The NBA can’t compete with the NHL.

Professional basketball may draw bigger ratings and have bigger stars, but in terms of excitement, it simply cannot compete up with professional hockey.

Both leagues have reached their respective conference finals and are mere days away from championship finals, but as all four series are shaping up and entering the home stretch there are two very different story lines.

In basketball, the Warriors and Cavaliers have each taken commanding series leads over their respective opponents, as expected. Some of the games have been closely matched, but none have been the edge-of-your-seat drama playoff sports are all about.

Grantland’s Ryan O’Hanlon summed up the Cavaliers series against the Atlanta Hawks series earlier this week simply stating, “We’re not having fun yet.”

For the Warriors, the Houston Rockets have poised a little more fight than many expected; however, Golden State has still come away with three victories in four contests, as they were expected to do.

Meanwhile in the ratingless abyss that is NBC Sports, all but 7 of the 10 games have been decided by one goal and four of those have gone to overtime.

As I write this, the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks are locked in a 3-2 series that matches up contrasting styles as well as any fan could ever hope.

In the Eastern Conference the No. 1 ranked New York Rangers trail an explosive Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2.

The storylines are everywhere: Has Tampa Bay figured out Henrik Lundqvist? Can Chicago keep winning with only four defenseman? Where has Steve Stamkos’ game gone and will it reappear anytime soon?

And the games have been filled with edge-of-your-seat, scream-your-head-off fandom moments that seem to just keep getting better.

Even the New York Rangers drag out, slow the game style has been exciting as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s electric forwards have continually bull rushed of the best defenses in hockey.

The parity in the NHL is truly great and makes for some good TV.

The NHL may never get the ratings the NBA gets in this country but if you find yourself in front of a TV in the next few weeks maybe leaving the hockey game on for a minutes might not be the worst idea. You are already on the couch you might as well enjoy wasting life’s valuable time while you are there.
In terms of excitement and entertainment, the NBA simply can’t compete right now.