Ratings For the 2011 Conference Semis on VERSUS, Night-by-Night and Series-by-Series

By Night

Thursday, April 28

8:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 82,000 viewers
9:00 p.m. Nashville vs. Vancouver, Game 1 – 484,000 viewers
11:41 p.m. Hockey Central – 209,000 viewers

Friday, April 29

6:30 p.m. Hockey Central - 127,000 viewers
7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay vs. Washington, Game 1 - 724,000 viewers
9:52 p.m. Hockey Central - 536,000 viewers
10:00 p.m. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 1* - 608,000 viewers
1:03 a.m. Hockey Central - 301,000 viewers

Saturday, April 30

8:30 p.m. Hockey Central - 115,000 viewers
9:00 p.m. Nashville vs. Vancouver, Game 2 - 582,000 viewers
1:06 a.m. Hockey Central - 127,000 viewers

Sunday, May 1

6:30 p.m. Hockey Central - 198,000 viewers
7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay vs. Washington, Game 2 - 1,261,000 viewers
10:05 p.m. Hockey Central - 497,000 viewers

Monday, May 2

7:00 p.m. Hockey Central - 280,000 viewers
7:30 p.m. Boston vs. Philadelphia, Game 2 - 1,699,000 viewers
10:48 p.m. Hockey Central - 428,000 viewers

Tuesday, May 3

6:00 p.m. Hockey Central – 58,000 viewers
6:30 p.m. Washington vs. Tampa Bay, Game 3 – 511,000 viewers
9:00 p.m. Vancouver vs. Nashville, Game 3 – 591,000 viewers
12:17 a.m. Hockey Central – 173,000 viewers

Wednesday, May 4

6:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 85,000 viewers
7:00 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 3 – 1,234,000 viewers
9:39 p.m. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 3 – 786,000 viewers
11:13 p.m. Hockey Central – 344,000 viewers

Thursday, May 5

8:00 p.m. Hockey Central – 169,000 viewers
8:30 p.m. Vancouver vs. Nashville, Game 4 – 702,000 viewers
11:19 p.m. Hockey Central – 330,000 viewers

Friday, May 6

6:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 251,000 viewers
7:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 4 -  944,000 viewers
9:45 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 4 – 836,000 viewers
10:49 p.m. Hockey Central – 278,000 viewers

Saturday, May 7

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 199,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. Nashville vs. Vancouver, Game 5 – 627,000
11:00 p.m. Hockey Central – 251,000 viewers

Sunday, May 8

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 257,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 5 – 1,627,000 viewers
10:40 p.m. Hockey Central – 600,000 viewers

Monday, May 9

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 168,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. Vancouver vs. Nashville, Game 6 – 679,000 viewers
10:55 p.m. Hockey Central – 283,000 viewers

Tuesday, May 10

7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 197,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 6 – 1,021,000 viewers
10:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 382,000 viewers

Thursday, May 12

8:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 226,000 viewers
9:00 p.m. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 7 – 1,251,000 viewers
11:56 p.m. Hockey Central – 277,000 viewers

By Series (*-Exclusive in home markets)

Eastern Conference

#5 Tampa Bay vs. #1 Washington

Game 1* (4/29/11): 724,000 viewers
Game 2* (5/1/11): 1,261,000 viewers
Game 3 (5/3/11): 511,000 viewers

#3 Boston vs. #2 Philadelphia

Game 2* (5/2/11): 1,699,000 viewers
Game 3* (5/4/11): 1,234,000 viewers

Western Conference

#5 Nashville vs. #1 Vancouver

Game 1* (4/28/11): 484,000 viewers
Game 2* (4/30/11): 582,000 viewers
Game 3 (5/3/11): 591,000 viewers
Game 4 (5/5/11): 702,000 viewers
Game 5* (5/7/11): 627,000 viewers
Game 6 (5/9/11): 679,000 viewers

#3 Detroit vs. #2 San Jose

Game 1 (4/29/11): 608,000 viewers
Game 4* (5/6/11): 944,000 viewers
Game 5* (5/8/11): 1,627,000 viewers
Game 6 (5/10/11): 1,021,000 viewers
Game 7 (5/12/11): 1,251,000 viewers

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night 30 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 1, 8:00 p.m. ET

National TV (Canada): CBC
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

National TV (US): VERSUS
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Brian Engblom
Inside the Glass: Darren Pang

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night 29 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 1, 8:00 p.m. ET

National TV (US): VERSUS
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

National TV (Canada): CBC
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley
Reporter: Scott Oake

Matthew Barnaby Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

One of ESPN’s most public NHL faces spent Friday night behind bars. According to the Buffalo News, former NHLer (for a number of teams, most notably the Sabres) Matthew Barnaby was arrested on domestic violence charges after an incident this evening in Western New York at about 6:15 p.m. ET that involved two as-of-yet unidentified women (though it has been confirmed that neither were Barnaby’s ESPN anchor girlfriend Michelle Beadle), according to WIVB-TV in Buffalo. The charges leveled against the former NHL pugilist include the following:

• Criminal mischief
• Criminal trespass,
• Harassment
• Criminal contempt
• Aggravated harassment

We are NOT going to pass judgement on Barnaby, as it would not be prudent to do so until he has been proven guilty in a court of law. This man is going to hear every insult in the book levied at him before a word is spoken in court (if this even makes it to trial), I don’t plan to add my voice to the chorus. That all said, ESPN may be forced to cut ties to the analyst regardless, as the stigma associated with domestic violence will likely follow Barnaby around no matter what. It makes me sick to my stomach to have to post this at all.

For their part, ESPN released this brief statement to SI’s Richard Deitsch, ”We just learned of it so it would be inappropriate to comment.” Common sense would expect ESPN to keep Barnaby off the air for at least the rest of the post-season, and likely let this play out over the summer, with a firing certain should he be proven guilty. For now, we assume nothing about Barnaby’s guilt until that does happen.

