FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
MONTREAL CANADIENS AND BOSTON BRUINS RENEW CLASSIC RIVALRY AS THEY BATTLE FOR THE TOP SPOT IN NORTHEAST ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK’S “WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY” AT 7:30 P.M. ET
Blackhawks, Red Wings, Penguins, Bruins and Canadiens featured in Five Games over Four Days and Nights
NHL Live, Sunday Night-Wednesday Night
NHL Overtime, Monday-Friday at 11:30 p.m. ET
NEW YORK – March 26, 2013 — In one of sports’ classic rivalries, Brian Gionta and the Montreal Canadiens (45pts) travel to TD Garden in Boston, Mass. to take on Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins (45pts) in a head-to-head battle for the top spot in the Northeast Division, on NBC Sports Network’s Wednesday Night Rivalry at 7:30 p.m. ET. Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk, and ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call the game.
Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live, NBC Sports Group’s NHL pregame show. Liam McHugh hosts NHL Live from Studio 2 at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., and will be joined by analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.
PIERRE MCGUIRE ON CANADIENS-BRUINS: “The Bruins will try to get physical against the quick and skilled Canadiens. Emotion usually plays a big role in this rivalry. Because of the intensity they bring to the arena, the fans for both teams help make this one of the best rivalries in all of sports. Even though the players change year to year, Montreal and Boston is always must-see TV.”
JEREMY ROENICK ON CANADIENS-BRUINS: “Montreal and Boston have emerged as the two best teams in the Northeast, but many are wondering if the Canadiens can remain in the top spot. There is never any love lost between these two teams, and the rivalry has become even more heated this season because of the physical nature of the Canadiens and Bruins previous meetings in 2013.”
In addition to NBC Sports Network’s Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup between the Canadiens and Bruins, NBC and NBC Sports Network will also deliver coverage of four other games over three days and nights, beginning Sunday: Chicago Blackhawks-Detroit Red Wings, Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC; Boston Bruins–Buffalo Sabres, Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network; Colorado Avalanche–Detroit Red Wings, Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network; and Buffalo Sabres–Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.
BLACKHAWKS-RED WINGS SUNDAY
NHL on NBC coverage will continue on Sunday, March 31 at 12:30 p.m. ET with a classic Central Division matchup between the league-leading Chicago Blackhawks (51pts), who started the season with a record-breaking 22-game point streak, and the Detroit Red Wings (39pts) who are currently in second place in the division. The Blackhawks and Red Wings have split their two previous meetings this season, with both games ending in 2-1 final scores. Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will call the action from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.
BRUINS–SABRES SUNDAY NIGHT
Sunday night on NBC Sports Network, the Boston Bruins (45pts) will travel to the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY., to take on the Buffalo Sabres (30pts) at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Bruins are tied with the Canadiens for the top spot in the Northeast and will look to capitalize against the Sabres, who are struggling to remain in the playoff race. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will call the game.
AVALANCHE-RED WINGS MONDAY NIGHT
Monday, April 1, the Detroit Red Wings will host the Colorado Avalanche (26pts) at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Emrick (play-by-play) and McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will call the game from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.
SABRES-PENGUINS TUESDAY NIGHT
On Tuesday, April 2, Sidney Crosby and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins (50pts) will take the ice against the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30 p.m. ET. on NBC Sports Network. The Penguins have won 12 consecutive games and are chasing the Blackhawks for the top spot in the league. If the Penguins continue their current win streak, the team will enter its game against Buffalo having won 15 straight games, tied for second most in the history of the NHL (‘82-83 New York Islanders). A win against the Sabres could put Pittsburgh one game shy of tying the record for most consecutive wins in the history of the league (‘92-93 Pittsburgh Penguins – 17 games). Strader (play-by-play) and Engblom (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will call the action from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
NHL LIVE and NHL OVERTIME
NHL studio programming throughout the 2013 season will originate from NBC Sports Group’s new, state-of-the-art International Broadcast Center located in Stamford, Conn. NHL Live, NBC Sports Network’s pregame show, will air prior to every game, usually beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
NHL Overtime airs Monday-Friday nights at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. NHL Overtime is hosted by Bill Patrick and former NHL C Jeremy Roenick. NHL Overtime examines all NHL games played each night and features news, highlights, and analysis.
NBC Sports Network’s Upcoming Hockey Schedule (all times ET, subject to change):
| DATE | GAME |
TIME (ET) |
NETWORK |
| Wed., Mar. 27 | NHL Live |
6:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Wed., Mar. 27 | Montreal at Boston |
7:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Wed., Mar. 27 | NHL Overtime |
11:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Sun., Mar. 31 | Chicago at Detroit | 12:30 p.m. |
NBC |
| Sun., Mar. 31 | NHL Live |
6:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Sun., Mar. 31 | Boston at Buffalo |
7:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Mon., April 1 | NHL Live |
6:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Mon., April 1 | Colorado at Detroit |
7:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Mon., April 1 | NHL Overtime |
11:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Tues., April 2 | NHL Live |
6:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Tues., April 2 | Buffalo at Pittsburgh |
7:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
| Tues., April 2 | NHL Overtime |
11:30 p.m. |
NBCSN |
NHL VIEWERSHIP:
Through eight games, NHL coverage on NBC has drawn 1.7 million average viewers, up 31% from 2012 (1.3 million, excluding Winter Classic). Through 34 games, NBC Sports Network has drawn 433,000 average viewers, up 30% from the full regular-season average in 2012.
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