FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 31st, 2014

PUSH FOR THE PLAYOFFS; 11 POTENTIAL PLAYOFF TEAMS & 3 DOUBLEHEADERS HIGHLIGHT 10 GAMES, MORE THAN 35 HOURS OF NHL COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN THIS WEEK

Red Wings Host Bruins in Original Six Matchup on Wednesday Night Rivalry at 8 p.m. ET, Followed by Coyotes-Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Blackhawks Host Blues in NHL Game of the Week on NBC Sunday at Noon ET

Six of Eight Top Western Conference Teams Appear on NBC and NBCSN This Week

Coverage Starts Tonight with Panthers-Devils at 7:30 p.m. ET, Followed by Wild-Kings at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 31, 2014 – The NHL’s “Push for the Playoffs” continues this week with 10 games across the NBC Sports Group that feature 11 potential playoff teams, three doubleheaders, and six of the top eight teams in the Western Conference. The week is highlighted by Bruins-Red Wings on Wednesday Night Rivalry at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and Blues-Blackhawks in the NHL Game of the Week at Noon ET on Sunday on NBC. All in all, there are more than 35 hours of NHL coverage on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra this week.

The Bruins enter their Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup with the Red Wings riding a franchise-record nine-game road winning streak, including a 4-3 shootout victory on Sunday in Philadelphia in the NHL Game of the Week on NBC. Boston needs just six points over the final seven games of the regular season to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while Detroit continues to fight for its playoff life, currently holding on to the first Wild Card (35-26-14, 84 points), two points ahead of Columbus (38-30-6, 82 points).

Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick,analyst Eddie Olczyk and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.

The NHL Game of the Week on NBC features two Central Division rivals, when the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues visit the Chicago Blackhawks at Noon ET on Sunday. Both teams have clinched playoff spots, although Chicago enters this week’s action on a three-game skid (42-19-15, 99 points) as they battle for home-ice advantage in the first round. Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will have the call from United Center in Chicago, Ill.

This week’s wall-to-wall NHL coverage begins tonight on NBCSN with a doubleheader, starting with the New Jersey Devils hosting the Florida Panthers at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET. Jim Jackson (play-by-play) and McGuire (analyst) will have the call of Panthers-Devils from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., while Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda will provide commentary of Wild-Kings from Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

Coverage continues Tuesday as Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers travel to St. Louis to face T.J. Oshie and the Blues at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) will have the call from Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

NBCSN’s second doubleheader of the week airs Wednesday night, when Shane Doan and the Phoenix Coyotes visit the Jonathan Quick and the Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET, following Bruins-Red Wings on Wednesday Night Rivalry. The Kings sit firmly in third place in the Pacific Division (44-25-6, 94 points), while the Coyotes (36-27-12, 84 points) are just one point ahead of Dallas for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Hahn (play-by-play) and Remenda (analyst) will have the call from Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Thursday’s doubleheader action begins at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when the Blackhawks host the Wild (38-26-11, 87 points), who hold a three-point lead over Phoenix for the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Strader (play-by-play) and Engblom will have the call from United Center in Chicago. Kings-Sharks follows Wild-Blackhawks in a potential first-round matchup in the West at 10:30 p.m. ET. Hahn (play-by-play) and Remenda (analyst) will call the action from the SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, Calif.

Coverage continues Friday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN when the Devils host the Washington Capitals (34-28-13, 81 points), who sit one point behind Columbus for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (analyst) will have the call from Prudential Center in Newark. This week’s extensive NHL coverage concludes on Sunday on NBCSN, when the Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30 p.m. ET. Strader (play-by-play) and Engblom (analyst) will call the action from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

NHL Live, NBC Sports Group’s live NHL pre-game and post-game studio show, will air prior to all NHL games this week on NBCSN. Liam McHugh will host NHL Live alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, while hosts Russ Thaler and Dave Briggs and analysts Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter will be featured during late-game coverage, as well as during Thursday and Friday’s games.

Following is this week’s NHL programming on NBC and NBCSN:

 

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Mon., March 31 NHL Live NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
  Florida at New Jersey NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
  Minnesota at Los Angeles NBCSN 10 p.m.
Tue., April 1 NHL Live NBCSN 7 p.m.
  Philadelphia at St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m.
  Costas Tonight – Bobby Orr (Encore) NBCSN 11 p.m.
  NHL Top 10 – Team Rivalries NBCSN 11:30 p.m.
Wed., April 2 NHL Top 10 – Team Rivalries (Encore) NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
  NHL Live NBCSN 7 p.m.
  Wednesday Night Rivalry – Boston at Detroit NBCSN 8 p.m.
  Phoenix at Los Angeles NBCSN 10:30 p.m.
Thu., April 3 NHL Live NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
  Minnesota at Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m.
Fri., April 4 Los Angeles at San Jose NBCSN 10:30 p.m.
  NHL Live NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
  Washington at New Jersey NBCSN 7 p.m.
Sun., April 6 St. Louis at Chicago NBC Noon
  NHL Live NBCSN 7 p.m.
  Buffalo at Philadelphia NBCSN 7:30 p.m.

 

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream this week’s NHL coverage via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Games airing on:

  • NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
  • NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

2013-14 REGULAR-SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 103 NHL regular-season games during the 2013-14 season, featuring 13 games on NBC and 90 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NHL markets such as Boston (Bruins), Philadelphia (Flyers), Washington D.C. (Capitals), Chicago (Blackhawks) and the Bay Area (Sharks), will air more than 300 live NHL games and surround the 2013-14 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.

NBC SPORTS GROUP’S DIGITAL AND SOCIAL NHL COVERAGE

NBC Sports Group will continue to provide hockey fans with up-to-the-minute news, video, and information on the NHL and hockey from around the world via its digital and social properties, including NBCSports.com, Twitter and Facebook. Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s Digital and Social NHL coverage.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–