NHL Network brings the past to the present
By DC Sports Chick -
November 4, 2007
As a brand-new DirecTV subscriber, I was thrilled to see the NHL Network in the lineup (well, that and Boomerang). I haven't been able to watch enough of it yet, but so far, I'm fairly pleased with the programming. Some may enjoy the channel for recent game highlights, but I love watching the classic hockey games. (As I type, I'm watching the Blackhawks and Blues series from 1992.) Yesterday's lineup was an especially good one: not only were there highlights from the 1992 Canadiens - Whalers series, but the April 10, 1984 game between the Rangers and Islanders was broadcast. Glen Hanlon was in net for the Rangers, and Brent's Hockey Game Videos sums up the game:With just over a minute left in the 3rd period, and down 2-1, Rangers Head Coach Herb Brooks changes goalies - replacing Glen Hanlon with a young John Vanbiesbrouck. Back then, the NHL had a rule in place where upon a goalie change, the new goalie was allowed time to warm up, which gave the Rangers a Timeout without having to use one. The move was a wise one, as within the last minute of the 3rd period, Vanbiesbrouck was pulled for an extra attacker and Don Maloney scored to tie the game at 2, causing Overtime.Who wouldn't want to sit down and watch that for a couple of hours?
The crowd shots can't be beat, either; it's a great trip down memory lane. As much as I'm enjoying the classics, I hope they're able to show some pre-'80s games at some point. Still, it's not a bad start, and hopefully the NHL Network will be able to expand the lineup of shows eventually. Besides, who can complain about hours and hours of hockey-centric programming?
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