GDT: Devils @ Canes Game 1: Back to the Future

Chrispy

Salakuljettaja's Blues
Feb 25, 2009
8,327
26,812
Cary, NC
Yeah, I have to agree that Biz can actually be funny.

Subban was only funny IMO when he was talking about hockey player fashion the first few times.

Biz always finds new material.

Even after saying all this, Subban still has more personality than most of his peers on national hockey broadcasts. Maybe with some more experience, he can find a good balance with being entertaining, but also providing fair and insightful commentary (I'm thinking about his NJ bias last night).
Interesting. Because I’ve heard more actual commentary from Subban than Biz in these segments. Biz seems to keep that hockey bro personality going full time. Subban as you said needs to temper his personality a bit but he seems to have more insightful drop ins than Biz, who appears to be there to react to TNT’s other talking heads.

I think a few people mentioned it last night, and let me just say I think Ray Ferraro is the best in the business, but the amount of times he called us the Devils last night was bizarre and concerning. Like just completely randomly “and that’s what the Devils do, they swarm on the forecheck”, and you’d be like “really?” and the longer he talked you realized he was talking about the Canes all along. And then he called us the Devils again. And then again. And then like the 4th time I started thinking “what is wrong with this guy?” Almost felt like he was making good on a dare or something.
The one that really caught me was “the Devils led the NHL in defenseman scoring this season(I thought that was Carolina!?) and they get one from Pesce here (Oh.)”
 

LakeLivin

Armchair Quarterback
Mar 11, 2016
4,727
13,623
North Carolina
Biz? Gotta respect someone who would get this haircut in order to satisfy a bet. :cheers:

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Sigurd

Slavin, our Lord and Saver (AKA Extra Goalie)
Feb 4, 2018
1,839
5,273
North Carolina
Interesting. Because I’ve heard more actual commentary from Subban than Biz in these segments. Biz seems to keep that hockey bro personality going full time. Subban as you said needs to temper his personality a bit but he seems to have more insightful drop ins than Biz, who appears to be there to react to TNT’s other talking heads.
Well, I wouldn't say Biz typically is one of the top tier guys for insights based on what times I've watched and heard him; although he can flip the switch and be down to business when he wants (which isn't all the time obviously).

My point is there needs to be a balance between being entertaining, and insightful and fair. Basically, knowing when to wear the appropriate hat moment to moment.

More specifically, Subban has a big personality and wearing his heart on his sleeve and that's a big part of his appeal, but he shouldn't let that get in the way of being a supposed neutral commentator; he isn't a NJ broadcaster and shouldn't let his bias be so obnoxious that it hurts his credibility.
The one that really caught me was “the Devils led the NHL in defenseman scoring this season(I thought that was Carolina!?) and they get one from Pesce here (Oh.)”
I must've missed that and some of Ray's other mistakes. I was probably distracted with a conversation.

Man, the NHL has a problem with their national broadcasters. For one thing, they should've immediately hired John Forslund to be their play by play announcer for the national games, and basically take over from Doc. Although maybe John wanted to stay in one city a lot for home games (Seattle) and not travel constantly.
 

Stubu

Registered User
Dec 16, 2015
4,097
4,758
F.
The bottom line is the way our PK is playing the Canes are very very hard to beat at home, Since we have home ice in any series we play the rest of the SCP it's even more essential not to allow a team to steal a home game from us in one or two, the PK is 21/22 (1 second from being perfect) In my opinion there are no elite goalies left and it's wide open.
Talk to to me like I haven't been lurking here for a decade. Fool.
 

Identity404

I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious
Nov 5, 2005
2,768
6,781
Washington DC
Turns out, it was E. the announcers weren't bad, but the studio was unbearable with PK Subban going super fan boy over New Jersey.

What was worse is that Subban's fellow commentators in the studio were worn down by him and they started to favor NJ by the 2nd intermission after they previously were trying to reign in Subban's obnoxious fanboyism in the 1st intermission (see "missed calls" they discussed in the 2nd intermission), but I guess because NJ had a better 2nd period and scored a goal, they were gonna appease him.

The play by play announcer and color commentator, on the other hand, overall weren't bad (certainly compared to what we've had before nationally) and actually had nice things to say about Carolina versus PK Subban's therapy sessions as a huge NJ fan on a national broadcast.
Yeah, i was pleasantly surprised by the play-by-play, not just because they weren't stroking NJ's ego the whole game, but it was actually decent overall. McDonough and Ferraro are much better than the people we have been getting during the regular season.

Subban was annoying, i guess i was a bit surprised by that too because he was generally pretty knowledgeable and supportive of the canes for reg. seasons games. Didn't think he would be a huge NJ homer, just because he played there for 3 seasons.

One dude in the studio during the 2nd intermission literally changed lets go devils before cutting to break. Not sure who that was. None of this actually bothers me, but i just think it would be more professional to try to appear unbiased for national games.
 

raynman

Registered User
Jan 20, 2013
4,966
10,895
Yeah, i was pleasantly surprised by the play-by-play, not just because they weren't stroking NJ's ego the whole game, but it was actually decent overall. McDonough and Ferraro are much better than the people we have been getting during the regular season.

Subban was annoying, i guess i was a bit surprised by that too because he was generally pretty knowledgeable and supportive of the canes for reg. seasons games. Didn't think he would be a huge NJ homer, just because he played there for 3 seasons.

One dude in the studio during the 2nd intermission literally changed lets go devils before cutting to break. Not sure who that was. None of this actually bothers me, but i just think it would be more professional to try to appear unbiased for national games.
Ferraro is the best in the business in my opinion. Tells it like it is, knows his Xs and Os, and he’s not biased while telling you about the good things of each team.

My all time broadcast team would be Forslund and Ferraro with Daryl Reaugh providing some humor/commentary between the benches.
 

Anton Dubinchuk

aho
Sponsor
Jul 18, 2010
26,185
55,140
Atlanta, GA
I’d be a fool to actually predict this, but…

Major power forward winger gets hurt in March?

President’s Trophy winner out in the 1st round in a major upset?

Veteran scorer wins the first round on a harmless OT shot in Game 6?

Lindy Ruff involved in some capacity?

…would a 4-1 win in Round 2 over the New Jersey Devils be enough to really buy in to the whole “rhyme of history” thing going on here?

Ummm…. Guys….
 

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