Hockey's television ratings often barely beat bowling. Even in the age of high-definition TVs the size of tractor trailers, it's too hard to follow the puck. Or so say hockey haters. At least you can see the bowling ball.

But no one's following the puck when a network shows replays of year-old NBA games instead of live hockey, something that happens all too often when Capital Region residents try to watch their favorite NHL teams.

This season, the NHL is blacking out a total of 72 Rangers, Devils and Islanders broadcasts locally; the list of unavailable games includes two between the Rangers and Devils, which means twice we don't get to watch the area's most popular team face the team whose minor-league affiliate plays in downtown Albany.

The reason, an NHL spokesman explained via email, is that the Albany area is considered part of four teams' territories: the Rangers, Islanders, Devils and Sabres'. When Buffalo is home, the league's broadcast rules say, the other three teams are blacked out. As many as 50 Rangers games can be broadcast locally; the Devils and Islanders are allowed 41.

For the Sabres, whose record is 2-9-1, we see all 82 games. With no disrespect to those who grew up idolizing Gilbert Perreault and Pat LaFontaine, televising the Sabres 32 more times than the Rangers makes as much sense as a square puck.

This past Friday, Sabres president Ted Black told fans during his weekly radio show: "It's going to be difficult to stomach the short run. The fans that follow this team, they signed up for this team, they signed up for a rough road." In other words, even Buffalo fans are better off not watching.

Besides, why would hockey — the American sports landscape's equivalent of the last kid chosen in every pick-up game — make it MORE inconvenient for fans to watch the sport? Why not just give us all 82 games for all four teams?

I asked a league spokesman that follow-up question, but he didn't respond.

We can reasonably assume, though, that the league is trying help the smallest of those markets, Buffalo, grow its fan base. But the problem is, there are six NHL teams with arenas closer to Albany than Buffalo's. The NHL may be cultivating a region of Sabres fans, but it's also driving Rangers, Devils and Islanders fans mad.

The NHL is probably protecting is national interests, too. With games available on NBC Sports and the NHL Network, the league probably doesn't want to divide the Capital Region's hockey audience among too many broadcasts on any given night.

The NHL points out that fans can get around the blackout rule by ordering the "Center Ice" package, which at $159.96 gives access to almost every game.

But a lot of hockey fans have a hard time swallowing the idea of ordering an extra package to watch the Rangers 32 times a year when they already pay for MSG, the network that carries all the games.

We all know hockey has inherent TV issues. The sport doesn't translate all that well to the screen. The speed and power falls flat when you're not sitting rink side, your face pressed against the Plexiglas, feeling the boards vibrate with every hit.

But the league should be catering to its core audience, the diehards who'd watch games on an Etch A Sketch, if that were the only option.

The NHL should be giving its fans more hockey, not less. Don't make it even harder to follow the puck.

piorizzo@timesunion.com • 518-454-5425 • @peteiorizzo