Euro 2008 ESPN Assignments

Thanks to Timmy B on The506 forums for helping me out (he knows some guys) for the first couple of weeks of some of the Euro 2008 commentating pairs live from glorious BRISTOL, CT, off of a monitor…..:(

Saturday 6/07
11:50 a.m.- Switzerland vs. Czech Republic A (ESPN Classic) – [b]Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Portugal vs. Turkey A (ESPN Classic) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Sunday 6/08
11:50 a.m.- Austria vs. Croatia B (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Germany vs. Poland B (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Monday 6/09
11:50 a.m.- Romania vs. France C (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Netherlands vs. Italy C (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Tuesday 6/10
11:50 a.m.- Spain vs. Russia D (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Greece vs. Sweden D (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe

Wednesday 6/11
11:50 a.m.- Czech Republic vs. Portugal A (ESPN2)  - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Switzerland vs. Turkey A (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe

Thursday 6/12
11:50 a.m.- Croatia vs. Germany B (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Austria vs. Poland B (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe

Friday 6/13
11:50 a.m.- Italy vs. Romania C (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Netherlands vs. France C (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Saturday 6/14
11:50 a.m.- Sweden vs. Spain D (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Greece vs. Russia D (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Sunday 6/15
2:30 p.m.- Switzerland vs. Portugal A (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Turkey vs. Czech Republic A (ESPN) – Derek Rae and Andy Gray

Monday 6/16
2:30 p.m.- Poland vs. Croatia B (ESPN Classic) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Austria vs. Germany B (ESPN) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Tuesday 6/17
2:30 p.m.- Netherlands vs. Romania C (ESPN Classic) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- France vs. Italy C (ESPN) Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Wednesday 6/18
2:30 p.m.- Greece vs. Spain D (ESPN) – Adrian Healey and TBD
2:30 p.m.- Russia vs. Sweden D (ESPN2) – Derek Rae and TBD

Quarterfinals
Thursday 6/19 2:30 p.m. – Portugal vs. 2B (ESPN) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray
Friday 6/20 2:30 p.m. – Croatia vs. Turkey (ESPN) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
Saturday 6/21 2:30 p.m. – Netherlands vs. 2D (ABC) – Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
Sunday 6/22 2:55 p.m. – Spain vs. 2C (ESPN) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Semifinals
Wednesday 6/25 2:30 p.m. – Germany vs. Turkey (ESPN) – Derek Rae and Andy Gray
Thursday 6/26 2:30 p.m. – Spain vs. Russia (ESPN2) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Finals
Sunday 6/29 2:30 p.m. – Title Match (ABC) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Sunday 6/29

2:30 PM Final (ABC) – Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Penguins Stun Red Wings in Triple Overtime

That’s all I can come up with. About 110 minutes of hockey, 7 goals, and Petr Sykora saying he would score the winner. Detroit was just 1:00 away from winning their first Stanley Cup in 5 years after rallying from 2-0 down to take a 3-2 lead, and instead allowed Max Talbot to tie it with 34.3 to go in regulation.

The next 2 OT’s were grueling battles, some great defensive plays, and great saves by Marc Andre-Fleury and Chris Osgood. It was Fleury however who had to make over 50 saves and over 20 alone in the OT sessions. Pittsburgh was on the defensive as they were unable to clear the puck from their own zone most of the time, and stringing 2 simple passes together was a challenge. That strong Wings defense forced giveaways, shoot-ins that would end up failing, yet somehow Pittsburgh survived. They even had the better of their few and far between chances.

Twice they hit the goalpost and in the 3rd OT, Petr Sykora scores a power play goal after a high-sticking major penalty on Detroit, and at 11:51 PM in Detroit, the Stanley Cup still had not yet been won. Wednesday night could either be Detroit storming back with Pavel Datsyuk leading the way and winning the Cup on the road, or the Pens fans in their home finale will see Sidney Crosby and company tie the series and make it 1 win away from one of the great Stanley Cup comebacks of all time.