Just one game tonight in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and it’s a potential elimination game for the Philadelphia Flyers as they hope to stay in contention against the New Jersey Devils. NBC Sports Network has the game from the City of Brotherly Love at 7:30 p.m.
Kenny Albert and Pierre McGuire have the call. NBC Sports Network begins its coverage at 6:30 p.m. with NHL Live.
And for last night’s thrilling New York Rangers win over the Washington Capitals was seen by 1.65 million people making it the third most-watched NHL Postseason game on the NBC Sports Group.
In New York, the game registered a 4.32 rating making it the highest local rating ever for an NHL contest on NBC Sports Network.
Here’s the NBC announcement.
DEVILS CAN ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINAL WITH WIN OVER FLYERS TONIGHT IN PHILADELPHIA
New Jersey @ Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET – NBC Sports Network
NEW YORK – May 8, 2012 – Day 28 – The NBC Sports Group continues its exclusive coverage of the Conference Semifinals tonight when the #5 Philadelphia Flyers host the #6 New Jersey Devils at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. The Devils lead the series 3-1 and can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2003 with a win, while the Flyers hope to stave off elimination and force a Game 6. Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Pierre McGuire (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the game. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with NHL Live on NBC Sports Network.
UPDATED CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE
Game 6 of the Rangers-Capitals series has been set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday on the NBC Sports Network. If necessary, Flyers-Devils Game 6 will be played Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, also on the NBC Sports Network.
7:30 p.m., Wed. May 9 #1 New York Rangers @ #7 Washington Capitals (Game 6) NBCSN Doc Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire 7:30 p.m., Thur. May 10 #5 Philadelphia Flyers @ #6 New Jersey Devils (Game 6)* NBCSN Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire * If necessary
VIEWERSHIP NOTES
Through 10 days, average viewership for the Semifinals of the 2012 NHL Playoffs on NBC Sports Network is up 48% compared to the same days last year (1,227,000 vs. 830,000). In the advertiser-coveted Men 18-49 demo, the Semifinals are averaging 532,000 viewers on NBC Sports Network, up 55% compared to last year (343,000).
New York recently set local records for both Rangers and Devils games, as did Phoenix for the Coyotes’ Game 5 clincher:
- For Capitals-Rangers Game 5 last night, which the Rangers won in dramatic fashion in overtime, New York received a 4.32 rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for an NHL game on NBC Sports Network. The game was up 108% from the Rangers’ 2008 two-game Semifinal average on NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) in the market (2.07).
o NBC Sports Network was the #1 rated cable network in New York during the 7:30P-10:30 p.m. ET time period.
o Nationally, the game was watched by 1.65 million viewers, making it the third-most watched game on the NBC Sports Network this post-season, trailing only Rangers-Caps Game 3 (3OT) (1.85 million) and Flyers-Devils Game 3 (1.66 million).
- For Devils-Flyers Game 4 on Sunday night, the New York market received a 2.37 rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a Devils game on NBC Sports Network.
- For last night’s Coyotes-Predators Game 5, which saw the Coyotes win the series and advance to the Western Conference Final, Phoenix received a 4.64 rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for an NHL game on NBC Sports Network.
o NBC Sports Network was the #1 rated cable network in Phoenix during the 7:30-9:45 p.m. PT time period.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
Praise for NBC Sports’ production of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs continued this past weekend with Tom Jones of Tampa Bay Times writing:
On Doc Emrick (5/6/2012): “A perfect scenario: overtime and NBC’s Mike Emrick on the play-by-play. No one makes playoff hockey more exciting than the Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster. Emrick never makes himself bigger than the game he is calling. But his uncanny sense of timing and right balance of emotion make a dramatic game more dramatic. When it comes to hockey, there’s Emrick and then there’s everyone else.”
On Pierre McGuire (5/7/2012): “Each game, it seems NBC NHL analyst Pierre McGuire shows why he is so valuable stationed between the benches… Best of all, NBC’s crew was paying attention, too… That’s first-rate TV.”
On Liam McHugh (5/7/2012): “Someone who’s young and impressive and well on his way to being a fixture for years to come… He is calm and controlled, yet enthusiastic and engaging.”
KINGS A SURPRISE? NOT FOR EDZO
Prior to the start of the 2011-12 season, NBC Sports’ NHL analyst Eddie Olczyk was interviewed by NHL.com and accurately predicted the success of the Kings (Oct. 3, 2011):
“I think one surprise team throughout the National Hockey League will be the Los Angeles Kings… I love the acquisition of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne giving them a little bit more depth, giving them a bit more support and help to Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. But I expect the L.A. Kings to take that next step, to win a round in the playoffs and to be a legitimate team to get to the Conference Finals in the Western Conference.”
CHANNEL FINDER
With all 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games airing nationally for the first time and the Conference Semifinals being carried exclusively on either NBC, NBC Sports Network or CNBC, the NBC Sports Group created a channel finder to help fans find those channels in their area by simply entering a zip code.
Click here for the channel finder.
COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE
Comcast SportsNet, the local home for the Capitals and Flyers, will closely follow hometown team playoff progress with pre- and post-game coverage, breaking news and analysis throughout each team’s playoff run. CSN Philadelphia will be doing live pre- and post-game programs for all Flyers games in the second round and CSN Mid-Atlantic will have one-hour Capitals Postgame Live shows for all Capitals games in the second round. Both networks will also have extensive coverage online.
GAMES TELEVISED SO FAR
For the first time in the 95-year history of the NHL, every Stanley Cup Playoff game will be televised nationally. The NBC Sports Group will provide unprecedented access to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in April, May and June, televising as many as 105 playoff games and possibly more than 262.5 hours of programming. Games will be presented on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, the NHL Network, and NBCUniversal’s business channel CNBC in primetime.
NBC Sports Network Thirty Eight* CNBC Thirteen NBC Ten NHL Network Six * Includes Devils-Panthers Conference Quarterfinal Game 7 that was joined in progress
That’s it.
