Continuing with its policy of airing teams that from the Eastern and Central time zones, NBC has selected Chicago at Washington as its NHL Game of the Week for March 13. While last week’s Hockey Day in America did give us eight teams and two games overall, none of the teams were farther west than Minneapolis. One of these days, NBC will decide to show a team from either the Mountain or Pacific time zones and I’ll make it a big deal, but for now, since the network went to the 12:30 p.m. Sunday time slot, we have not seen a team from the West Coast. Oh well. Here’s the press release from NBC Sports.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS FLEXED AS NBC SPORTS’ “NHL GAME OF THE WEEK” ON SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Six 2011 NHL All-Stars Take To The Ice For Inter-Conference Clash
NEW YORK (February 24, 2011) –The Sunday, March 13, Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals game has been flexed as NBC Sports’ “Game of the Week” and will be played at Verizon Center at 12:30 p.m. ET, the National Hockey League and NBC Sports announced today.
The only meeting between these marquee clubs this season, the ice will be filled with NHL All-Stars on both sides: Chicago Captain Jonathan Toews leads Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, 2011 All-Star Game MVP Patrick Sharp and the rest of the Blackhawks (31-23-6) into Washington for the first time since Oct. 11, 2008, to face Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and the Capitals (32-19-10).
In the only meeting of the teams last season, the Capitals erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring three third-period goals in the span of two minutes and 16 seconds, eventually winning on an overtime goal from Nicklas Backstrom. In that game, played in Chicago and televised by NBC Sports, Ovechkin received a game misconduct and a subsequent two-game suspension for a first-period hit on Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell.
As the NHL approaches the final quarter of the 2010-11 regular season, both the Blackhawks and Capitals need every point they can earn. Currently tied for 9th place in the Western Conference with 68 points, the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks are two points out of a playoff spot. In what is shaping up to be a historic Western Conference playoff race, Chicago currently sits within two points of seven other clubs. Washington is fifth in the Eastern Conference, but only three points behind Tampa Bay for the Southeast Division lead and one of the top three seeds in the conference. The game against Chicago will be the final home game for the Caps before heading on a critical six-game road trip.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING
At least 13 days prior to the scheduled game, one game is selected for broadcast on NBC. All NBC games will be broadcast on Sundays and all games will be presented in HD. Games not flexed to NBC will be available to the teams’ regional carriers and remain at the originally announced start time. The Mar. 13 match-up was first announced on the Thursday, Feb. 24, edition of “NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman” on NHL.com and SIRIUS XM Radio airing from 6-7 p.m. ET. All subsequent flexed games will be announced on NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman.Upcoming 2011 NBC Game of the Week Regular-Season Flexible Schedule
Mar. 6 PHILADELPHIA AT NY RANGERS 12:30 p.m. ET Mar. 13 CHICAGO AT WASHINGTON 12:30 p.m. ET Mar. 20 NY Rangers at Pittsburgh OR
New Jersey at ColumbusTBD Apr. 3 NY Rangers at Philadelphia OR
Minnesota at Detroit OR
Tampa Bay at ChicagoTBD Apr. 10 Boston at New Jersey OR
Pittsburgh at Atlanta OR
Detroit at Chicago OR
Dallas at MinnesotaTBD
That’s it.
