FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 12th, 2017
DAY 1 – NBC SPORTS GROUP’S COVERAGE OF 2017 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BEGINS TONIGHT WITH FIVE GAMES
Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundqvist, and Carey Price Among Superstars Featured in Tonight’s Game 1 Matchups
Tonight on NBCSN – (WC1) Rangers-(1) Canadiens at 7 p.m. ET; (3) Blues-(2) Wild at 9:30 p.m. ET – Pre-Game Coverage Begins with NHL Live at 6 p.m. ET
USA Network – (3) Blue Jackets-(2) Penguins at 7:30 p.m. ET; (3) Sharks-(2) Oilers at 10 p.m. ET
NHL Network Televises (3) Bruins-(2) Senators at 7 p.m. ET
NBC Sports Group Cable Networks to Provide Side-By-Side Telecasts of 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff First-Round Games in Local Markets
“Where In The World Is Pierre McGuire?” Emmy Award-Winning ‘Inside-The-Glass’ Analyst Begins Marathon Schedule
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 12, 2017 – NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive coverage of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins with five Game 1 matchups across NBCSN, USA Network, and NHL Network tonight, the first night of two months of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey.
NBCSN’s Game 1 coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, when the (WC1) New York Rangers visit the (1) Montreal Canadiens, and shifts west at 9:30 p.m. ET, when the (2) Minnesota Wild host the (3) St. Louis Blues.
USA Network’s Game 1 doubleheader begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, when the defending Stanley Cup champion (2) Pittsburgh Penguins host the (3) Columbus Blue Jackets, and continues at 10 p.m. ET, when the (2) Edmonton Oilers welcome the (3) San Jose Sharks. NHL Network’s Game 1 coverage features the (3) Boston Bruins at the (2) Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET.
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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 – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 (All times ET)
| Time | Coverage | Network | Commentators |
| 6 p.m. | NHL Live | NBCSN | Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury, Keith Jones |
| 7 p.m. | Game 1 – (WC1) N.Y. Rangers at (1) Montreal | NBCSN | Gord Miller, Ray Ferraro |
| 7 p.m. | Game 1 – (3) Boston at (2) Ottawa | NHL Network | Bob Cole, Greg Millen |
| 7:30 p.m. | Game 1 – (3) Columbus at (2) Pittsburgh | USA Network | Mike “Doc” Emrick, Pierre McGuire |
| NHL Live (Intermission Reports) | USA Network | Kathryn Tappen, Jeremy Roenick, Anson Carter |
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| 9:30 p.m. | Game 1 – (3) St. Louis at (2) Minnesota | NBCSN | John Forslund, Brian Boucher |
| 10 p.m. | Game 1 – (3) San Jose at (2) Edmonton | USA Network | Brendan Burke, Mike Johnson |
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and Connected TVs – will live stream all games airing on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC, all via “TV Everywhere.”
For more information on NBC Sports Group’s overall NHL Playoff coverage, please click here.
NBCSN, CNBC, USA NETWORK, NBCSPORTS.COM, AND THE NBC SPORTS APP TO PROVIDE SIDE-BY-SIDE COVERAGE OF FIRST-ROUND GAMES IN LOCAL MARKETS FOR FIRST TIME
For the first time since NBC Sports Group acquired NHL rights prior to the 2005-06 season, coverage of Stanley Cup Playoff first-round games on NBCUniversal cable networks (NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network) as well as NHL Network, will air side-by-side in local markets alongside regional sports network game telecasts. In addition, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will provide streaming coverage of every first-round game. Prior to this season, NBC Sports’ national first-round cable telecasts were blacked out in all local U.S. markets. (Local television and streaming blackouts will still apply in Boston and Pittsburgh in the first round).
TONIGHT – APRIL 12 – NHL LIVE BEGINS AT 6 P.M ET ON NBCSN
NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones, begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Kathryn Tappen, Jeremy Roenick and Anson Carter will anchor USA Network’s studio coverage throughout the Blue Jackets-Penguins and Sharks-Oilers matchups.
(WC1) NEW YORK RANGERS AT (1) MONTREAL CANADIENS – GAME 1 AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
This marks the first time the Rangers and Canadiens have met in the postseason since the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, when New York defeated Montreal in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Canadiens goaltender Carey Price missed the majority of that series, after suffering an injury in a collision with Rangers forward Chris Kreider in Game 1. Montreal won all three matchups this season with New York to sweep the season series. The Canadiens went 16-7-1 in the final five weeks of the season under head coach Claude Julien, who replaced Michel Therrien in late February.
