Ok, let’s take a look at what The Group will give us for the first round of the NHL Playoffs. Every game will be aired nationally on an NBC platform. NBC Sports Network, CNBC and NHL Network will air games on weeknights. NBC will have games on the weekend. And for the first time, we get a doubleheader on NBC on Sunday, April 15.
On most weeknights, NBC Sports Network will get a doubleheader. CNBC and NHL Network will pick up games as well and no game will be left uncovered.
In addition, all Conference Quarterfinal games on cable will be subject to local blackout as the regional sports networks will have precedence. Starting with the Conference Semifinals, NBC Sports Group will have exclusivity.
Here’s the NBC Sports Group press release.
NBC SPORTS GROUP’S COVERAGE OF 2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BEGINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH TRIPLE-HEADER
Flyers @ Penguins, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Red Wings @ Predators, 8 p.m. ET, CNBC
Kings @ Canucks, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
NHL Live drops puck on coverage at 6:30 p.m. ETNEW YORK – April 8, 2012 – The NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Wednesday night with the Eastern Conference’s #5 Philadelphia Flyers visiting in-state rival #4 Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Two additional games will air Wednesday night: the Western Conference #5 Detroit Red Wings travel to Nashville to face the #4 Predators at 8 p.m. ET on CNBC; and the Western Conference’s #8 Los Angeles Kings will meet the #1 Vancouver Canucks at 10:30 p.m. ET also on NBC Sports Network. Coverage begins on the NBC Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live.
The 2012 NHL post-season marks the first time in league history that every first-round playoff game is being televised on a national platform. In order to televise as many as five games on a given day/night during the first round, the NBC Sports Group will present match-ups on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, the NHL Network, and NBCUniversal’s business channel CNBC in primetime.
Following is the NBC Sports Group’s Conference Quarterfinal Television Schedule through Saturday, April 21. Scheduling for remaining first-round games is TBD. (NOTE: Games airing on NBC Sports Network, CNBC and the NHL Network are subject to local blackouts in the first round; all times ET and subject to change):
Wednesday, April 11 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh NBCSN 8 p.m. Detroit @ Nashville CNBC 10:30 p.m. Los Angeles @ Vancouver NBCSN Thursday, April 12 7 p.m. Ottawa @ New York Rangers NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Washington @ Boston NBCSN 7:30 p.m. San Jose @ St. Louis CNBC 10 p.m. Chicago @ Phoenix NBCSN Friday, April 13 7 p.m. New Jersey @ Florida NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Detroit @ Nashville CNBC 10 p.m. Los Angeles @ Vancouver NBCSN Saturday, April 14 3 p.m. Washington @ Boston NBC 7 p.m. Ottawa @ New York Rangers NBCSN 7:30 p.m. San Jose @ St. Louis CNBC 10 p.m. Chicago @ Phoenix NBCSN Sunday, April 15 Noon Nashville @ Detroit NBC 3 p.m. Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia NBC 7:30 p.m. New Jersey @ Florida NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Vancouver @ Los Angeles NBCSN Monday, April 16 7:30 p.m. Boston @ Washington NBCSN 7:30 p.m. New York Rangers @ Ottawa CNBC 10 p.m. St. Louis @ San Jose NBCSN Tuesday, April 17 7 p.m. Florida @ New Jersey NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Nashville @ Detroit NBCSN 9 p.m. Phoenix @ Chicago CNBC Wednesday, April 18 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia NBCSN 7:30 p.m. New York Rangers @ Ottawa CNBC 10 p.m. Vancouver @ Los Angeles NBCSN Thursday, April 19 7 p.m. Florida @ New Jersey NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Boston @ Washington NBCSN 8 p.m. Phoenix @ Chicago CNBC 10:30 p.m. St. Louis @ San Jose NBCSN Friday, April 20 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh NBCSN 8 p.m. Detroit @ Nashville CNBC Saturday, April 21 3 p.m. Washinton @ Boston NBC 6:30 p.m. New Jersey @ Florida NHL Network 7 p.m. Ottawa @ New York Rangers NBCSN 7:30 p.m. San Jose @ St. Louis CNBC 10 p.m. Chicago @ Phoenix NBCSN ******************************************************************************
And that will do it for the NHL posts. I’ll have a Mad Men post around 11:30 p.m.
