FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 7th, 2015

DAY 23 – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AND CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS CAN ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS WITH GAME 4 VICTORIES TONIGHT ON NBCSN

Game 4 – (1) Canadiens-(2) Lightning – Lightning Lead 3-0 – Tonight at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Game 4 – (3) Blackhawks-(4) Wild – Blackhawks Lead 3-0 – Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Tampa and New York Markets Continue to Produce Local Ratings Milestones

First Two Rounds of Stanley Cup Playoffs Highlighted by Record-Setting Buzzer-Beaters and One-Goal Games

IIHF World Hockey Championship Coverage Continues Tomorrow – Team USA vs. Denmark at 2 p.m. ET

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 7, 2015 – Following the excitement of last night’s game-winning buzzer-beater by (2) Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson – the second buzzer-beater of the second round, and only the fourth such goal in NHL playoff history – the Lightning and the (3) Chicago Blackhawks look to advance to their respective Conference Finals tonight with Game 4 victories on NBCSN.

Game action begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when Steven Stamkos and the Lightning host P.K. Subban and the (1) Montreal Canadiens. Coverage continues at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, following the conclusion of Canadiens-Lightning, when Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks look to close out their series against Zach Parise and the (4) Minnesota Wild.

Pre-game coverage begins on NBCSN at 6 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh, with analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.

 

TAMPA AND NEW YORK MARKETS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE LOCAL RATINGS MILESTONES

NBC Sports Group’s exclusive second-round coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs continues to produce local ratings milestones in the Tampa and New York markets.

 

  • Last night’s Game 3 Canadiens-Lightning telecast on USA Network produced a 5.9 rating in Tampa, making it the highest-rated Round 2 Lightning game ever on NBCSN/CNBC/USA Network in the Tampa market.

 

  • Last night’s Game 4 Rangers-Capitals telecast on NBCSN produced a 5.0 rating in New York, eclipsing Game 3’s New York rating (4.9) as the second highest-rated Round 2 Rangers game ever on NBCSN in the market (2014 Game 7 vs. Pittsburgh; 5.8).

 

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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 – THURSDAY, MAY 7 (All times ET)

Time Coverage Network Commentators
6 p.m. NHL Live NBCSN Liam McHugh, Mike
Milbury, Keith Jones
7 p.m. Game 4 – (1) Montreal at (2) Tampa Bay NBCSN Kenny Albert, Joe Micheletti
9:30 p.m. Game 4 –  (3) Chicago at (4) Minnesota NBCSN Mike “Doc” Emrick,
Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire

 

 

GAME 4 – (1) CANADIENS-(2) LIGHTNING – TONIGHT AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN – LIGHTNING LEAD 3-0

The Lightning look to close out their series with the Canadiens tonight at home at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, following the NHL playoffs’ second buzzer-beating game-winner in less than a week. Last night, Tyler Johnson scored with 1.1 seconds left to stun the Canadiens and steal a 2-1 Game 3 victory, netting his league-leading eighth goal of the postseason. Last week, Capitals forward Joel Ward scored with 1.3 seconds left in the third period to give Washington a 2-1 Game 1 win over the Rangers. Prior to Johnson and Ward’s goals, only twice in NHL playoff history had a game-winning goal been scored in the final two seconds of regulation.

Tampa Bay has dominated Montreal this season, winning all five matchups in the regular season, and three straight games to start this series. With a win, Tampa Bay will advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2010 when the Lightning lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games, and face the winner of the Rangers-Capitals series.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will have the call from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

 


GAME 4 – (3) BLACKHAWKS-(4) WILD – TONIGHT AT 9:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN – BLACKHAWKS LEAD 3-0

The Chicago Blackhawks look to advance to the Western Conference Final with a Game 4 win and sweep of the Minnesota Wild tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The Blackhawks forced the Wild to the brink of elimination with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday night, as Patrick Kane scored in the first period and Corey Crawford made 30 saves to record the shutout. Kane now boasts 50 points in 51 playoff games over the past three seasons, and over his career, has recorded 102 points in 102 playoff games.

The Blackhawks will look to advance and make their third consecutive Western Conference Final appearance, where they would face the winner of the Ducks-Flames series.

Three-time 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 Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will call the action from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.


FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS HIGHLIGHTED BY RECORD-SETTING BUZZER-BEATERS AND ONE-GOAL GAMES

The first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs have been highlighted by late-game goals, including a record number of game-winning buzzer-beaters, as well as close finishes to the majority of games. Per the NHL and Elias:

 

  • There were only two game-winning goals scored in the final two seconds of regulation in Stanley Cup Playoffs history prior to this week – by Maple Leafs forward Bob Pulford on April 11, 1964 vs. DET (19:58, Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final), and Hurricanes forward Jussi Jokinen on April 21, 2009 vs. NJD (19:59, Game 4 of CQF).

 

  • Johnson’s game-winner was the fourth game-winner in the final minute of regulation this postseason, in addition to Ward’s goal earlier this round. The others, both in the First Round, were by Flames defenseman Kris Russell (at 19:30 of the third period in Game 1 at VAN) and Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg (at 19:39 of the third period in Game 2 vs. WPG).

 

  • Nine of the 13 games played thus far during the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs have featured one-goal margins (69.2%), including each of the past five. Overall, 35 of the 60 total games contested thus far in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs have featured one-goal margins OR two-goal margins following an empty-net goal (58.3%).

 


IIHF WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE CONTINUES TOMORROW – TEAM USA VS. DENMARK AT 2 P.M. ET


NBCSN’s coverage of the IIHF World Hockey Championship continues tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET, when Jack Eichel and Team USA face Denmark in preliminary-round action. Team USA defeated defending-champion Russia 4-2 on Monday, but will look to rebound from today’s 5-2 loss to Belarus.

 

GAMES TELEVISED SO FAR

For the fourth consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network are combining to televise every Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally.

 

Network Games
NBC 9
NBCSN 32
USA Network 8
CNBC 10
NHL-N 1
Total 58

 

One-goal Games: 31

OT games: 12

 


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 pre- and post-game shows and extensive on-line coverage via Comcast SportsNet’s team of NHL Insiders.


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 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.

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