Tomorrow night, NBC Sports Network airs Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers live from Madison Square Garden. Mike “Doc” Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre “Mindless” McGuire.
Then on Sunday, the Conference Finals begin when NBC Sports Network starts airing the Los Angeles Kings-Phoenix Coyotes. Dave Strader, Brian Engblom and Brisn Heyward will be on the call.
The next day, the Eastern Conference Finals begin on NBCSN. The New Jersey Devils will play either the Rangers or Caps.
We have the press release from NBC Sports Network previewing the action over the next few days. It’s all posted below. Check it out.
NBC SPORTS GROUP TO AIR DECIDING GAME 7 OF RANGERS-CAPITALS SERIES TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK
Western Conference Final Starts Sunday with Los Angeles at Phoenix at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
NEW YORK – May 11, 2012 – Days 31-33 – The NBC Sports Group will conclude second-round coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday night with the Eastern Conference Semifinal Game 7 as the Rangers host the Capitals at 7:30 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. Coverage continues on Sunday with the start of the Conference Finals in Phoenix with Game 1 of the Western Conference between the #3 Coyotes and the #8 Los Angeles Kings at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Coverage begins with NHL Live at 7 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, on NBC Sports Network.
Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will call the Eastern Conference games. The team of Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) and Darren Pang (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will call Kings-Coyotes series.
Continuing through the Stanley Cup Final, all remaining Stanley Cup Playoff games will air exclusively on NBC and NBC Sports Network. Following is the current schedule for Conference Finals games. Scheduling for remaining games is TBA (all times ET and subject to change):
Sunday, May 13 8 p.m. #8 Los Angeles Kings at #3 Phoenix Coyotes (Game 1) NBC Sports Network Monday, May 14 8 p.m. Eastern Conference Final (Game 1) NBC Sports Network Tuesday, May 15 9 p.m. #8 Los Angeles Kings @ #3 Phoenix Coyotes (Game 2) NBC Sports Network Wednesday, May 16 8 p.m. Eastern Conference Final (Game 2) NBC Sports Network EMRICK ON RANGERS-CAPITALS GAME 7: “In Game 7’s, unlike Game 6’s, where you have one team whose hunger can sometimes not match that of a desperate opponent…you have both teams hungry, both throwing caution out the window when it comes to hitting, blocking shots. There’s a good chance the hero won’t be on the marquee. The stars often cancel, leaving room for the offensive hero to be Dan Girardi (vs. Ottawa) or Joel Ward (vs. Boston).”
OLCZYK ON THE KINGS: “As I said at the beginning of the year, before the playoffs started, they are the most dangerous team in the running. Skill, size, goalie and great motivating and direction from Darryl Sutter, I’m not surprised to see them here.”
EMRICK ON THE DEVILS: “In a spring of surprises, the Devils have surprised outsiders but not themselves. Whomever they get will be the biggest physical challenge they have had. Their games with the Rangers and Capitals are mean, grinding board-battles. They will rely on their experience–most among the five remaining teams–their fore-checking thievery and their goaltending.”
ENGBLOM ON THE COYOTES: “The Coyotes have stunned the NHL by advancing to the Western Conference finals. Their goaltender, Mike Smith has been astonishing and their committed team effort is inspiring to watch. They are up against Jonathan Quick, who has been every bit as good as Smith, and a Kings team that is big, fast, and dynamic on the fore-check, led by Dustin Brown and Mike Richards.”
CHANNEL FINDER
With all 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games airing nationally for the first time, the NBC Sports Group created a channel finder to help fans find NBC and NBC Sports Network in their area by simply entering a zip code.
Click here for the channel finder.
PRE-GAME & POST-GAME COVERAGE
NHL Live, NBC Sports Network’s NHL pre-game show, will air every game night a half hour before the game of the night begins. NHL Post-Game will air a 30-minute program following the conclusion of game coverage every night of the playoffs.
COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE
Comcast SportsNet, the local home for the Capitals will closely follow hometown team, if they win Saturday’s game, and their playoff progress with pre- and postgame coverage, breaking news and analysis throughout each team’s playoff run.
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 Forty* CNBC Thirteen NBC Ten NHL Network Six * Includes Devils-Panthers Conference Quarterfinal Game 7 that was joined in progress
That’s all.
