RUMOR: NBC To Double Up on Caps/Bruins This Weekend
April 18, 2012 5 Comments
This hasn’t been confirmed by NBC or the league yet, but a reliable source has told me that NBC has plans to televise both Bruins/Capitals games this weekend on the network.
The plan would be to televise both games at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday’s Game 6 obviously being played if necessary. Game 6 would be part of a doubleheader with another “if necessary” Game 6, between Detroit and Nashville, which would take place at 3 p.m. ET. It was thought that a potential Game 6 between the Flyers and Penguins would take the Sunday spot, but now it appears likely the series won’t make it there.
Game 2 of the Bruins/Capitals series drew a solid 1.5 overnight rating on the network.
Puck The Media 
I’m a bit confused. Would Sunday be a doubleheader or a split-national broadcast (if both series go 6 games)? You say doubleheader, but list both games with a 3pm ET start. No way they would make Bruins-Caps start at 12pm ET since they would be travelling from Boston to Washington on Saturday evening. Would Wings-Preds be a noon start then?
NBC has one game at noon ET and one at 3pm ET on Sunday. Presumably BOS-WSH couldn’t play twice in less than 24 hours, so their game 6 would have to either be 3pm ET on NBC or in primetime on NBC SN.
NSH-DET is a lock for NBC at noon, if its necessary, I’d think.
Of course its also possible, maybe even likely, that NBC will only be left with a lone game at 3pm ET anyway.
Seeing as Pitt has a decent chance of winning game 5 now I have to believe NBC will hope for a game 6 Pitt/Philly on Sunday. I don’t think they would want to schedule another game and then not be able to show Phil/Pitt if it happens….
Could always show PIT-PHI at noon. My thought is they might as well schedule WSH-BOS for 3, since it is guaranteed. Then wait to see what happens Friday and schedule NSH-DET or PIT-PHI for noon.
WooHoo! More NBC, less NESN please…