(3) BOSTON BRUINS AT (2) OTTAWA SENATORS – GAME 1 AT 7 P.M. ET ON NHL NETWORK
Boston and Ottawa meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time ever, as both clubs qualified for the playoffs this year after missing the 2016 postseason. The Bruins surged in the final two months with an 18-8-1 record under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy, led offensively by Brad Marchand, who finished the season tied for fourth in the NHL with 39 goals. Ottawa’s playoff push was led by goaltender Craig Anderson, who finished the year tied for third in the league with a .926 save percentage. The Senators defeated the Bruins by a score of 2-1 in a shootout on Thursday to clinch a postseason berth, their fourth win in against Boston in four regular season matchups this season.
(3) COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS AT (2) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS – GAME 1 ON WEDNESDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON USA NETWORK
The Blue Jackets take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins for the first time since their first-round encounter in 2014, when Pittsburgh defeated Columbus in six games. Pittsburgh finished the season with the second-most points in the league (111) behind Washington, and led the league in goals scored (278). Sidney Crosby finished the season as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer (44). Columbus’s Cam Atkinson scored a career-high 35 goals this season, while netminder Sergei Bobrovsky led the NHL in goals against average (2.06) and save percentage (.931). The two clubs split the four-game season series, with the home team winning all four games.
(3) ST. LOUIS BLUES AT (2) MINNESOTA WILD – GAME 1 AT 9:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
St. Louis and Minnesota meet in the postseason for the second time in three seasons. In 2015, the Wild defeated the Blues in six games in their first-round matchup. Vladimir Tarasenko once again led St. Louis in scoring, tied for fourth in the NHL with 39 goals, following a 40-goal output last season. Minnesota scored the second-most goals in the league (263), and goaltender Devan Dubnyk finished the season in the top 10 in goals against average (2.25) and save percentage (.923). The Blues edged the Wild by a count of 3-2 in the season series.
(3) SAN JOSE SHARKS AT (2) EDMONTON OILERS – GAME 1 AT 10 P.M. ET ON USA NETWORK
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a decade and will face the defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks. McDavid led the NHL with 100 points this season (30g/70a), while Leon Draisaitl had a breakout season for Edmonton with 77 points (27g/50a). San Jose enters the postseason dealing with injuries to Logan Couture and Joe Thornton, but boasts a healthy Brent Burns, who led all NHL defensemen with 76 points (29g/47a) this year. The Oilers won the final three games of the five-game season series with the Sharks, including a 4-2 win in San Jose on April 6.
“WHERE IN THE WORLD IS PIERRE MCGUIRE?” EMMY-AWARD WINNING ‘INSIDE-THE-GLASS’ ANALYST BEGINS MARATHON SCHEDULE
NBC Sports Group’s Emmy-Award winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire kicks off his marathon first-round broadcast schedule tonight in Pittsburgh with Game 1 of the Blue Jackets-Penguins series. McGuire is slated to serve as an analyst for eight games in eight days to begin the postseason, with more games likely added to that run as series continue. His schedule will be comprised of six different cities and four different series. *Note – schedule is subject to change*
| Date | Coverage | Travel |
| Wed., April 12 | Game 1 – (3) Columbus at (2) Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh > Chicago |
| Thurs., April 13 | Game 1 – (WC2) Nashville at (1) Chicago | Chicago > St. Paul |
| Fri., April 14 | Game 2 – (3) St. Louis at (2) Minnesota | St. Paul > Chicago |
| Sat., April 15 | Game 2 – (WC2) Nashville at (1) Chicago | Chicago > St. Louis |
| Sun., April 16 | Game 3 – (2) Minnesota at (3) St. Louis | St. Louis > Boston |
| Mon., April 17 | Game 3 – (2) Ottawa at (3) Boston | Boston > Columbus |
| Tues., April 18 | Game 4 – (2) Pittsburgh at (3) Columbus | Columbus > St. Louis |
| Wed., April 19 | Game 4 – (2) Minnesota at (3) St. Louis | 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 50 million U.S. households. NBC Sports Regional Networks serve the hometown fans of the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals, with first-round game coverage, 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.
NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all Stanley Cup Playoff games to desktops, tablets, and connected TVs. The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox.
–NBC SPORTS GROUP–
