NHL Finals Going Back-To-Back To Protect NBC's "Tonight Show"

First Two Games Of Penguins-Red Wings Finals Will Be Played Saturday, Sunday

DIFFERING VIEWS: GLOBESPORTS.com's Bruce Dowbiggin noted the "discord over dates reflects the league's entire broadcast philosophy." CBC Sports' Scott Moore said of the league's TV situation in the U.S., "If it's just from a fan's standpoint of view, I think they should be on ESPN." Moore: "The reality is there are 40-million homes in the [U.S.] that don't get Versus. The other advantage being on ESPN is you get a higher profile on 'Sportscenter' and 'Sportscenter' is the show of record. If your highlights, your shows are not on 'Sportscenter,' that affects the viability of your league." Moore added NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "took a gamble at the time. ... I'm not sure it has worked out totally. If it was me, you want to be on ESPN" (GLOBESPORTS.com, 5/27).

PENGUINS FEVER: Versus earned a 27.1 local rating in the Pittsburgh market and a 4.8 rating in the Raleigh market for Tuesday's Game Four of the Penguins-Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals series. The 27.1 rating topped the Penguins' previous postseason high of 24.97, which FSN Pittsburgh recorded for Game Seven of the Penguins-Capitals Eastern Conference Semifinals series. The four-game Penguins-Hurricanes series averaged a 21.7 local rating in the Pittsburgh market and a 6.2 rating in Raleigh, while the first three games of the series averaged a 1.3 cable rating nationally and attracted more than 1.5 million viewers per game (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/28).

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