Capitals/Rangers Game 2 Draws Biggest Cable Audience This Post-Season

NBC Sports Network saw it’s best numbers of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the backs of Alexander Ovechkin’s heroics Monday night.

Game 2 between the Capitals and the Rangers drew a whopping 1.53 million viewers, the best number on NBC Sports Network or CNBC this post-season. Only seven games from the entire 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs on VERSUS drew more viewers, and only two games from last year’s Conference Semifinals had more viewers.

Oddly enough, NBCSN is down year-to-year, as one of those two games with more viewers took place on the comparable date last year. Yes, Caps/Rangers is a 10% dip from Game 2 between Boston and Philadelphia in 2011. Still, NBCSN drew an 0.7 Adults 18-49 demo rating, tied for 10th on cable Monday night, and tied for seventh among original programming. With the Caps evening up this series, expect bigger numbers as the post-season moves on.

Top 10 Most-watched Games of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Cable

1. Washington vs. NY Rangers, Game 2 (4/30/12): 1.53 million
2. Washington vs. Boston, Game 7 (4/25/12, NBCSN): 1.32 million
3. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5 (4/20/12, NBCSN): 1.07 million
4. Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 4 (4/18/12, NBCSN): 1.03 million
5. Ottawa vs. NY Rangers, Game 7 (4/26/12, NBCSN): 984,000
6. New Jersey vs. Florida, Game 7 (4/26/12, NBCSN): 867,000
7. NY Rangers vs. Ottawa, Game 6 (4/23/12, NBCSN): 861,000
8. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 1 (4/11/12, NBCSN): 847,000
9. Los Angeles vs. Vancouver, Game 5 (4/22/12, NBCSN): 817,000
10. Boston vs. Washington, Game 3 (4/16/12, NBCSN): 804,000

(Source: TVBytheNumbers)