NHL ON NBC...UNTIL OVETIME

Well, it happened.

Game 5 of the Sabres-Ottawa series went to overtime.

So!? No big deal, right? Lots of playoff games go to OT.

Oh, this was a bit bigger deal, trust me.

Here's what happened:

The game was on NBC and started a little past 2:00 EST to accommodate the National TV carrier. The fact this potential elimination game was being played on a Saturday afternoon and not a "traditional Saturday night game" was a mastodon bone of contention for many columnists and fans north of the border, especially out west where puck drop was at 11:00 AM. Anyway, Buffalo and Ottawa can't decide the game in regulation so it heads to intermission and then a first overtime period.

This is where things get a little like a soccer mom's daytimer. NBC has a pony race on the schedule for 4:00, a little giddy-up called The Preakness. But the hockey game isn't done. Rugh-Roe, The Peacock is double-booked.

This might be an issue for some, but the Olympic network has all those subsidiary channels (MSNBC, MSNBCW, and CNBC) so just slide the game laterally to one of these, right?

Wrong. Apparently a paid programming Real Estate system, a murder mystery and a show on economics in India were too important. So what they did was move it to Versus.

Not quite the "Heidi" decision from football in 1968, but still...same network.

So the game that had to start in the middle of the day couldn't be seen to conclusion on the channel that was afforded the slot. Hmmm. Just another gallon of expensive gas to be thrown on the fire of playoff shootout debates.

Mark my words people, they're coming, and sooner than you'd think. (or want)

This game was a perfect illustration of why...And a spectacular failure of scheduling.