NHL botches Flyers-Rangers playoff schedule

In a way, the NHL spit in the faces of the Flyers and New York Rangers when it released its Stanley Cup playoff schedule Sunday.

But, hey, it DID manage to get the teams onto national TV on consecutive Sundays!

The Flyers-Rangers schedule is a joke, mostly because if the series goes the limit, the teams will play Games 6 and 7 on consecutive nights at different arenas. Oh, and if the series goes the distance, the last three games will be played over four nights.

But, hey, two big-market teams will be on national TV on consecutive Sundays!

What a sham.

If this series goes seven games, the winner will be worn down by the condensed schedule and will be at a severe disadvantage in the next round against the Pittsburgh-Columbus survivor.

The Penguins and Blue Jackets do not have any games scheduled on back-to-back nights. In fact, none of the other seven playoff series have teams playing on consecutive nights, let alone three games in four nights.

The NHL, which somehow has 16 teams in one conference and 14 in the other, continues to shoot itself in the foot.

The league doesn't care. After all, the Flyers and Rangers figure to get big national TV ratings, and, sadly, that's all that seems to matter to commissioner Gary Bettman and his sidekicks.

Here's the full schedule for Flyers-Rangers:

Game 1: Thursday, April 17 at New York, 7:00 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, April 20 at New York, 12:00 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, April 22 at Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m.
Game 4: Friday, April 25 at Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m.
Game 5*: Sunday, April 27 at New York, 12:00 p.m.
Game 6*: Tuesday, April 29 at Philadelphia, TBA
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 30 at New York, TBA

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.