches remains consistent here, only the rivalry is stronger here. The Capitals and Flyers still have a level of hate that does not exist between the Rangers and Capitals or Penguins anymore.

That alone is what raises it above the matches below it on the countdown; even though the Flyers have been awful, Washington and Philadelphia tend to have entertaining matches, and this should follow the pattern. Still, it is a testament to how weak the schedule is that this is so high up.

With regards to the flex game, I cheated a bit again here. There was simply no good alternative on Sunday, but the Hockey Night in Canada game the night before between Winnipeg and Nashville seems a good bet, and it would be great to see these two teams featured nationally in the USA.