FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 17th, 2015

DAYS 3-5 – NBC SPORTS GROUP’S “NHL PLAYOFF PASS”

Game 2 Doubleheader Tonight on NBCSN – (3) Islanders-(2) Capitals at 7 p.m. ET, Followed by (3) Blackhawks-(2) Predators at 9:30 p.m. ET

Game 2 Doubleheader Tonight on CNBC – (4) Senators-(1) Canadiens at 7 p.m. ET, Followed by (3) Flames-(2) Canucks at 10 p.m. ET

Tonight’s Pre-game Coverage Begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live

NBC Presents Live Coverage of 2015 NHL Draft Lottery Saturday Night at 8 p.m. ET, Prior to Game 2 of Penguins-Rangers

Two-Time Stanley Cup Winner Shawn Thornton and Former NHL Goaltender Brian Boucher Join NHL Live as Guest Analysts Tonight

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 17, 2015 – Day 3 of NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive coverage of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues tonight with a pair of Game 2 doubleheaders on NBCSN and CNBC, beginning with pre-game coverage on NHL Live at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. This weekend’s Stanley Cup Playoff coverage features 12 games across NBC, NBCSN and CNBC, as well as live coverage of the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBCSN’s coverage begins tonight at 7 p.m. ET when the (2) Washington Capitals host the (3) New York Islanders, while CNBC will present Game 2 of the (1) Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the (4) Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET. Doubleheader action continues on NBCSN at 9:30 p.m. ET, when the (2) Nashville Predators host the (3) Chicago Blackhawks. CNBC’s second game of the night features Game 2 between the (2) Vancouver Canucks and the (3) Calgary Flames.


NBC PRESENTS LIVE COVERAGE OF 2015 NHL DRAFT LOTTERY SATURDAY NIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET, PRIOR TO GAME 2 OF PENGUINS-RANGERS

The 2015 NHL Draft Lottery will take place tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, prior to Game 2 of the Penguins-Rangers first-round series. Click here for more information.

The teams that earn the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in this year’s draft will have the opportunity to select from two players widely-regarded as potential future NHL superstars; Canadian Connor McDavid and American Jack Eichel, the latter of which was awarded the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given to the top NCAA hockey player.

The NHL Draft Lottery is a weighted system implemented and utilized to determine the order of selection in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft for the 14 Clubs not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the Clubs that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams).

 

TWO-TIME STANLEY CUP WINNER SHAWN THORNTON AND VETERAN NHL GOALTENDER BRIAN BOUCHER JOIN NHL LIVE AS GUEST ANALYSTS TONIGHT

Two-time Stanley Cup winner and current Florida Panthers forward Shawn Thornton, and former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher will join NHL Live as guest analysts tonight on NBCSN and CNBC.

Thornton recently completed his 18th season of professional hockey and first season with the Panthers. The veteran forward earned his first Stanley Cup win as a member of the Anaheim Ducks during the 2006-07 season, and was a member of the Boston Bruins’ 2010-11 Stanley Cup-winning squad. Boucher split 13 NHL seasons with seven teams, playing the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, including 42 playoff games with the team.

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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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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.

 

THE PASS – FRIDAY, APRIL 17–SUNDAY, APRIL 19 (All times ET)

 

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

7 p.m. Game 2 – (3) N.Y. Islanders at (2) Washington NBCSN Kenny Albert, Pierre McGuire
7 p.m. Game 2 – (4) Ottawa at (1) Montreal CNBC Chris Cuthbert, Bret Hedican
9:30 p.m. Game 2 – (3) Chicago at (2) Nashville NBCSN Gord Miller, Joe Micheletti
10 p.m. Game 2 – (3) Calgary at (2) Vancouver CNBC Jim Hughson, Craig Simpson, Scott Oake

SATURDAY, APRIL 18

3 p.m. Game 2 – (3) Detroit at (2) Tampa Bay* NBC/NBCSN John Forslund, Andy Brickley
3 p.m. Game 2 – (4) Minnesota at (1) St. Louis* NBC/NBCSN Dave Strader, Brian Engblom
8 p.m. Game 2 – (4) Pittsburgh at (1) N.Y. Rangers NBC Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire
10:30 p.m. Game 2 – (4) Winnipeg at (1) Anaheim NBCSN Dave Randorf, Garry Galley,
Cassie Campbell-Pascall

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

Noon Game 3 – (2) Washington at (3) N.Y. Islanders NBC Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire
3 p.m. Game 3 – (2) Nashville at (3) Chicago NBC Kenny Albert, Brian Engblom,
Joe Micheletti
7 p.m. Game 3 – (1) Montreal at (4) Ottawa NBCSN Chris Cuthbert, Bret Hedican
10 p.m. Game 2 – (2) Vancouver at (3) Calgary NBCSN Jim Hughson, Craig Simpson, Scott Oake

 *Regionalized coverage: On Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, NBC will broadcast a regionalized presentation of Red Wings-Lightning and Wild-Blues. Click here to view a map of tomorrow’s regionalized coverage on NBC. The game which viewers do not receive on NBC will be shown on NBCSN in those markets.

