NHL Network Will Announce the Playoff Schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET
April 3, 2012 8 Comments
The NHL typically ends it’s seasons on a Sunday, with games ending around 7 or 8 p.m. ET, so that the Stanley Cup Playoff schedules can be released before the night is out. The NHL season will not end until the conclusion of the Los Angeles Kings-San Jose Sharks game this Saturday night/Sunday morning at approx. 1:00 a.m. ET, and that game will likely have playoff implications. So the NHL will do something a tad different this year.
Last year, and in most years past, the NHL Network had an On the Fly after all the games were over to announce the schedule for the Conference Quarterfinals. This year, the NHL Network will air NHL Tonight: 2012 Playoff Scheduling Show this Sunday, April 8th at 1 p.m. ET. The show will then rerun through various dayparts.
Playoff scheduling is more interesting than ever this year, with every game to be televised on multiple networks in both the United States (NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, NHL Net) and in Canada (CBC, TSN, TSN2).
(Source: NHL Network)
Puck The Media 
It will be very interesting to see how this plays out here in the States. CNBC typically runs regular financial programming until 8 PM eastern so I assume that will mean they will only be showing either central or western time zone games.
As for the NHL Network, here’s hoping that they will pick up CBC feeds for the Sens and Canucks series.
I’m expecting only a few games on Saturdays in the first round (an early game for NBC and one or two evening for CBC) and the rest stockpiled on Sunday (NBC doubleheader, and plenty to pick from for the 2nd weekend’s DH).
I also expect Sunday/Tuesday for games 3 and 4 in New Jersey (based on arena availability). Somehow, I see NBC shoving the Devils-Panthers series as far away from the peacock as possible.
scheduling home games for the LA Kings should be fun with 2 NBA teams still playing there for the next 2 weeks.
I would think that the CBC would want Saturday double headers. Although depending on which team Vancouver ends up facing there might not be a late game.
Rangers would have to play Game 1 and 2 on Thursday and Saturday due to Knicks home games on Friday and Sunday.
I think the NHL will continue to have four games a day most days. I think they will have quadruple headers on Saturday and Sunday in the first round. Probably with 12 (NBC SN), 3 (NBC), 7 (NBC SN) and 10 (NBC SN) on Saturday and 12 (NBC), 3 (NBC), 6 (NBC SN) and 9 (NBC SN) on Sundays.
The Rangers game will almost certain be NBC’s Saturday afternoon game, I’d think. With the Wings or Hawks and Pens-Flyers on Sunday.
didn’t we used to predict this stuff?
I wish the games weren’t on NHL Network and were on like Syfy.
Boston-Ottawa (not yet an official matchup) would play Thursday and Saturday nights at Boston Garden, 2 nights in Ottawa during the week, and Saturday-Monday-Wednesday nights for games 5, 6, and 7. 2 Saturday night games for CBC.
Devils against Florida or Washington would play Wednesday/Friday on the road, Sunday/Tuesday in NJ, Thursday or Friday game 5 on the road, Sunday again in NJ for game 6, and Tuesday for game 7 on the road. NBC will bury this series as far down as possible.
Rangers would play home Thursday and Saturday for games 1 and 2, and Tuesday April 27 for game 7, with Game 3 on Monday and Game 6 on Sunday on the road. If they play Washington, there has to be a back-to-back somewhere, and if the play Buffalo or Florida, they can play every-other day. Probably NBC on the weekends and NBC SportsNet and CNBC during the week.
Pittsburgh-Philly can play on both Sundays (for NBC – games 3 and 6 in Philly) if Pittsburgh hangs on to the 4 seed, but if Philly steals the 4 seed, they either have to play a Saturday game or play back-to-back during the week in order to play both Sundays. NBC on the weekends and NBC SportsNet during the week.
I won’t even begin to figure out the west for a couple days.