FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 15th, 2016
DAYS 3-5 – NBC SPORTS GROUP’S “NHL PLAYOFF PASS”
Friday Night NBCSN Doubleheader – Game 2 of (3) Blackhawks-(2) Blues at 8 p.m. ET, Followed by Game 1 of (WC1) Predators-(1) Ducks at 10:30 p.m. ET
Friday Night – Game 2 of (3) Red Wings at (2) Lightning at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC; Game 2 of (WC1) Islanders-(1) Panthers at 7:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network
Live Pre-Game Coverage Begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live
Wednesday Night Tripleheader is NBC Sports Group’s Most-Watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Opening Night On Record
NBC Sports Group Announces Broadcast Pairings Through Sunday
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 15, 2016 – The NHL Stanley Cup Playoff continue tonight with four games across NBCSN, CNBC, and NHL Network, highlighted by a doubleheader on NBCSN, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, when the (3) Chicago Blackhawks visit the (2) St. Louis Blues in Game 2 of their first-round series. NBCSN’s doubleheader continues at 10:30 p.m. ET, when the (WC1) Nashville Predators face the (1) Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of their series.
Tonight’s Stanley Cup Playoff coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC, when the (3) Detroit Red Wings look to even their first-round series against the (2) Tampa Bay Lightning with a Game 2 victory. NHL Network will also present Game 2 coverage of the (WC1) New York Islanders-(1) Florida Panthers series at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Pre-game coverage of tonight’s matchups begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live, leading into Game 2 of Blackhawks-Blues.
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“NHL Playoff Pass” on NBC Sports Group Press Box provides a quick daily overview of Stanley Cup Playoff coverage, plus information and highlights. The Pass will be published weekdays to preview that evening’s games. Friday editions will include weekend information.
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THE PASS – FRIDAY, APRIL 15-SUNDAY, APRIL 17 (All times ET)
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15 |
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| Time | Coverage | Network | Commentators |
| 7 p.m. | NHL Live | NBCSN | Kathryn Tappen, Mike Milbury, Brian Boucher |
| 7 p.m. | Game 2 – (3) Detroit at (2) Tampa Bay | CNBC | Chris Cuthbert, Pierre McGuire |
| NHL Live (Intermission Reports) | CNBC | Dave Briggs, Jeremy Roenick, Anson Carter |
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| 7:30 p.m. | Game 2 – (WC1) N.Y. Islanders at (1) Florida | NHL Network | Howie Rose, Butch Goring |
| 8 p.m. | Game 2 – (3) Chicago at (2) St. Louis | NBCSN | Pat Foley, Eddie Olczyk |
| 10:30 p.m. | Game 1 – (WC1) Nashville at (1) Anaheim | NBCSN | John Forslund, Bret Hedican |
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SATURDAY, APRIL 16 |
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| 3 p.m. | Game 2 – (3) N.Y. Rangers at (2) Pittsburgh | NBC | Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
| 7 p.m. | Game 2 – (WC2) Philadelphia at (1) Washington | CNBC | Joe Beninati, Craig Laughlin |
| 8 p.m. | Game 2 – (WC2) Minnesota at (1) Dallas | NBCSN | Gord Miller, Ray Ferraro |
| 10:30 p.m. | Game 2 – (3) San Jose at (2) Los Angeles | NBCSN | Randy Hahn, Jamie Baker |
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SUNDAY, APRIL 17 |
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| 3 p.m. | Game 3 – (2) St. Louis at (3) Chicago | NBC | Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
| 7 p.m. | Game 3 – (2) Tampa Bay at (3) Detroit | CNBC | Bob Cole, Garry Galley, Craig Simpson |
| 8 p.m. | Game 3 – (1) Florida at (3) N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | Chris Cuthbert,
Joe Micheletti |
| 10:30 p.m. | Game 2 – (WC1) Nashville at (1) Anaheim | NBCSN | John Forslund, Bret Hedican |
All Stanley Cup Playoff games will be presented on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will provide streaming coverage of games airing on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC via “TV Everywhere.” For more information on NBC Sports Group’s overall NHL Playoff coverage, please click here.
TONIGHT – APRIL 15
NHL Live, hosted by Kathryn Tappen, with analysts Mike Milbury and Brian Boucher, begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Dave Briggs, Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter will anchor CNBC’s studio coverage.
Game coverage starts on CNBC at 7 p.m. ET, as the Red Wings look to even their series with the Lightning. Tampa Bay took a 1-0 series lead on Monday night, as Nikita Kucherov scored a pair of goals and Tyler Johnson added a pair of assists in a 3-2 victory.
NHL Network presents Game 2 of the first-round series between the Islanders and Panthers at 7:30 p.m. ET. Last night, John Tavares scored and added two assists, and Ryan Strome netted the eventual game-winner early in the third period, as New York defeated Florida 5-4 in Game 1, despite being outshot 46-26 in the game. Reilly Smith scored a pair of goals for the Panthers in a losing effort.
NBCSN’s doubleheader begins at 8 p.m. ET, as the Blackhawks look for a Game 2 win against the Blues to even their series. St. Louis took a 1-0 series lead on Wednesday night with a 1-0 overtime win, as Brian Elliott stopped all 35 shots he faced, and David Backes scored the game-winner 9:04 into the extra session.
Coverage continues at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN with Game 1 of Predators-Ducks from Anaheim. The last time these two clubs faced off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was in 2011, when Nashville defeated Anaheim in six games for its first-ever playoff series victory.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
NBC opens its 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff coverage on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, as the Rangers face the Penguins in Game 2 of their series in Pittsburgh. The Penguins took Game 1 on Wednesday, as Patric Hornqvist netted a hat trick, and goaltender Jeff Zatkoff made 35 saves filling in for an injured Marc-Andre Fleury. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist left Wednesday night’s game after the first period after taking a stick to the face from teammate Marc Staal. Kathryn Tappen, Mike Milbury, and Jeremy Roenick will handle studio coverage of Rangers-Penguins.
