FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 26th, 2017

SECOND ROUND OF THE NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BEGINS TONIGHT ON NBCSN WITH PREDATORS-BLUES AND OILERS-DUCKS DOUBLEHEADER

Game 1 – (WC2) Nashville Predators at (3) St. Louis Blues – 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Game 1 – (2) Edmonton Oilers at (1) Anaheim Ducks – 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Thursday – (WC1) Rangers-(2) Senators at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC, (2) Penguins-(1) Capitals at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

NBC Sports Group’s 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First-Round Viewership Best Since 2014, Up 4% From Last Year

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 26, 2017 – NBC Sports Group begins its exclusive coverage of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight with a pair of Game 1 second-round matchups in the Western Conference on NBCSN, beginning at 8 p.m. ET., when P.K. Subban and the (WC2) Nashville Predators visit Vladimir Tarasenko and the (3) St. Louis Blues.

Connor McDavid and the (2) Edmonton Oilers hit the ice at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN in the second half of tonight’s Western Conference doubleheader, when they face off against Ryan Getlzaf and the (1) Anaheim Ducks.

Game 1 matchups in the East begin tomorrow night, starting at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC, when Erik Karlsson and the (2) Ottawa Senators host Henrik Lundqvist and the (WC1) New York Rangers. NBCSN will televise Game 1 of the highly-anticipated clash between Sidney Crosby’s (2) Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin’s (1) Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m. ET, as the rivals meet in the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

******************************************************************************

“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.

******************************************************************************

 

THE PASS – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 (All times ET)

7 p.m. NHL Live NBCSN Liam McHugh, Jeremy
Roenick, Keith Jones
8 p.m. Game 1 – (WC2) Nashville at (3) St. Louis NBCSN Kenny Albert,
Pierre McGuire
10:30 p.m. Game 1 – (2) Edmonton at (1) Anaheim NBCSN Brendan Burke,
Joe Micheletti

 

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.”

*NOTE* – If Predators-Blues runs beyond 10:45 p.m. ET:

  • Predators-Blues remains on NBCSN for national audience, and satellite TV subscribers in Anaheim. This audience can find the start of Oilers-Ducks on NHL Network, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app;

 

  • Cable and AT&T U-verse subscribers in Anaheim market only will receive Oilers-Ducks on NBCSN, and can watch conclusion of Predators-Blues on NHL Network, and stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app;

 

  • Oilers-Ducks will return to NBCSN for all viewers immediately following conclusion of Predators-Blues.

 

For more information on NBC Sports Group’s overall NHL Playoff coverage, please click here.


(WC2) NASHVILLE PREDATORS AT (3) ST. LOUIS BLUES – GAME 1 AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

This marks the first-ever playoff meeting between Nashville and St. Louis. The Predators (0.75 goals against per game) and the Blues (1.60 goals against per game) enter the second round as the top two defensive teams in the postseason. Nashville’s Pekka Rinne and St. Louis’ Jake Allen are the top two goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage thus far.

The Blues boast a 26-9-2 record since Mike Yeo took over head coaching duties on Feb. 1. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first goal of the playoffs in St. Louis’ Game 5 series-clinching win against Minnesota, and is now fifth in Blues history in playoff goals (20).

The Predators’ top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson dominated Chicago, accounting for 15 points (5g/10a) and a plus-22 rating in their four games against the Blackhawks. Nashville won three of five matchups against St. Louis in the regular season.

(2) EDMONTON OILERS AT (1) ANAHEIM DUCKS – GAME 1 AT 10:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Edmonton and Anaheim meet in the postseason for the first time since 2006, when Edmonton beat Anaheim in the Western Conference Final in five games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Connor McDavid led the Oilers with four points (2g/2a) in Edmonton’s first-round series victory against the Sharks. 21-year-old Leon Draisaitl helped propel the Oilers to the second round with two assists in Game 5, and the opening goal in their series-clinching win in Game 6.

Anaheim has been the hottest team in the NHL. The Ducks swept the Flames in the first round, have won eight straight games dating back to the regular season, and have not lost in regulation in more than six weeks (15-0-3). Ryan Getzlaf led the Ducks with three goals in their first-round series with Calgary, and Anaheim has scored at least three goals in 13 of its last 14 games.


NBC SPORTS GROUP’S 2017 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS FIRST-ROUND VIEWERSHIP BEST SINCE 2014, UP 4% FROM LAST YEAR

On the strength of a record 18 overtime games, dazzling performances by young stars like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, and side-by-side coverage for the first time in local markets, NBC Sports Group’s Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of the first round of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 742,000 viewers, up 4% vs 2016 (713,000 viewers).

This was the most-watched first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2014 (753,000 viewers), despite no Game 7 matchups for the first time since the 2001 postseason. In addition, the 2017 first round featured five Canadian teams – compared to no Canadian teams last season. Click here for more information.

 

“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 Stanley Cup Playoff broadcasting schedule into the second round. McGuire called 12 games in 12 days in the first round spanning six of the eight series and eight different cities.

McGuire kicks off his second-round slate tonight with Game 1 of the Predators-Blues series in St. Louis. McGuire is slated to call nine games in nine days to begin the second round, which will mark 21 consecutive days he has called a Stanley Cup Playoff when there has been one on the schedule.

*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 St. Louis > Montreal
Thurs., April 20 Game 5 – (WC1) N.Y. Rangers at (1) Montreal Montreal > Washington
Fri., April 21 Game 5 – (WC2) Toronto at (1) Washington Washington > New York
Sat., April 22 Game 6 – (1) Montreal at (WC1) N.Y. Rangers New York > Boston
Sun., April 23 Game 6 – (2) Ottawa at (3) Boston Boston > New York
Tues., April 25 Travel Day New York > St. Louis
Wed., April 26 Game 1 – (WC2) Nashville at (3) St. Louis St. Louis > Washington
Thur., April 27 Game 1 – (2) Pittsburgh at (1) Washington Washington > St. Louis
Fri., April 28 Game 2 – (WC2) Nashville at (3) St. Louis St. Louis > Washington
Sat., April 29 Game 2 – (2) Pittsburgh at (1) Washington Washington > Nashville
Sun., April 30 Game 3 – (3) St. Louis at (WC2) Nashville Nashville > Pittsburgh
Mon., May 1 Game 3 – (1) Washington at (2) Pittsburgh Pittsburgh > New York
Tues., May 2 Game 3 – (2) Ottawa at (WC1) N.Y. Rangers New York > Pittsburgh
Wed., May 3 Game 4 – (1) Washington at (2) Pittsburgh Pittsburgh > New York
Thur., May 4 Game 4 – (2) Ottawa at (WC1) N.Y. Rangers New York > TBA

 

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–