FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 8th, 2015
DAY 55 – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS HOST TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING IN GAME 3 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Coverage Begins Tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN with 90-Minute NHL Live
Series Tied 1-1 Following Lightning’s 4-3 Game 2 Victory in Tampa
Saturday Night’s Blackhawks-Lightning Game on NBC is Most-Watched Game 2 On Record
NBCSN Premieres Center of Attention: The Unreal Life of Derek Sanderson Tonight, Following Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 8, 2014 – NBCSN begins its coverage of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final tonight with Game 3 at 8 p.m. ET, as Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks host Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning with the series tied at one game apiece. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a 90-minute edition of NHL Live.
Three-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and Sports Illustrated 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will call Game 3 from the United Center in Chicago, Ill. This marks the ninth consecutive year that Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will combine to call the Stanley Cup Final for NBC Sports Group.
Host Liam McHugh will anchor NHL Live from inside the arena, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. Dave Briggs will host coverage from a set outside the arena alongside analysts and former players Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter. In addition, former NHL goaltender and analyst Brian Boucher and NHL insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger will join NBC Sports Group’s pre- and post-game studio coverage throughout the Final.
GAME 2 – LIGHTNING DEFEAT BLACKHAWKS 4-3
Tampa Bay defenseman Jason Garrison scored on the power play midway through the third period to give the Lightning a one-goal lead, and rookie goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made five saves in relief of starter Ben Bishop as the Bolts skated away with a 4-3 win on Saturday night on NBC to even the series at one. Bishop left twice in the third period, including the final 7:41 of the game, as Vasilevskiy earned his first win since March 24. NHL postseason leading scorer Tyler Johnson scored his first goal in five games in the win for Tampa Bay.
Teuvo Teravainen, Andrew Shaw and Brent Seabrook scored for the Blackhawks, but Chicago was unable to find the equalizer in the third period of Saturday’s Game 2, which marked the first time Patrick Kane failed to register a shot on goal in his last 100 postseason games.
SATURDAY NIGHT’S BLACKHAWKS-LIGHTNING GAME ON NBC IS MOST-WATCHED GAME 2 ON RECORD
NBC Sports’ Saturday primetime presentation of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on NBC averaged 6.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched Game 2 on record (data available since 1994) and the most-watched non-deciding Stanley Cup Final game on record. The game followed NBC Sports’ presentation of the Belmont Stakes, in which American Pharoah became the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown.
The second contest between the Blackhawks and Lightning surpassed last year’s viewership of Game 2 between the Kings and Rangers, which also followed Belmont Stakes coverage and was decided in double overtime (6.4 million), by 3%. Viewership for the game peaked in the final full quarter-hour (9:45-10 p.m. ET), with more than 7.2 million viewers. The 7:15-7:30 p.m. ET lead-in quarter-hour, which immediately followed Belmont Stakes coverage, averaged nearly 10.7 million viewers. The game delivered a 3.9 HH rating.
Chicago delivered a 22.6 rating, followed by Tampa Bay’s 15.1 local market rating, which stands the second-highest rating in Tampa for a Lightning game on any NBC network, trailing only Game 1 last Wednesday night on NBC (17.9).
NBCSN PREMIERES CENTER OF ATTENTION: THE UNREAL LIFE OF DEREK SANDERSON TONIGHT, FOLLOWING GAME 3 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL
NBCSN will premiere Center of Attention: The Unreal Life of Derek Sanderson, a one-hour documentary that chronicles the remarkable life of former NHL star and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Derek Sanderson tonight, following Game 3 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.
Click here to watch a preview.
Narrated by Boston native, Primetime Emmy Award-nominee and star of Mad Men John Slattery, Center of Attention follows Sanderson’s journey from humble beginnings, to becoming the highest paid athlete of his time, only to eventually end up homeless, broke and addicted to drugs and alcohol. Through interviews with former teammates, coaches, friends, rivals, and Sanderson himself, viewers get an inside look into his eccentric and reckless life that ultimately features a fourth act fitting of a Hollywood screenplay, as Sanderson is able to get clean and become a respected financial adviser for top athletes.
Center of Attention features interviews with eight members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, including Sanderson’s teammates Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Rod Gilbert, Gerry Cheevers, Brad Park, Bernie Parent and coaches Harry Sinden and Emile Francis.
Click here for more information on Center of Attention: The Unreal Life of Derek Sanderson
Following is the television schedule for the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, all times Eastern and subject to change.
|
DATE |
GAME |
NETWORK |
TIME |
COMMENTATORS |
|
Mon., June 8 |
Game 3 – Tampa Bay at Chicago |
NBCSN |
8 p.m. |
Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, |
|
Wed., June 10 |
Game 4 – Tampa Bay at Chicago |
NBCSN |
8 p.m. |
Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, |
|
Sat., June 13 |
Game 5 – Chicago at Tampa Bay |
NBC |
8 p.m. |
Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, |
|
Mon., June 15 |
Game 6 – Tampa Bay at Chicago* |
NBC |
8 p.m. |
Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, |
|
Wed., June 17 |
Game 7 – Chicago at Tampa Bay* |
NBC |
8 p.m. |
Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, P |
*if necessary
GAMES TELEVISED SO FAR
For the fourth consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network are combining to televise every Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally.
|
Network |
Games |
|
NBC |
15 |
|
NBCSN |
51 |
|
USA Network |
8 |
|
CNBC |
10 |
|
NHL-N |
1 |
|
Total |
85 |
One-goal Games: 45
OT games: 19
COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE
Comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be provided daily via NBC Sports Regional Networks, available in more than 50 million U.S. households. Comcast SportsNet Chicago will provide the hometown fans of the Chicago Blackhawks with comprehensive coverage throughout their Stanley Cup Playoff run, including pre- and post-game shows and extensive on-line coverage via Comcast SportsNet’s team of NHL Insiders.
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will stream comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play and Windows Store.
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–
