from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

Certainly someone should have seen this coming: An NHL playoffs dominated by non-tradtional markets.

And as much as commissioner Gary Bettman might want to pat himself on the back for making hockey viable in such places, there has to be concern when hockey's biggest markets tune out.

Consider:

-All of the Canadian teams are out.
-All of the Original Six teams are out.
-Buffalo, which cares about the NHL as much as any city, is out.
-All of the big markets are out. Unless you count the New York Islanders as a big market. Don't think New Yorkers do, but, okay.

So who's watching? We'll give the Islanders a share of the biggest TV market in the United States.

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