Both methods worked, and ESPN proved that not all broadcasts have to be the same to be successful. She offered the traditional in-game insight from the position, sharing colour responsibilities with Boucher. The strategy was different in the second game, where Mleczko was featured between the benches. It's an interesting way to add context, and certainly something that could be extremely effective if done right - which should be the expectation with Kaplan. Kaplan told stories that lived outside of what was happening between the whistles from that position, which is an aspect we haven't really seen in hockey. Instead, the network is using that spot (at least with its top broadcast team) for a very common technique employed by ESPN, which is basic sideline reporting. The most interesting bit of innovation was ESPN's decision to slot Kaplan between the benches, or a spot normally reserved for breaking down the happenings of the game at ice level by a traditional colour analyst. Overall, the in-game teams were stronger than the panels, but that might be expected on opening night. Mleczko, seemed to form immediate chemistry with Buccigross on the late game. Meanwhile two of NBC's strongest talents, Brian Boucher and A.J. The lead broadcast duo is supported from ice level by ESPN's top NHL insider, Emily Kaplan, who provided off-beat colour from between the benches. With Sean McDonough and Ray Ferraro, the network has one of the most talented play-by-play broadcasters in the industry and the best colour analyst in hockey. The strength, though, is in the talent ESPN recruited to fill in the gaps.

What a laser from Geekie!! #GeekSquad /ji8bW3792Z ESPN's new theme song is universally loved, and the composer deserved the shine he received as the tune spent all these years on the shelf. Still, it remains an example of the might ESPN possesses and what the network can make happen when it chooses to do so.Д«ut as big as Bieber is, it was the story he told that really resonated with hockey fans. Bieber himself is uniquely connected to the sport as a super fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a super friend of the team's star centre, Auston Matthews.

Here are four takeaways from Night 1 of the NHL on ESPN: Star powerД®SPN both flexed its muscle and tapped into the nostalgia, recruiting pop star Justin Bieber to tell the origin story of the network's iconic NHL on ESPN theme song with its opening tease for the broadcast and season. But after a highly successful debut broadcast and opening-night doubleheader in Tampa Bay and Las Vegas, it seems obvious that the league is indeed in good hands. However, with nearly two decades between broadcasts and so much on ESPN's plate as it is, there was some worry about what this relationship would look like, at least out of the shoot. Its neglect has hurt the league to this point, and its renewed interest is the biggest thing that's happened to it in a long, long time. As reputable and as powerful as NBC is and remains, the league had to return to ESPN, and the big show, in order to take that next step as a brand and to further legitimize the sport.Д®SPN is the most powerful machine in sports broadcasting. NHL fans had waited many years for a night like Tuesday night. The NHL's return to ESPN should be viewed as a success.

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