Record Ratings For Game 7 in the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Comcast SportsNet California, the home of “Authentic Bay Area Sports,” registered its highest San Jose Sharks rating ever last night (May 12) – a 7.14 average household rating for its live coverage of the Sharks’ Game 7 second-round clinching victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The previous high was Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Semifinals against the Red Wings, which posted a 6.57 on Comcast SportsNet California (5/8/10).

Sharks-Red Wings Game 7 attracted approximately 180,000 households for the entire game and scored a 10.13 peak rating from 8:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. (over 256,000 households). Sharks Postgame Live registered its highest rating ever with a 3.76 (over 95,000 households).

In addition, Comcast SportsNet California was the top-rated network in the key advertising demographics of Adults 18-49 (4.71), Adults 25-54 (4.61), Men 18-49 (5.70) and Men 25-54 (5.87) during last night’s Sharks-Red Wings telecast.

Ratings For Night 29 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Plus updated Top 10. I’ll do Round 2 by night and by series first thing Monday.

Thursday, May 12

8:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 226,000 viewers
9:00 p.m. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 7 – 1,251,000 viewers
11:56 p.m. Hockey Central – 277,000 viewers

1. Boston vs. Philadelphia, Game 2 (5/2/11) – 1,699,000 viewers
2. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 5 (5/8/11) – 1,627,000 viewers
3. Tampa Bay vs. Washington, Game 2 (5/1/11) – 1,261,000 viewers
4. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 7 (5/12/11) – 1,251,000 viewers
5. Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 3 (5/4/11) - 1,234,000 viewers
6. Vancouver vs. Chicago, Game 6 (4/24/11) – 1,157,000 viewers
7. Chicago vs. Vancouver, Game 7 (4/26/11) – 1,130,000 viewers
8. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 6 (5/10/11) – 1,021,000 viewers
9. Buffalo vs. Philadelphia, Game 7 (4/26/11) – 984,000 viewers
10. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 4 (5/6/11) – 944,000 viewers

(Source: Son of the Bronx) 

Ratings For Nights 25-28 of the Playoffs

With an updated Top 10, of course.

Saturday, May 7
7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 199,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. Nashville vs. Vancouver, Game 5 – 627,000
11:00 p.m. Hockey Central – 251,000 viewers

Sunday, May 8
7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 257,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 5 – 1,627,000 viewers
10:40 p.m. Hockey Central – 600,000 viewers

Monday, May 9
7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 168,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. Vancouver vs. Nashville, Game 6 – 679,000 viewers
10:55 p.m. Hockey Central – 283,000 viewers

Tuesday, May 10
7:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 197,000 viewers
8:00 p.m. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 6 – 1,021,000 viewers
10:30 p.m. Hockey Central – 382,000 viewers

10 Most Watched Games of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs on VERSUS

1. Boston vs. Philadelphia, Game 2 (5/2/11) – 1,699,000 viewers
2. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 5 (5/8/11) – 1,627,000 viewers
3. Tampa Bay vs. Washington, Game 2 (5/1/11) – 1,261,000 viewers
4. Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 3 (5/4/11) - 1,234,000 viewers
5. Vancouver vs. Chicago, Game 6 (4/24/11) – 1,157,000 viewers
6. Chicago vs. Vancouver, Game 7 (4/26/11) – 1,130,000 viewers
7. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 6 (5/10/11) – 1,021,000 viewers
8. Buffalo vs. Philadelphia, Game 7 (4/26/11) – 984,000 viewers
9. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 4 (5/6/11) – 944,000 viewers
10. Buffalo vs. Philadelphia, Game 5 (4/22/11) – 931,000 viewers

Conference Finals Daily Schedule

Saturday, May 14
8:00 Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 1 (VERSUS/CBC)

Sunday, May 15
8:00 San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 1 (CBC/VERSUS)

Tuesday, May 17
8:00 Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 2 (VERSUS/TSN)

Wednesday, May 18
9:00 San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 2 (CBC/VERSUS)

Thursday, May 19
8:00 Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 3 (VERSUS/TSN)

Friday, May 20
9:00 Vancouver vs. San Jose, Game 3 (VERSUS/CBC)

Saturday, May 21
1:30 Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 4 (NBC/TSN)

Sunday, May 22
3:00 Vancouver vs. San Jose, Game 4 (NBC/CBC)

Monday, May 23
8:00 Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 5 (VERSUS/CBC)

Tuesday, May 24
9:00 San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 5 (CBC/VERSUS)

Wednesday, May 25
8:00 Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 6 (VERSUS/CBC)

Thursday, May 26
9:00 Vancouver vs. San Jose, Game 6 (VERSUS/CBC)

Friday, May 27
8:00 Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 7 (VERSUS/CBC)

Saturday, May 28
8:00 San Jose vs. Vancouver, Game 7 (CBC/VERSUS)

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night 28 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 7, 9:00 p.m. ET

National TV (US): VERSUS
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

National TV (Canada): TSN
Play by Play: Chris Cuthbert
Color: Ray Ferraro

NHL Net to Preview the Conference Finals

NEW YORK/TORONTO (May 12, 2011) – NHL Network™ today announced its

coverage plans for the Conference Finals round of the 2011 Stanley Cup®

Playoffs, beginning with a special preview show on Friday, May 13.

NHL Network will host a one-hour NHL On The Fly: Conference Finals

Preview show from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET. Host David Amber will mediate an

all-goalie panel with regular contributor Kevin Weekes and special guest

analyst and Chicago Blackhawks netminder Marty Turco, who also will be

joining the NHL On The Fly cast throughout the Conference Finals.