Ovechkin & Crosby Clash In Stanley Cup Playoffs For First Time Since 2009
NBC Sports Group’s Exclusivity Begins in Second Round; Game Schedule and Commentators Announced Through Game 4
Game 1 Western Conference Doubleheader Tomorrow on NBCSN – Blues-Stars at 8 p.m. ET, Followed by Predators-Sharks at 10:30 p.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 28, 2016 – Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby go head-to-head in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009 tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, when the (1) Washington Capitals host the (2) Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their Second Round series.
Kenny Albert (play-by-play), U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call tonight’s Penguins-Capitals Game 1 matchup from Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Coverage on NBCSN begins at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick.
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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 – THURSDAY, APRIL 28 (All times ET)
THURSDAY, APRIL 28 | |||
| Time | Coverage | Network | Commentators |
| 7 p.m. | NHL Live | NBCSN | Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick |
| 8 p.m. | Game 1 – (2) Pittsburgh at (1) Washington | NBCSN | Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
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.
GAME 1 – (2) PENGUINS AT (1) CAPITALS – TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
This marks the first playoff meeting between the Penguins and Capitals since 2009, when Pittsburgh trailed Washington 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, but rallied to win the series in seven games. The Penguins are 7-1 all-time in playoff series against the Capitals, with their lone loss coming during the 1994 Playoffs.
The Penguins defeated the Rangers in five games to advance to the Second Round this season, capping the series with a convincing 6-3 win in Pittsburgh. The Capitals handled the Flyers in six games in their first-round series, in which Braden Holtby allowed just five goals.
Crosby and Ovechkin’s only playoff encounter came during the 2009 playoffs, and both players produced in the series; Ovechkin recorded eight goals and six assists, while Crosby posted eight goals and five assists. Pittsburgh won the decisive Game 7 by a score of 6-2, as Crosby netted two power play goals in the win.
CROSBY VS. OVECHKIN – TALE OF THE TAPE | ||
| Sidney Crosby | Career Stats | Alex Ovechkin |
| 707 | Games Played | 839 |
| 338 | Goals | 525 |
| 600 | Assists | 441 |
| 938 | Points | 966 |
| 1.33 | Points Per Game | 1.15 |
| 2 | MVP Awards | 3 |
| 2 | Art Ross Trophies | 1 |
| 1 | Maurice Richard Trophies | 6 (4 straight) |
| 105 | Playoff Games Played | 78 |
| 126 | Playoff Points | 75 |
| 12 | Playoff Series Won | 5 |
| 1 | Stanley Cups | 0 |
SECOND-ROUND SCHEDULE AND COMMENTATORS ANNOUNCED THROUGH GAME 4
Following is NBC Sports Group’s telecast and game commentator schedule through Friday, May 6 – all times ET and subject to change:
THURSDAY, APRIL 28 | |||
| 8 p.m. | Game 1 – (2) Pittsburgh at (1) Washington | NBCSN | Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
FRIDAY, APRIL 29 | |||
| 8 p.m. | Game 1 – (2) St. Louis at (1) Dallas | NBCSN | John Forslund, Pierre McGuire |
| 10:30 p.m. | Game 1 – (WC1) Nashville at (3) San Jose | NBCSN | Chris Cuthbert, Joe Micheletti |
SATURDAY, APRIL 30 | |||
| 3 p.m. | Game 2 – (WC1) N.Y. Islanders at (2) Tampa Bay | NBC | Kenny Albert, Brian Boucher |
| 8 p.m. | Game 2 – (2) Pittsburgh at (1) Washington | NBC | Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
SUNDAY, MAY 1 | |||
| 3 p.m. | Game 2 – (2) St. Louis at (1) Dallas | NBC | John Forslund, Pierre McGuire |
| 8 p.m. | Game 2 – (WC1) Nashville at (3) San Jose | NBCSN | Chris Cuthbert, Joe Micheletti |
MONDAY, MAY 2 | |||
| 8 p.m. | Game 3 – (1) Washington at (2) Pittsburgh | NBCSN | Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
TUESDAY, MAY 3 | |||
| 7 p.m. | Game 3 – (2) Tampa Bay at (WC1) N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | Kenny Albert, Brian Boucher |
| 9 p.m. | Game 3 – (3) San Jose at (WC1) Nashville | USA Network | Chris Cuthbert, Joe Micheletti |
| 9:30 p.m. | Game 3 – (1) Dallas at (2) St. Louis | NBCSN | John Forslund, Pierre McGuire |
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 | |||
| 8 p.m. | Game 4 – (1) Washington at (2) Pittsburgh | NBCSN | Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
THURSDAY, MAY 5 | |||
| 8 p.m. | Game 4 – (1) Dallas at (2) St. Louis | NBCSN | John Forslund, Pierre McGuire |
| 9 p.m. | Game 4 – (3) San Jose at (WC1) Nashville | CNBC | Chris Cuthbert, Joe Micheletti |
FRIDAY, MAY 6 | |||
| 7 p.m. | Game 4 – (2) Tampa Bay at (WC1) N.Y. Islanders | NBCSN | Kenny Albert, Brian Boucher |
GAMES TELEVISED SO FAR
For the fifth consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network are combining to televise every Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally.
| Network | Games |
| NBC | 6 |
| NBCSN | 25 |
| USA Network | 5 |
| CNBC | 10 |
| NHL Network | 2 |
| Total | 48 |
One-goal Games: 27
OT games: 7
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 43 million U.S. households. NBC Sports Regional Networks serve the hometown fans of the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals, delivering extensive pre- and post-game coverage as well as breaking news and analysis throughout both teams’ playoff runs.
NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE
NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will stream 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff coverage 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, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--