NBC to screw the NHL again

After last year's disasterous double booking of the NHL playoffs and the Preakness Stakes, NBC has not learned its lesson. And they have decided not to be any nicer to the NHL.

Today's game 5 of the Western Conference final between Dallas and Detroit is set for a 1:30 eastern time start. NBC has announced that, just like last year, it will switch its coverage from hockey to horseracing at 4:30, regardless of the status of the hockey game. If the game ends in regulation, there won't be a problem. If, however, the game goes to overtime like last season's Sens-Sabres game 5, NBC will pull the plug at exactly 4:30. Viewers will have to switch over to Versus. Unless they're in a hotel, which means they probably don't get Versus.

For the record, the horse race doesn't start until 6:15 eastern time. That's right. They need an hour and 45 minutes to lead into an event that will last two and a half minutes. (Refraining from obvious sex joke) They can't won't join the ridiculous pre-race coverage in progress, but they will leave what would hypothetically be an exciting game at a crucial moment.

Next season, I hope the NHL actually learns its lesson and leaves the third Saturday in May blank on the playoff schedule.

It's obvious that the reason both series took an extra day off is so both series could have a weekend afternoon (read: NBC) game. When will the league learn that this is the way NBC conducts itself? What if game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals goes past its allotted time? Will they pull the plug because Deal or No Deal needs its airtime?

I wish I was Canadian.