Sportsfrog.com

There’s perhaps more to Rick DiPietro’s 56 save effort last night. There’s perhaps more to the Rangers spirited and thrilling shootout victory over the Islanders that pulled them up to just 2 points out of a playoff spot.

Last night’s NYI vs NYR game brought back a few thoughts of what would happen if the NHL more regularly featured one game, on one night, across all of North America.

See, the NHL is a regional sport. There’s no equivalent to America’s Team. And while most of English speaking Canada has to deal with hearing about the Leafs, few actually like the team. Obviously in the US, no one team’s popularity supersedes its geography. Loyalties live and die by kilometers and miles.

In line with that thinking, the NHL (under the supreme leadership of Gary Bettman these last 14 years) regularly fuels the regional fire.

But what would happen if one night a week, one game was played? How bad of an idea would it be? Sure, we already have Hockey Night in Canada, and that’s a great experience. There are few things in the sport better than watching a full slate of games. Except maybe watching just one. Having the hockey world focus on one. Having all 146,999 tv outlets that cover the sport take a day off and leave the work to one. Sunday Night Baseball. Monday Night Football. Wednesday Night Hockey.

Sure there will be dud games, just like there are in MNF and SNB. But then there will be games like last night’s Islanders – Rangers match. Both teams fighting for a playoff birth; one slightly more inspired than the other. Both teams regional rivals, on an international stage. The game wasn’t a great one. But it was damn good. And since it was the only one, all eyes were focused on Madison Square Garden. It turned out that the whole thing was pretty great.