FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 4th, 2016
NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF CONTENDERS CLASH THIS WEEK ON NBC AND NBCSN WITH POSTSEASON BERTHS AT STAKE
Bruins, Flyers, Islanders, Lightning, Rangers and Red Wings All Appear on NBC and NBCSN This Week
Flyers Showcased Three Times – Wednesday Night Rivalry vs. Red Wings, NHL Game of the Week vs. Penguins, Sunday Night Hockey vs. N.Y. Islanders
Bruins Host Red Wings Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, Separated By One Point In Atlantic Division and Wild Card Standings
Coverage Begins Tomorrow with Lightning-Rangers at 7:30 p.m. ET
Former Flyers Head Coach Craig Berube Joins NHL Live as Guest Analyst Thursday
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 4, 2016 – NBC Sports Group’s NHL “Push For The Playoffs” showcases all six Eastern Conference teams battling for five remaining Stanley Cup Playoff berths in the final week of the regular season, highlighted by a pivotal Wednesday Night Rivalry showdown between Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers and Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Flyers, and Red Wings are separated by just five points, and all six clubs will hit the ice on NBC and NBCSN this week.
The Flyers will be showcased three times this week on NBC and NBCSN as they look to complete their late-season push for the playoffs. In addition to Wednesday Night Rivalry, Philadelphia will host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on NBC’s NHL Game of the Week on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, and travel to Brooklyn to face John Tavares and the New York Islanders on the final day of the regular season on NBCSN’s Sunday Night Hockey at 7 p.m. ET.
This week’s coverage kicks off tomorrow night with a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Final, as Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers host Ben Bishop and the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 p.m. ET. NBCSN also presents a pivotal matchup between the Red Wings and Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, with the two teams separated by just one point headed into the week.
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Tues., April 5 | Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., April 6 | Wednesday Night Rivalry – Philadelphia at Detroit | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Thurs., April 7 | Detroit at Boston | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., April 9 | NHL Game of the Week – Pittsburgh at Philadelphia | NBC | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sun., April 10 | Sunday Night Hockey – Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
John Forslund (play-by-play) and McGuire will have the call of this week’s Flyers-Red Wings Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., and Jim Jackson (play-by-play), Keith Jones (analyst) and Chris Therien (analyst) will call NBCSN’s Flyers-Islanders Sunday Night Hockey contest from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.Three-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator 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 have the call of this week’s Penguins-Flyers NHL Game of the Week from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
Rick Peckham (play-by-play) and McGuire will call tomorrow night’s Lightning-Rangers matchup from Madison Square Garden in New York, while Gord Miller (play-by-play) and McGuire will handle commentary for Red Wings-Bruins from TD Garden in Boston, Mass.
Liam McHugh and Kathryn Tappen will anchor this week’s NHL Live studio coverage, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury, Keith Jones, Jeremy Roenick, and Brian Boucher. NHL insider Bob McKenzie will join NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage to provide the latest in-depth news from around the league.
In addition, 17-year NHL veteran forward and former Philadelphia Flyers head coach Craig Berube will serve as a guest analyst during Thursday’s edition of NHL Live on NBCSN. Berube appeared in more than 1,000 NHL games spanning five clubs, and served as the head coach of the Flyers for the majority of two seasons (2013-2015), guiding them to a playoff berth in 2014.
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs – will stream this week’s NHL coverage airing on NBC and NBCSN.
LIGHTNING-RANGERS – TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The Lightning and Rangers are likely to secure their playoff spots this week, both with 95 points and five points ahead of Boston. Tampa Bay (45-28-5) is currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind first-place Florida. The Lightning were dealt a blow this weekend, when the club announced captain Steven Stamkos would miss the next 1-3 months following surgery to treat a blood clot in his right arm. Tampa Bay is coming off a 3-1 win against New Jersey on Saturday, and faces the Islanders tonight in Brooklyn.
