FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 13th, 2013

2013 STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTES & QUOTES

Game 1

NEW YORK – June 13, 2013 – NBC Sports Group began its exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final tonight with NHL Live on NBC Sports Network from 7-8 p.m. ET, followed by game coverage on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

Emmy Award-winner Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire (Inside-the-Glass analyst) called the game from United Center in Chicago, Ill.

Russ Thaler and Anson Carter anchored NHL Live from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., from 7-7:30 p.m. ET, and were joined by Jeremy Roenick, who was on site in Chicago. At 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Live moved to the United Center, and was hosted by Liam McHugh, who was joined by analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.

NHL Live (7-8 p.m. ET)

Roenick: “Watching this epic matchup, it’s going to be the physicality of the Boston Bruins against the speed of the Chicago Blackhawks.”

Jones on the most surprising element of this Final: “The fact that they (both teams) are almost completely healthy…It’s going to make for a terrific Stanley Cup Final.”

Milbury on both teams entering the Final with momentum: “Momentum is not as important. You need to re-establish it.”

Jones: “Whoever gets the momentum first in this series should be the team that ends up carrying (the Stanley Cup).”

Milbury on the Original Six matchup: “It’s a real treat.”

Game (8 p.m. ET)

Pre-Game

Emrick: “This is the last matchup of the spring, the final series, and, for the first time, it is the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.”

First Period

McGuire: “No feeling out process…You’ve got guys hitting everybody, even fourth-line players who are known more for skill than physical prowess.”

First Intermission

Milbury: “They looked to pass more often than they had to…If it’s not for (Tuukka) Rask, it may be a different outcome in this first period.”

Jones: “Their top line was outstanding…the shot blocks are the key. The Boston Bruins got in the way of an awful lot of scoring attempts by the Blackhawks. They need to shoot around them.”

Second Period

Emrick on Torey Krug’s hit on Andrew Shaw: “Torey Krug, not a large guy, but a big hit.”

McGuire on Bruins clogging the middle of the ice: “We saw the Bruins do this to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It drives them crazy.”

Emrick: “Aided by power plays, the Blackhawks attacked, could not tie it up.”

Second Intermission

Milbury on Blackhawks efforts on 5-3 power play: “Poor design. Poor execution…They deserve to not have any good scoring opportunities on these five-on-threes, five-on-fours, because their execution was just awful.”

Third Period

McGuire on Brad Marchand and Andrew Shaw: “Two awesome super-pests in this series.”

Emrick: “The advantage that Shaw has is the same that a second-grader does confronting a sixth-grader on the playground. He’s not going to probably bother with me, but, boy, can I make life miserable for him.”

Olczyk game tied at 3-3: “Threes are wild in the third.”

First Overtime Intermission

Jones: “Heavy game from both teams – shot blocks, body contact, going to the high-traffic areas. Really impressive hockey. You can see why these teams are going to battle for the championship.”

First Overtime

Emrick after a number of scoring chances: “Enough excitement here for you?”

Emrick: “What sacrifice here in OT…what wonderful action in both ends.”

Emrick: “Rebounds are starting to be left by fatigued goaltenders.”

Second Overtime Intermission

Jones: “The chances were outrageous…I’ll stay here all night to watch overtime hockey like that.”

McHugh: “It’s an Original Six Stanley Cup showdown. We’re heading to double overtime.”

Second Overtime

McGuire: “Fatigue is becoming a very real part of this exercise for both teams right now.”

Olczyk on Blackhawks penalty for too many men on the ice: “When you’re tired and fatigued, mistakes happen.”

Emrick: “And the horn sounds and the Blackhawks have survived a short-hand situation.”

Third Overtime Intermission

Milbury: “A much more, under control, second overtime.”

Third Overtime

Emrick: “I think practice tomorrow is cancelled.”

Emrick: “A deflection in front, and it’s over.”

Olczyk: “A double-deflection ends it for the Blackhawks.”

Post-Game

Milbury on Bruins blowing two-goal lead: “They will live to regret it.”

Roenick: “This is going to be one heck of a final.”

McHugh: “We felt a special kind of energy tonight in this building. It’s the type of energy when enjoyment meets anxiety.”

–NBC SPORTS GROUP—