Lord Stanley vs. Larry O

So, last night while I wasn't watching Chris Carpenter outclass the Cincinnati Reds I flipped between Game One of the NBA Finals and Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals.

I don't know how many more viewers tuned into the NBA Finals than did the NHL Finals, but I don't have to know; the difference was undoubtedly sizable. That said, I would submit to you the hockey game was far more exciting than was the basketball game.

While the Los Angeles Lakers were steamrolling the grossly overmatched Orlando Magic the Pittsburgh Penguins were fighting valiantly to even the series against the odds-on favorite Detroit Red Wings.

I'm not here to break down Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals; I'm nowhere near qualified to do so. (Which is part of the problem, by the way, there aren't nearly enough people in the sports media qualified to speak intelligently on the NHL so the coverage sucks.) What I am here to tell you, however, is that game last night was one of the three most exciting playoff games I've seen all postseason in any sport.

This is thanks in no small part to the atmosphere inside Mellon Arena last night. In the middle of the second period, trailing by a single goal, the Penguins netted three goals in about six minutes, one of which was shorthanded, to take a 4-2 lead in a game they'd eventually win by that very score.

Furthermore, I was impressed by the camera work done by Versus. Hockey is probably the one sport where the fan experience is enhanced greatly by attending the game versus watching it on television. In fact, watching hockey on television can sometimes be, to be fair, downright painful. The camera angles make it difficult to follow the puck and about half the ice is completely lost to the TV audience.

This was not my experience last night. The camera work done by the Versus crew made watching the game totally enjoyable.

Of course, this all goes back to the quality of the game itself, which was outstanding. The fans were raucous and the Penguins clearly responded to that electricity which was so palpable that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up after the Pittsburgh scored its fourth goal.

It should be noted that I have no real rooting interest in the Stanley Cup Finals. I can find reasons to pull for and against both teams, so I'm simply watching the games as a sports junkie who loves competition.

Chances are, you have no real rooting interest in the Stanley Cup Finals, either. If that's the case I would implore you to tune in anyway, just for the sport of it. There aren't words to describe the insanity that ensues when a home team nets a goal in an important playoff game. The NHL has a (relatively) small but extremely loyal following and this group of people take their hockey very seriously and it clearly shows.

I'm not out to start some kind of anti-NBA Finals campaign here. I'm really not. The NBA Finals certainly have fascinating storylines and a little something for everyone. And I'm sure that for the remaining four games before the Lakers win the thing, the Finals will have great ratings and everyone will love it.

Just take a second though and flip on the Stanley Cup Finals, sit back and enjoy the spectacle.

Just don't be alarmed when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up after a Sydney Crosby goal.