The Rangers (43-26-9) are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, but are coming three straight losses. Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello are tied for the team lead with 58 points, while J.T. Miller (22 goals) is enjoying a breakout year. The Rangers are also in action tonight, facing the Blue Jackets in Columbus.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY – FLYERS-RED WINGS – 8 P.M ET ON NBCSN
The Flyers and Red Wings clash on Wednesday Night Rivalry in what will be the biggest game of the season to this point for both clubs. Philadelphia (39-26-13, 91 pts) currently holds the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Boston with one game in hand as well. The Flyers have gone 13-4-2 in their last 19 games to move into playoff contention. Wayne Simmonds leads the Flyers with 29 goals, and has six points in his last four games (4g/2a).
Detroit (40-28-11, 91 pts) is tied in points with Philadelphia, but holds the third playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, also a single point ahead of division rival Boston. The Red Wings have three games remaining, all against playoff contenders (Flyers, Bruins and Rangers). Detroit enters the week with back-to-back wins against Minnesota and Toronto. Detroit has utilized a balanced scoring attack all season long, with the club’s top six point-getters eclipsing 40 points.
RED WINGS-BRUINS – THURSDAY NIGHT AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Thursday night’s showdown on NBCSN between the Red Wings and Bruins will likely have significant playoff implications. Boston (41-30-8, 90 pts) is currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. However, they have two paths to qualify for the postseason, either by finishing in the top three of the Atlantic Division, or as a Wild Card team, as both are within reach. The Bruins have gone 2-7-0 in their last nine games, including a 6-4 loss to Chicago on NBC’s NHL Game of the Week on Sunday, in which they trailed 6-0. The club will look for improved goaltending from Tuukka Rask, who has allowed nine goals in his last two games.
NHL GAME OF THE WEEK – PENGUINS-FLYERS – SATURDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
The Penguins (46-25-8, 100 pts) continue their run as the hottest team in the NHL, in the midst of a six-game winning streak and a 12-1-0 mark in their last 13 games. The Pittsburgh offense has been hitting on all cylinders, despite the absence of an injured Evgeni Malkin, scoring at least four goals in eight of their last 10 games. The Pens are coming off a 6-2 win against the Flyers on Sunday, as Sidney Crosby scored to give him at least a point in 18 of his last 19 games (8g/18a). Pittsburgh is currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division, and will likely face the third-place finisher in the Division to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
SUNDAY NIGHT HOCKEY – FLYERS-ISLANDERS – 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The Islanders (42-26-9, 93 pts) continue to maintain their position in the first Wild Card spot, two points behind the Rangers and two points ahead of the Flyers. The Isles are coming off a 5-0 loss at home to Pittsburgh on Saturday, but have the most points available of any team in the league with five games on their schedule this week. New York is currently battling the injury bug, with defenseman Travis Hamonic out for the remainder of the regular season, and goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Francois Berube out with lower-body injuries. The club is led offensively by John Tavares, who scored twice in the Isles’ 4-3 win against Columbus last Thursday to give him 29 goals on the season.
Following is this week’s NHL coverage on NBC and NBCSN:
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Tues., April 5 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. |
| Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers** | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. | |
| NHL Overtime* | NBCSN | 10 p.m. | |
| Wed., April 6 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
| Wednesday Night Rivalry – Philadelphia at Detroit | NBCSN | 8 p.m. | |
| NHL Overtime* | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. | |
| Thurs., April 7 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 6 p.m. |
| Detroit at Boston | NBCSN | 7 p.m. | |
| NHL Overtime* | NBCSN | 9:30 p.m. | |
| Sat., April 9 | NHL Live | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| NHL Game of the Week – Pittsburgh at Philadelphia | NBC | 3:30 p.m. | |
| Sun., April 10 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday Night Hockey – Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | 7 p.m. | |
| NHL Overtime* | NBCSN | 9:30 p.m. |
*immediately following game coverage
**subject to local blackouts
2015-16 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN
NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 105 NHL regular-season games during the 2015-16 season, featuring 12 games on NBC and 93 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. This year’s coverage includes 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry games, six Wednesday Nightcaps, 12 Sunday Night Hockey contests, and NHL All-Star coverage.
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 2015-16 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.
-NBC SPORTS GROUP-
