NBC Promotes Game 7 Coverage

NEW YORK – June 11, 2009 – NBC Sports will broadcast the seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup Final between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, tomorrow, 8 p.m. ET from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Penguins forced a Game 7 with a nail-biting 2-1 home-ice victory Tuesday night. 

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass analyst) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty in the on-location studio show alongside Mike Milbury and former NHL netminder Darren Pang. 

Detroit is seeking its 12th Stanley Cup championship in their long history as an NHL “Original Six” franchise, having won their 11th Cup last season against Pittsburgh; the Penguins have won two championships (1991 & 92). Twenty-one current Red Wings players (total of 40 times) have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup compared with just five for the Penguins. 

OLCZYK ON STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 7: “Players are always thinking about it, dreaming about it, wondering what it would be like. There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ going on in players’ minds right now. This is about opportunity, it’s about history, it’s about forever. It is the ultimate in professional sports.” [Olczyk was a member of the 1994 New York Rangers team that won the Stanley Cup Final by defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7]. 

OLCZYK ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN: “The greatest equalizer in professional sports is goaltending. One team can play great but if the guy in the other net says ‘no,’ that will be the decider.” 

OLCZYK ON WHAT A RED WINGS WIN WOULD MEAN TO DETROIT: “I think the people of Detroit are looking for something to grab on to. In practical terms, a Stanley Cup Final can’t erase what this city is going through, but as a means to help them feel pride in their city, to help provide some relief and some excitement, it’s important to Detroit.” 

MILBURY ON THE PENGUINS UNPREDICTABLE PLAY: “The Penguins have more mood swings than a teenage girl.” 

MCGUIRE ON THE PENGUINS: “They are much more mature both mentally and athletically than last year. They are much better equipped to handle the theater.” 

MCGUIRE ON HOW PITTSBURGH WINS: “Pittsburgh will win if they stay out of the penalty box, Fleury repeats his performance from Game 6 and their star players find a way to fight through the matchup of Zetterberg, Lidstrom and Rafalski.” 

MCGUIRE ON HOW DETROIT WINS: “Detroit wins if they get an early lead to keep the crowd in it and force the pace to keep the Pittsburgh defense on their heels.” 

MCGUIRE ON THE RED WINGS: “The problem for Pittsburgh is that Detroit is so poised, so professional, that Pittsburgh has to play an almost perfect game, particularly in goal, to beat them.” 

GAME 7 NOTES 
· In the last 18 Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Final, NBA Finals and World Series combined over 30 years, the home teams have won all 18. 
· The last road team to win a Game 7 came from Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the ’79 World Series. 
· Friday’s Game 7 is the 15th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final history – the home team is 12-2. 
· The last road team to win a Stanley Cup Final was the 1971 Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Blackhawks in Chicago. 
· The Pittsburgh Penguins have never lost a Game 7 on the road in four tries.

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