#3: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2/23/19, 8 pm)
Preseason Rank (out of 13): 1
‘Flex’ Game: Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Remember what I said about the great and entertaining Capitals-Flyers rivalry elevating that game? Replace the Capitals with their in-state rivals the Penguins and move the game outdoors, and that intensity and entertainment value increases tenfold.
Even so, the fact of the matter is that the Flyers have been awful this season. That likely won’t affect the hate level in the game, but it simply won’t be as entertaining as I hoped it would have been before the season, despite being part of the Stadium Series.
On the other hand, it looks as though Colorado and Nashville are on a collision course for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. How fun would an outdoor game between those two teams have been? Washington-Buffalo and Montreal-Toronto on the same day would also be fun.
#2: New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (2/2/19, 8 pm)
Preseason Rank: 12
‘Flex’ Game: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
This is the other of the two games that will be broadcast simultaneously on Saturday night in different markets, along with Chicago-Minnesota. That handicap is why I originally had this game ranked so low in the countdown.
At this point, however, America deserves to see the far-and-away best team in the country in the Tampa Bay Lightning. While they would be better served facing another Eastern Conference powerhouse, the Rangers and their large fanbase are not a terrible choice despite their struggles.
Speaking of other Eastern Conference powerhouses, the Toronto-Pittsburgh game on Hockey Night in Canada is far and away the more fun and appealing matchup of the night. It would have been a great choice for NHL on NBC, but oh well.
#1: Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins (2/3/19, 12:30 pm)
Preseason Rank: 5
‘Flex’ Game: None
It says a lot that this is by far the best of the regular season games that will be broadcast nationally on NBC this season. By virtue of both teams being bonafide playoff contenders, Washington-Boston easily takes the top spot in this countdown.
Now, the Capitals and Bruins tend to have good matches when they play each other, and this Super Bowl Sunday matinee should be no exception. Even so, it is very indicative of the state of this NHL on NBC schedule that it is such an easy choice for its best game of the season.
Additionally, this is the only game without a better choice to be flexed into its spot. Maybe the aforementioned Pittsburgh-Toronto game from the night before would work, but it has its own night’s games to take care of.
Even coming into the season, the NHL on NBC schedule did not exactly look awe-inspiring. But at the very least, it seemed as though with teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, it could be fun.
Unfortunately, the struggles of those teams put a sour light on the entire schedule. The NHL cannot be too happy about the state of its most viewed program, especially with some much more marketable games available on the same (or prior) day.
One can only hope that the NHL on NBC programming can overachieve this year and still be entertaining. After all, even the most mediocre game of hockey is usually the best show on television. Enjoy the Winter Classic and the rest of the NHL season!