Your Announcers and Open Thread for Night 15 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Washington vs. Boston, Game 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

US National TV: NBC Sports Network
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Canada National TV: CBC
Play by Play: Dean Brown
Color: Greg Millen

Washington Local: CSN Mid-Atlantic

Boston Local: NESN

NBCSN To Air Both Game 7’s, with an Assist From NHL Network

The NBC Sports Network will air a Conference Quarterfinal Game 7 double-header on Thursday night with support coverage provided by the NHL Network. The NHL announced the schedule for the final two games of the Conference Quarterfinals earlier today.

Coverage of the Ottawa Senators-New York Rangers Game 7 from Madison Square Garden in New York City will begin at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the game.

Senators-Rangers will be shown nationally in its entirety, except for the New York market, which will be covered by the Rangers local carrier. For all Conference Quarterfinal games, local carriers retain exclusive rights to air their team’s game in their respective local markets. The NBC Sports Group has NHL playoff exclusivity beginning in the second round.

Game 7 of the New Jersey Devils-Florida Panthers series from BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network. Once the Senators-Rangers game ends, coverage of Devils-Panthers will move to NBC Sports Network until its conclusion. Extended live look-ins of Devils-Panthers will also be shown during intermissions of Senators-Rangers on NBC Sports Network.

Coverage in the New York and Miami markets will be provided by the Devils and Panthers local carriers, who have exclusive rights to air their team’s game in their respective local markets during the first round. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the game nationally on NHL Network/NBC Sports Network.

The staggered start times of 7 p.m. ET for Senators-Rangers and 8:30 p.m. ET for Devils-Panthers will allow hockey fans to watch the conclusion of both Game 7s on the NBC Sports Network.

NBC Sports Network is also televising Game 7 of the Washington Capitals-Boston Bruins series tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. Calling the game will be Emrick (play-by-play), Olczyk (analyst) and McGuire (Inside-the-Glass analyst).

NHL Live begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network tonight and Thursday night.

Through 13 days, the Conference Quarterfinals on NBC Sports Network are averaging 699,000 viewers, up 18% vs. the comparable time period last year (590,000).

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NBC To Televise All But One of Team USA’s Games Live at the 2012 World Championships

NEW YORK (April 25, 2012) — The NBC Sports Network will televise 13 games of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men’s World Championship, May 4-20, in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden, including all Team USA games, a Semifinal matchup and the Gold Medal game. Team USA opens play on Friday, May 4, with a preliminary-round game against France.

All Team USA games will air live on NBC Sports Network, with the exception of its preliminary-round game on May 5, which will be aired later that night on delay. NBC Sports Network will televise at least one Semifinal game and the Gold Medal game (same-day delay), regardless of whether or not Team USA is playing in the contest.

“It’s terrific to have the visibility for the Men’s World Championship in the United States that comes with the games being televised on NBC Sports Network,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “Their coverage last year was outstanding and we look forward to that continuing this year with expanded coverage.”

Last year, NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) televised the IIHF Men’s World Championship for the first time, and, this year will, air additional coverage, including all seven USA preliminary-round games and all four quarterfinal games live.

NBC Sports Network will also produce pre-game, intermission and post-game updates from the network’s NHL studios in Stamford, Conn., providing viewers with expert analysis of the games before during and after the action.

NBC Sports Network’s 2012 IIHF World Men’s Championships schedule, (Please note all times are subject to change):

Date Opponent Location Time

Fri., May 4 France Helsinki 5 a.m. ET

Sat., May 5 Canada Helsinki 10:30 p.m. ET

Mon., May 7 Slovakia Helsinki 1 p.m. ET

Thurs., May 10 Belarus Helsinki 9 a.m. ET

Fri., May 11 Kazakhstan Helsinki 9 a.m. ET

Sun., May 13 Finland Helsinki 9 a.m. ET

Tues., May 15 Switzerland Helsinki 1 p.m. ET

Thurs., May 17 Quarterfinals Helsinki 6 a.m. ET

Quarterfinals Stockholm 8:30 a.m. ET

Quarterfinals Helsinki 11 a.m. ET

Quarterfinals Stockholm 2 p.m. ET

Sat., May 19 Semifinals Helsinki TBD

Sun., May 20 Gold Medal game Helsinki 9 p.m. ET

Rangers/Sens Draws Big Numbers on Monday; Coyotes/Hawks Hits CNBC High

For a while in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the ratings story read that it was basically Penguins/Flyers… and then everyone else. Everyone else is starting to catch up as the Conference Quarterfinals come to a close.

Monday night’s broadcast of Game 6 between the Rangers and Senators – in which New York forced Game 7 – drew 861,000 viewers, the third-highest numbers so far on cable for round one. The previous high for the series was Game 2 (4/14/12: 708,000). It is now in the category of most-watched non-Pens/Flyers game of the first round.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes elimination of the Blackhawks drew good numbers later on in the evening for CNBC. The Game 6 clincher scored 621,000 viewers. That marks the most viewers for a CNBC game so far this post-season. It’s the second-highest rated game of the series, as Game 2 also was tops in this set (4/14/12: 725,000) though that game was exclusively on NBCSN in the Phoenix market.

NBC will benefit over the next couple of days, with three Game 7’s across the networks, but they likely can’t help but be thrilled with what they’ve seen so far.

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

1. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5 (4/20/12, NBCSN): 1.07 million
2. Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 4 (4/18/12, NBCSN): 1.03 million
3. NY Rangers vs. Ottawa, Game 6 (4/23/12, NBCSN): 861,000
4. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 1 (4/11/12, NBCSN): 847,000
5. Los Angeles vs. Vancouver, Game 5 (4/22/12, NBCSN): 817,000
6. Boston vs. Washington, Game 3 (4/16/12, NBCSN): 804,000
7. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 2 (4/13/12, NBCSN): 795,000
8. New Jersey vs. Florida, Game 2 (4/15/12, NBCSN): 768,000
9. Vancouver vs. Los Angeles, Game 4 (4/18/12, NBCSN): 748,000
10. Chicago vs. Phoenix, Game 2 (4/14/12, NBCSN): 725,000

(Source: @SonoftheBronx)