Coverage shifts to CNBC at 7 p.m. ET for Game 2 of the Flyers-Capitals series. Last night, Braden Holtby made 19 saves, and John Carlson and Jay Beagle scored in Washington’s 2-0 Game 1 victory. Philadelphia will look to rebound after managing just eight shots on goal in the latter two periods. Dave Briggs, Brian Boucher and Jeremy Roenick will be in the studio for Flyers-Caps on CNBC.
NBCSN’s coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET with Game 2 of Wild-Stars, as Minnesota looks to even the series. The Stars defeated the Wild 4-0 in Game 1 on Thursday night, as Kari Lehtonen made 22 saves for the shutout. Game 2 of Sharks-Kings followed Wild-Stars on NBCSN. San Jose took Game 1 on Thursday night by a score of 4-3, as Joe Pavelski netted two goals, including the eventual game-winner early in the third period. Tappen, Briggs, Milbury, Boucher and Keith Jones will anchor NBCSN studio coverage.
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Sunday’s coverage begins on NBC with Game 3 of Blues-Blackhawks from Chicago at 3 p.m. ET, and shifts to CNBC at 7 p.m. ET for Game 3 of Lightning-Red Wings. NBCSN will present Game 3 of Panthers-Islanders at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 of Predators-Ducks at 10:30 p.m. ET.
McHugh, Milbury and Roenick will be in the studio for NBC’s coverage of Blues Blackhawks. Briggs, Boucher and Carter anchor CNBC’s studio coverage, while Tappen, Jones, and Milbury will be on NBCSN’s studio coverage.
**Note – all first-round games are subject to blackouts in local markets, except games on NBC**
All games on cable are subject to local blackouts. In the event that the first game of a doubleheader runs late and beyond puck drop of the second game on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network or CNBC, the start of the later game will air on NHL Network, and remain on NHL Network until the early game has concluded. The late game will then return to its original network, where it will be seen in its entirety.
As a reminder, all games on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC will be live streamed via NBC Sports Live Extra.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRIPLEHEADER IS NBC SPORTS GROUP’S MOST-WATCHED NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF OPENING NIGHT ON RECORD
NBC Sports Group’s Game 1 tripleheader across NBCSN and USA Network averaged 656,000 viewers to rank as its most-watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoff opening night on record, up 31% vs. last year’s opening night (three games).
Rangers-Penguins on USA Network (8-11:06 p.m. ET) led the way with 713,000 average viewers, up 22% vs. Blackhawks-Predators in the same time window on opening night last year (NBCSN telecast). Blackhawks-Blues on NBCSN (9:57-12:39 a.m. ET) averaged 638,000 viewers, while Red Wings-Lightning averaged 612,000 viewers.
“WHERE IN THE WORLD IS PIERRE MCGUIRE?” EMMY-AWARD WINNING ‘INSIDE-THE-GLASS’ ANALYST CONTINUES MARATHON SCHEDULE
NBC Sports Group’s Emmy-Award winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire continues his marathon first-round broadcast schedule tonight in Sunrise, Fla., with Game 1 of the Islanders-Panthers series. McGuire is slated to serve as an analyst for 11 games in 11 days to begin the postseason, with more games likely added to that run as series continue. His schedule will be comprised of seven different cities, five different playoff series, and more than 13,000 miles in travel. *Note – schedule is subject to change*
| Date | Coverage | Travel |
| Wed., April 13 | Game 1 – (3) Chicago at (2) St. Louis | St. Louis > Sunrise, Fla. |
| Thurs., April 14 | Game 1 – (WC1) N.Y. Islanders at (1) Florida | Sunrise, Fla. > Tampa |
| Fri., April 15 | Game 2 – (3) Detroit at (2) Tampa Bay | Tampa > Pittsburgh |
| Sat., April 16 | Game 2 – (3) N.Y. Rangers at (2) Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh > Chicago |
| Sun., April 17 | Game 3 – (2) St. Louis at (3) Chicago | Chicago > Philadelphia |
| Mon., April 18 | Game 3 – (1) Washington at (WC2) Philadelphia | Philadelphia > New York |
| Tue., April 19 | Game 3 – (2) Pittsburgh at (3) N.Y. Rangers | New York |
| Wed., April 20 | Game 4 – (1) Florida at (WC1) N.Y. Islanders | New York |
| Thurs., April 21 | Game 4 – (2) Pittsburgh at (3) N.Y. Rangers | New York > Sunrise, Fla. |
| Fri., April 22 | Game 5 – (WC1) N.Y. Islanders at (1) Florida* | Sunrise, Fla. > Chicago |
| Sat., April 23 | Game 6 – (2) St. Louis at (3) Chicago* | TBA |
COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE
Through the NBC Sports Regional Networks, comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be provided daily via NBC Sports Regional Networks, available in more than 43 million U.S. households. NBC Sports Regional Networks serve the hometown fans of the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, and Washington Capitals. In-depth coverage for those teams advancing to the postseason includes exclusive regional coverage of first-round games, pre- and post-game shows, and extensive on-line coverage via CSN’s team of NHL Insiders.
For teams that advance past the first round, NBC Sports Regional Networks will deliver extensive pre- and post-game coverage as well as breaking news and analysis throughout each team’s playoff run.
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE
NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will stream 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff coverage 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, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.
–NBC SPORTS GROUP–
