The 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs started tonight in an auspicious manner.

First game, first overtime.

Flyers rally to beat Penguins 4-3 in overtime

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jakub Voracek has no idea how good the Philadelphia Flyers could be if they played 60 full minutes, or beyond.

At the moment, it’s hardly necessary.

Voracek beat Marc-Andre Fleury from in close 2:23 into overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

“‘It was a lucky bounce for me but I’ll take it,” Voracek said after scoring his first career playoff goal.

So will the hardworking staff, which (full disclosure) has been a made Rangers fan since the age of twelve, when we ventured to the old Madison Square Garden, sat in the side balcony, and saw roughly two-thirds of the ice.

But soaked up three-thirds of the sport.

Something others might also do this year, according to the Wall Street Journal:

Hockey Night in… America?

As hockey’s playoffs begin Wednesday, the NHL believes the stage is set. The time is now. Finally, the league is poised to get what it has never had: a lot of people talking about hockey in April. At least some of whom don’t end every sentence with the word “eh” . . .

For the first time in the NHL’s 95-year history, every playoff game will be televised nationally, with most of the games appearing on networks that are available in at least 80% of homes with cable TV. And the league may be ripe for growth. NHL telecasts on NBC’s channels reached 14.9 million viewers this year, up 14% from last season.

Eh?