Tonight, The Group has four NHL postseason games and all of NBC’s cable platforms assigned to carry the contests will be utilized. CNBC will carry San Jose at St. Louis, NHL Network has Ottawa at the New York Rangers while NBC Sports Network has a doubleheader with the defending Stanley Cup Champions Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks visiting the Phoenix Coyotes.
Four games played tonight. Four games being aired nationally. This is the way things are supposed to be done. Again, we don’t have announcing assignments. I was told they were coming today, but they’re not here.
But we do have the schedule of games and let’s check what NBC Sports Group is saying.
2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS — DAY 2
FOUR POST-SEASON SERIES START TONIGHT
Ottawa @ New York Rangers, 7 p.m. ET – NHL Network
Washington @ Boston, 7:30 p.m. ET – NBC Sports Network
San Jose @ St. Louis, 7:30 p.m. ET – CNBC
Chicago @ Phoenix, 10 p.m. ET – NBC Sports Network
Coverage begins nightly with NHL Live at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports NetworkNEW YORK – April 12, 2012 – Day 2 – The NBC Sports Group continues to present the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight with four Conference Quarterfinal Game 1’s across NBC Sports Network (double-header), CNBC, and NHL Network.
TONIGHT
At 7 p.m. ET on NHL Network, the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded New York Rangers host the #8 Ottawa Senators to begin the night. Then at 7:30 p.m. ET, the #2 Boston Bruins host #7 Washington Capitals in an Eastern Conference battle on NBC Sports Network, while the #2 St. Louis Blues host the #7 San Jose Sharks on CNBC at the same time. The final game of the night is with the #3 Phoenix Coyotes hosting the #6 Chicago Blackhawks at 10 p.m. ET. Coverage begins every game night at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live on NBC Sports Network. Tonight’s schedule (all times ET):
7 p.m. #8 Ott @ #1 NYR (Game 1) NHL Network 7:30 p.m. #7 Was @ #2 Bos (Game 1) NBCSN 7:30 p.m. #7 SJ @ #2 STL (Game 1) CNBC 10 p.m. #6 Chi @ #3 Pho (Game 1) NBCSN COMCAST SPORTSNETS
In addition, four Comcast SportsNets – California (San Jose Sharks), Chicago (Blackhawks), Mid-Atlantic (Capitals) and Philadelphia (Flyers) — will air live first-round coverage in their local markets. Those networks will also surround their live games with additional Stanley Cup-related coverage. Tonight’s CSN schedule (all times ET):
7:30 p.m. #7 SJ @ #2 STL (Game 1) CSN California 10 p.m. #6 Chi @ #3 Pho (Game 1) CSN Chicago Comcast SportsNet New England will air special pre- and post-game coverage for all Bruins games throughout the playoffs, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis of the team’s playoff run throughout all CSNNE programming and online at CSNNE.com.
CHANNEL FINDER
With every 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game airing nationally for the first time, the NBC Sports Group created a channel finder to help fans find NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC or NHL Network in their area by simply entering a zip code.
Click here for the channel finder: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46907840/ns/sports-nhl/
HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST NIGHT
Milbury on Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau: “Their legacies are on the line for me…This is a chance for them to re-cement themselves as premium players. I think they’re ready to do it, actually.”
Emrick on Flyers-Penguins: “These two teams are neighbors. They’re not friends.”
Milbury on Mike Smith: “Don Maloney does a brilliant job getting him for $2 million bucks, and he turns out to be one of the finest goaltenders on the planet. Who saw this coming?”
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 Two CNBC One NHL Network None NBC None
That’s all.
