Sitting in a chair well off camera, you can hear Schuman’s messages to Buccigross coming through a machine that another production staffer controls in the studio. They call it a McCurdy machine, but really it’s just a comms machine that allows for two-way talk backs.
A note is passed to Buccigross during the Panthers-Ducks shootout indicating it’s the first time on Frozen Frenzy they have had two shootouts. The other was in the Penguins-Flyers game.
What you also don’t see is that under the coffee table in front of the hosts is Buccigross’ Celsius energy drink. The chicken parm is coming out next, a special delivery from Ocal.
Two games left to start
With 14 of 16 games having started, during a break at 10:11 p.m. p.m. ET they’re talking about the two that haven’t started and discussing mentioning those games, especially the game live on ESPN, which is San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.
There is a push tonight to honor Hockey Fights Cancer and Schuman is giving Buccigross a message that they’re going to Rogers Arena in Vancouver, where they’re doing a celebration of Hockey Fights Cancer.
As the break continues, the Colorado Avalanche score against the New Jersey Devils to go up 3-0, but it’s under review.
They’re back, going to Vancouver, and out of this they’re going to Game 8.
Game 8 is Minnesota Wild vs the Winnipeg Jets. Each game is on its own box across two screens labeled 1-16 in order of start time.
When the game ends, the box it was assigned to goes dark.
At this point, approaching 10:30 p.m. ET, six boxes are dark, eight are active with games, one has a pregame show in Seattle and one is a standing NHL on ESPN bracket. That’s the Sharks-Kings game, the last ESPN game of the night.
There are eight screens in the bottom right that are for replays; those are labeled TEAL, BLUE, PINK, YELLOW, GOLD, SILVER, LW AND R. They can queue up replays on those.
So, when Schuman says, “We’re going to Game 8, R,” it’s pretty easy to understand when you’re sitting here and you know where to look.
There are also screens labeled UTIL 1 and UTIL 2. Those are used to show special moments such as players walking in or shots from the dressing room before the game or in between periods.
For example, the Kings players recently were shown on UTIL 1 walking into SAP Center in San Jose wearing Los Angeles Dodgers jerseys.
Ready for the Commish
It’s 10:36 p.m. ET and they’re going to a commercial break just after showing Mika Zibanejad put the New York Rangers ahead 1-0 in Vancouver. The control room is abuzz as they prepare for their live interview with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
The commissioner already is on the Zoom call from home and he’s talking with Buccigross and Weekes during the commercial break. As this is getting set up, the Capitals and Stars are preparing to get the third period under way.
“It would be amazing if Ovechkin did it with Bettman on air,” Nick Licalzi says.
Bettman comes on at 10:38 p.m. ET, when the Dallas Stars and Capitals take the ice.
As Buccigross and Weekes interview Bettman, the control room is taking stock in what’s happening, including overtime starting in Minnesota, a fight in Vancouver, Ovechkin on the ice in Dallas, the Devils scoring two goals in Denver to make it 5-4, an empty-net goal for the Detroit Red Wings and the Utah Mammoth scoring in Edmonton against the Oilers.
The interview ends at 10:44 p.m. ET and they have to catch up with it all, starting with overtime on delay in Minnesota before getting to all the goals. Meanwhile, Brandon Hagel is ready to come on live from Nashville after scoring in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators.
The Lightning’s plane is taking off at 11:05 p.m. ET. Hagel is set up to come on at 10:50 p.m. ET.
Hoping to catch 900 live
Coming out of a break early in the 11 o’clock hour they want to go to their own game live, Stars-Capitals, which is also on ESPN, and the hope is that they’ll catch lightning in a bottle and get Ovechkin’s 900th goal live on the Frozen Frenzy.
Meanwhile, Connor McDavid scores in Edmonton, so Schuman says next whistle in the Capitals-Stars game they’re going to show No. 97’s goal in Edmonton, which is the 90th goal of the night.
