When I’m watching a game and I have no real rooting interest in who wins and loses there is only one thing I want, and that’s to be entertained.
Whether I’m watching hockey, football, baseball, soccer — at home or at an arena or stadium — I want that experience to be worth my time or money, or both.
I can’t say that was the case after watching the first two games of the Ottawa Senators-Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Eastern Conference Final.
Entertaining? No.
Was there a moment or two that was exciting? Maybe a couple, tops.
Whether it was Ottawa’s stingy game plan in splitting the first two games of the series in Pittsburgh or the Penguins inability to capitalize on the few chances they had, Games 1 and 2 were disappointing in terms of entertainment value.
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Forget about back and forth action with plenty of scoring chances and a handful of lead changes, there was none of that.
So when Game 3, in Canada’s capital, started Wednesday night I was fully expecting to receive another dose of ho-hum hockey.
But the Senators took it to the Pens from puck drop and blitzed their way to a 4-0 first-period lead and ultimately a 5-1 victory, and 2-1 series edge.
It was an exciting opening frame, but because Ottawa basically put things in cruise control after their torrid start, periods two and three looked more like Games 1 and 2.
You can’t win ’em all, I guess.
Rick Zamperin is an Assistant Program/News/Senior Sports Director at AM900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.
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