 

 

TONIGHT – APRIL 17

NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh with analyst Keith Jones and guest analyst Shawn Thornton, begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Host Russ Thaler, analyst Anson Carter and guest analyst Brian Boucher will host CNBC’s studio coverage.

NBCSN and CNBC will present a pair of matchups at 7 p.m. ET. NBCSN’s coverage features Game 2 between the (3) New York Islanders and (3) Washington Capitals, as the Caps look to even the series. On Wednesday night, Islanders forward Brock Nelson scored twice en route to a 4-1 victory in Game 1. Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

CNBC presents Game 2 between the (4) Ottawa Senators and (1) Montreal Canadiens tonight at 7 p.m. ET, as Montreal looks to build off of its 4-3 win in Game 1. Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and Bret Hedican (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the action from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Que.

Tonight’s doubleheader action continues on NBCSN at 9:30 p.m. ET, as the (2) Nashville Predators look for a Game 2 victory over the (3) Chicago Blackhawks to even their first-round series. Chicago erased a 3-0 first-period deficit and Duncan Keith scored midway through double overtime to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win in Game 1. Gord Miller (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will have the call from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

CNBC’s Game 2 coverage continues tonight at 10 p.m. ET, when the (2) Vancouver Canucks host the (3) Calgary Flames. Calgary scored two third-period goals, including Kris Russell’s game-winner with 29.6 seconds left in regulation to lift the Flames to a 2-1 Game 1 victory. Jim Hughson, Craig Simpson and Scott Oake will provide live commentary from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 18

Saturday’s Stanley Cup Playoff coverage begins with NHL Live on NBCSN at 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by a 3 p.m. ET regional doubleheader on NBC and NBCSN. Select markets will receive Game 2 between the (3) Detroit Red Wings and (2) Tampa Bay Lightning on NBC, and Game 2 of the (4) Minnesota Wild-(1) St. Louis Blues series on NBCSN. Remaining markets will receive Wild-Blues on NBC, and Red Wings-Lightning on NBCSN. Follo

The Red Wings took a 1-0 series lead on Thursday night, powered by two goals from Pavel Datsyuk and 44 saves by goaltender Petr Mrazek in a 3-2 victory. Minnesota earned a 4-3 Game 1 victory against St. Louis on Thursday, as the Wild built an early lead and held on for a 4-2 win.

John Forslund (play-by-play) and Andy Brickley (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will have the call of Red Wings-Lightning from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call Wild-Blues from Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

NBC’s exclusive coverage continues Saturday night in primetime at 8 p.m. ET with Game 2 between the (1) New York Rangers and (4) Pittsburgh Penguins from Madison Square Garden, as the Rangers look to build off of a 2-1 win in Game 1.  Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and Sports Illustrated 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call from Madison Square Garden in New York.

Coverage shifts to NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night, when the (4) Winnipeg Jets look to even their series with the (1) Anaheim Ducks, following a 4-2 Ducks win on Thursday. Dave Randorf, Garry Galley and Cassie Campbell-Pascall will provide live game commentary from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

McHugh, Milbury and Roenick will anchor Saturday’s afternoon studio coverage on NHL Live on NBC and NBCSN, and will be joined by Jones for Saturday evening’s studio coverage.

 

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

NBC’s Sunday coverage begins at noon ET with Game 3 of the (3) Islanders and (2) Capitals first-round series from Long Island. Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will have the call from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.

NBC drops the puck on Game 3 between the (3) Blackhawks at (2) Predators at 3 p.m. ET, following the conclusion of Islanders-Capitals. Strader, Engblom and Micheletti will call the action from United Center in Chicago, Ill.

NBCSN’s coverage on Sunday begins at 7 p.m. ET with Game 3 of the (4) Senators-(1) Canadiens first-round clash. Cuthbert and Hedican will provide live commentary from Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ont.

This weekend’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoff coverage concludes Sunday at 10 p.m. ET with Game 3 between the (3) Flames and (2) Canucks. Hughson, Simpson and Oake will have the call from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alta.

McHugh, Milbury and Jones anchor NBC’s NHL Live coverage on Sunday, while Kathryn Tappen hosts NBCSN’s studio coverage on Sunday night alongside Roenick and Carter.

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.

The only exception to this is Sunday’s doubleheader on NBC. If Islanders-Capitals runs into the start of Blackhawks-Predators, the local markets of Chicago and Nashville will leave Islanders-Capitals to present Blackhawks-Predators in its entirety on NBC, while the remainder of the markets will stay with Islanders-Capitals. Viewers outside of Chicago and Nashville will be able to see the start of Blackhawks-Predators on NHL Network, until the conclusion of Islanders-Capitals, when it will then return to NBC where it will be seen in its entirety.


COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE

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. Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will provide the hometown fans of the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals, respectively, with comprehensive coverage throughout their teams’ Stanley Cup Playoff runs, including exclusive regional coverage of first-round games, pre- and post-game shows and extensive on-line coverage via Comcast SportsNet’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, and tablets – will stream comprehensive coverage of games airing on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC on NBC Sports Live Extra 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 and Windows Store.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

— NBC Sports Group —