Saturday night's Stadium Series game was delayed about 10 minutes due to a power outageTwitter
After a power outage stopped play during the third period of Maple Leafs-Capitals on Saturday night, NBC "made the decision to move the final minutes" of the outdoor game over to NBCSN in order to switch over to "SNL," according to Zachary Ripple of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The game is "one of the NHL’s signature events, as it is one of only three outdoor NHL games this year," and the decision to move it was a "slap in the face to the NHL and its fans" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/5). In Tampa, Tom Jones writes the "two biggest comments" regarding the move were how NBC "would never do that to the NFL and how the NHL should look for another TV partner when the current deal with NBC ends." Jones: "For starters, fans are right that NBC wouldn't do the same to the NFL." That is because "nothing is more important to any network than the NFL." But "SNL" remains "more important than the NHL, and anyone who can't understand that is naive." Of course NBC "did the right thing by switching a regular-season game that was already a blowout to another network." It is "not that big of a deal by a network that otherwise has done a stellar job covering the NHL" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/5). ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski wrote, "So this is what happens when you don't send your players to an Olympic Games for which your television partner has the rights" (ESPN.com, 3/4). USA TODAY's A.J. Perez noted hockey fans across the country "took to Twitter to express their displeasure about the switch" (USATODAY.com, 3/4).
