In Boston, Chad Finn noted NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen "remains a favorite of Boston fans, eight years after leaving the market." Tappen hosts NHL Network's "NHL Live" studio programming among other responsibilities. She is "appreciated by the locals because she always appreciated the locals" during her time at NESN, and that makes her return as part of NBC Sports’ NHL coverage team for the Blues-Bruins Stanley Cup Final "feel like a homecoming of sorts." Tappen said, “I was really young (25) when I got that job at NESN and grew into that role, as the studio host of the Bruins. I think they saw that growth and the passion that I had for it" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 5/23).
LEARNING CURVE: NBC's Mike Tirico said it was "great" doing play-by-play during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but also "harder than I ever thought it’d be." Tirico: "You can never really reference your notes during the game. The randomness of the substitutions really keeps you on your toes. I thought I was in good shape, had all the line combinations figured out and then the second shift of my first game a Blackhawks player gets hurt and now their lines are a series of lotto ball machines for the rest of the night" (N.Y. POST, 5/24).
THE GOAT: In Chicago, Jeff Agrest wrote NBC's Doc Emrick "might be the most eloquent hockey announcer ever." Agrest: "He's the sport’s Vin Scully, able to weave in stories while keeping up with the action. And when the pace turns frenetic, so does Emrick, who can reach a decibel level that belies his stature." Meanwhile, Emrick's longtime broadcast partner, analyst Eddie Olczyk, is "one of the best analysts among all sports." He is "so quick with an observation that the game must be in slow motion to him" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 5/23).
