The deciding game of the Eastern Conference Finals was deemed less important than an hour-long prerace show for The Preakness.
Yes, it was bound to happen eventually, but NBC cut away from Game 5 of the Senators/Sabres series at the end of regulation to America could watch Tom Hammond and company talk about a horse race. The game was switched to Versus, where it finished on a game winning goal in overtime that sent Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Obviously, The Preakness is a much bigger ratings draw than the NHL. Last year, the race itself (the portion from 5:45 to 6:15) drew a 6.6 rating, compared to the 1.0 rating for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes. Still, the prerace portion (which drew a 3.9 rating last year) should not be considered more important than the ending of an Stanley Cup Playoff game.
The most insulting aspect of this decision for NHL fans should be the fact that NBC cut away at around 4:40 PM ET, when there was still 20 minutes left in the NHL’s coverage window (from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM). NBC likely thought it would be less painful for NHL fans to switch away at intermission than to switch away during overtime. Still, to leave a hockey game in progress, twenty minutes before the scheduled ending time — for the purposes of a horse racing pregame show — is a low moment for NBC Sports.
