FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 20th, 2018

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS SIX NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF GAMES THROUGH SATURDAY, INCLUDING THREE GAMES ON NBC

Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators & Winnipeg Jets Can All Clinch Respective Series Tonight on NBCSN and USA Network

Game 5 Doubleheader Tonight on NBCSN – (3) Flyers-(2) Penguins at 7 p.m. ET, Penguins Lead 3-1; Followed by (WC2) Avalanche-(1) Predators at 9:30 p.m. ET, Predators Lead 3-1

 (3) Wild-(2) Jets Game 5 Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, Jets Lead 3-1

Saturday Primetime on NBC – (3) Maple Leafs-(2) Bruins Game 5 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, Bruins Lead 3-1

Saturday Game 5 Regional Doubleheader on NBC-NBCSN at 3 p.m. ET – (WC1) Blue Jackets-(1) Capitals, Series Tied 2-2; (WC2) Devils-(1) Lightning, Tampa Bay Leads 3-1

Sunday Stanley Cup Playoff Telecast Schedule to Be Determined Following Friday Night Games

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 20, 2018 – NBC Sports will present six NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games through Saturday, including five potential elimination games and three matchups on NBC.

Tonight’s game coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with Game 5 between (3) Philadelphia and (2) Pittsburgh, as Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, who hold a 3-1 series lead, look for their ninth consecutive playoff series win. Coverage continues on NBCSN at 9:30 p.m. ET, as P.K. Subban and the defending Western Conference champion (1) Nashville Predators host the (WC2) Colorado Avalanche with a chance to advance to the Second Round.

USA Network’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs continues tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, when the (2) Winnipeg Jets host the (3) Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of their first-round series, as the Jets look to advance with a victory. Pre-game coverage begins with NHL Live at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Saturday’s coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET with a regionalized Game 5 doubleheader on NBC-NBCSN, as the (1) Tampa Bay Lightning host the (WC2) New Jersey Devils and the (1) Washington Capitals host the (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning lead their series 3-1, while the Caps and Blue Jackets are tied 2-2. Florida markets and WNBC in the New York metro area will air NJ-TB on NBC and CBJ-WSH on NBCSN; all other markets will receive CBJ-WSH on NBC and NJ-TB on NBCSN.

Coverage continues on NBC at 8 p.m. ET with a primetime Original Six clash, as the (2) Boston Bruins host the (3) Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their series, with Boston looking to advance to the Second Round.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs could feature up to three games on Sunday, depending on the results of Friday’s slate of matchups. Times and networks for potential Sunday games are TBD.

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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 20-SUNDAY, APRIL 22 (All times ET)

FRIDAY, APRIL 20

Time Coverage Network Commentators
6 p.m. NHL Live NBCSN Liam McHugh, Eddie
Olczyk, Keith Jones
7 p.m. Game 5 – (3) Philadelphia at (2) Pittsburgh NBCSN John Forslund,
Pierre McGuire
  NHL Live (Intermission Reports) USA Network Kathryn Tappen,
Anson Carter
7:30 p.m. Game 5 – (3) Minnesota at (2) Winnipeg USA Network Dave Randorf,
Louie Debrusk
9:30 p.m. Game 5 – (WC2) Colorado at (1) Nashville NBCSN Kenny Albert, AJ
Mleczko, Brian Boucher

SATURDAY, APRIL 21 

Time Coverage Network Commentators
2:30 p.m. NHL Live NBCSN Liam McHugh, Eddie
Olczyk, Keith Jones
3 p.m. Game 5 – (WC2) New Jersey at (1) Tampa Bay NBC/NBCSN* Gord Miller,
Joe Micheletti
3 p.m. Game 5 – (WC1) Columbus at (1) Washington NBC/NBCSN* Chris Cuthbert,
Ray Ferraro
8 p.m. Game 5 – (3) Toronto at (2) Boston NBC Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick,
Mike Milbury,
Pierre McGuire

*Regionalized coverage – Florida markets and WNBC in New York metro area will air NJ-TB on NBC and CBJ-WSH on NBCSN; all other markets will receive CBJ-WSH on NBC and NJ-TB on NBCSN

SUNDAY, APRIL 22

Time Coverage Network Commentators
TBD Game 6 – (2) Pittsburgh at (3) Philadelphia* TBD TBD
TBD Game 6 – (1) Nashville at (WC2) Colorado* TBD TBD
TBD Game 6 – (2) Winnipeg at (3) Minnesota* TBD TBD

*If necessary

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, CNBC, and Golf Channel, all via “TV Everywhere” throughout the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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


TONIGHT – APRIL 20

NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh alongside analysts Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones, begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Kathryn Tappen and Anson Carter will anchor USA Network’s studio coverage.

Game coverage starts on NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET, when Crosby and the Penguins look to close out their series against the Flyers. Pittsburgh shutout Philadelphia, 5-0, in Game 4 on Wednesday. Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each tallied a goal in the affair, as the Penguins improved to 14-1 in postseason games when both score. Pittsburgh is 14-3 all-time when taking a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series.

NBCSN’s coverage continues tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET with Game 5 of the Predators-Avalanche series. Nashville built a 3-0 lead in Game 4 and held on to extend their series lead to 3-1. Filip Forsberg recorded his third goal of the postseason in the win. Nashville has won 13 of its last 14 games against Colorado.

Game 5 of Minnesota-Winnipeg begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, as the Jets look to win their first playoff series in franchise history, after entering the NHL as the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. Mark Scheifele recorded both goals in Winnipeg’s 2-0 shutout of Minnesota in Game 4.


SATURDAY, APRIL 21

NBC continues its 2018 Stanley Cup Playoff coverage on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET with a pair of Game 5 contests. Tampa Bay looks to close out its series against New Jersey on the heels of a 3-1 victory in Game 4. Nikita Kucherov scored twice and recorded an assist in the Lightning’s victory. The Hart Trophy candidate has totaled 50 points in the postseason since 2014-15, trailing only Crosby and Malkin.

The Capitals and Blue Jackets clash in a pivotal Game 5, as the Caps return to Washington following wins in Games 3 and 4 in Columbus. For the fifth time in the past 10 postseasons, the first four games of the series have been won by the road team.

 

  • In Florida and the New York metro area, TB-NJ will air on NBC; all other markets will receive CBJ-WSH on NBC and NJ-TB on NBCSN.

 

Coverage continues on NBC at 8 p.m. ET with an Original Six clash between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto is on the brink of elimination following Boston’s 3-1 win in Game 4 on Thursday, led by Tuukka Rask, who made 31 saves.

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 35 million U.S. households. NBC Sports Regional Networks serve the hometown fans of the Philadelphia Flyers, 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 NBC Sports’ 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.


STREAMING COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 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.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–