Ever since Versus officially changed their name and graphics to the NBC Sports Network, they’ve been going over the top to provide hockey coverage to all the fans out there. Not only have they rolled out more weekend broadcasts, they’ve also added a game or two during the week.
This past week, the NBC Sports Network was scheduled to show what many consider to be a marquee matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals. As previous statistics have shown, this particular matchup has generated great ratings and has developed some intense rivalries on the ice. However, this season is a bit different for both teams. The Penguins, riding a 5 game losing streak, was coming into Washington in hopes of jumping back into the heat of the East – as they were sitting in the 8th spot in the conference. Washington was experiencing turmoil of their own – sitting outside the top 8 spots in the conference and sitting on a 2 game losing streak.
As the game was about to start, NBCSN did panned over the ice and immediately added the game graphics to the bottom of the screen. On a closer look, something was a bit off:
Is it the playoffs already? And since when are the Penguins and the Capitals the #2 and #4 seeds considering they were in 8th and 10th place respectively in the Eastern Conference. Even if you switch it to the division standings, the Penguins were 4th in the Atlantic while the Capitals were 3rd in the Southeast. Simply put, It doesn’t make sense.
Could it be that NBCSN was under the spell of wishful thinking? Maybe they wanted to do a trial run of their number system. We’re not sure what to make of it.
What do you think they were for?
