The Hull truth can be hard to handle

The rest of the Stanley Cup finals will be televised by NBC, and that’s a good thing because everyone with a television set gets that network, unlike Versus.

That also means the NBC studio team that includes Brett Hull now becomes involved, and to Ducks fans that might not be such a good thing.

When last seen, during Game 5 of the previous series against the Detroit Red Wings, Hull was calling the Ducks “terrible.”

Among the critics to jump on Hull was Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Noting Hull played for the Red Wings for three seasons, 2001-2004, Panaccio wrote that his rants during the series “embarrassed the network because they’re weighted in bias. Frankly, Hull has been ... well ... terrible.”

Hull, who retired in October 2005 as the NHL’s No. 3 all-time scorer after 20 seasons in the league -- 11 with the St. Louis Blues -- is now an executive with the Dallas Stars. When reached on his cellphone, Hull said he still has friends on the Red Wings but denied any bias.

“People don’t listen,” he said. “They hear what they want to hear. I said the Ducks played awful, and they did play awful even though they won that game. That’s all that mattered, that they won the game.

“I said if they play the same way in the next two games, the Red Wings have to be saying, ‘I like our chances.’ ”

The Ducks, of course, went on to win Game 6 against the Red Wings and now lead the Ottawa Senators, two games to none, in the finals.

“I like the Ducks,” Hull said. “I picked them to win this series before it started.

“The thing now is the Ducks have to stay out of the penalty box. Five on five, they dominate when they have the puck.”

And he sees goaltending as a key, singling out the Ducks’ Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

“Ray Emery has played terrific for Ottawa, but Anaheim has the huge edge in Giguere,” Hull said.

Meanwhile, Versus, which televised the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals, might have distribution problems -- only 50% of the 3 million cable households in the Los Angeles market get it -- but the network has been praised by hockey fans and critics for the production values of its coverage.

Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Providence wrote that U.S. viewers have been “well-served” by Versus. Versus’ game announcers, Mike “Doc” Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, are well-respected and, coincidentally, they are also NBC’s game announcers.

NBC announced Thursday that a new online, interactive service will be available during game broadcasts at nbcsports.com/screenshot. Also, the NBC telecasts will be available to mobile viewers through Verizon on NBC2Go.

Short Waves

Former “Monday Night Football” sideline reporter Lisa Guerrero, now a correspondent for “Inside Edition,” is co-executive producer along with husband and former major league pitcher Scott Erickson of a yet-to-be-released feature film, “A Plumm Summer,” which is based on a true story. Guerrero also stars in the film along with Henry Winkler and Billy Baldwin. The movie, rated PG, is about the host of a children’s show in Montana, Happy Herb, played by Winkler, whose puppet, Froggy Doo, was kidnapped in 1968.

Sports anchor Alan Massengale, who also was host of the Lakers’ pregame show on KCAL Channel 9, did not have his contract renewed. Massengale said he had a great run at the station and holds no hard feelings. “It was simply a business decision,” he said. “I have tremendous respect for general manager Don Corsini.”

Former Lakers announcer Paul Sunderland, returning to his volleyball roots, will be announcing the FIBV world championships over the next seven weeks. The telecasts go to about 70 countries, but not the U.S. Sunderland said the assignment will first take him to Portland, Ore., then to such faraway places as Poland, Japan, Argentina and Rome. “I’ll be putting in about 70,000 air miles over six weeks and not spending more than four days in any one place,” he said.

For the first time, the state CIF track championships will be getting live television coverage in Southern California. The meet at Sacramento’s Hughes Stadium will be on FSN Prime Ticket Saturday at 5 p.m. Executive producer Tom Feuer, a track expert, will be the analyst alongside announcer Jim Watson. Lindsay Soto will be there as a reporter.

Recommended viewing: You may think you know the story of Barbaro, but you won’t want to miss the HBO documentary on the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Wednesday at 10 p.m. The story is beautifully told in typical HBO fashion.

Before the HBO documentary, on HRTV’s “Inside Information” program Sunday at 6 p.m., will be a series of interviews with Dean Richardson, the veterinary surgeon who treated Barbaro over an eight-month period.

Ratings game: In Los Angeles, last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 -- despite a three-hour rain delay -- out-rated the NASCAR race later that day, 3.8 to 1.7. But nationally, the NASCAR race edged Indy, 4.5 to 4.3. ... Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals got a disappointing 0.9 rating in L.A., down from a 1.7 for Game 1. The national rating was a 0.6.

No fortuneteller: Pat Sajak was among those who spoke at last Friday’s ceremony honoring Stu Nahan as the longtime sportscaster got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sajak said Nahan advised him in 1981 to not leave Channel 4 to take a job as the host of a new game show, “Wheel of Fortune.” Sajak said Nahan told him, “What will you do in 13 weeks after that game show is canceled?”

larry.stewart@latimes.com