Game 1 of the West Final on Sunday; East Will Be Saturday or Monday

NBC Sports Network tipped it’s hand toward when the final four of hockey will begin during it’s telecast of Game 6 between the Rangers and Capitals.

If the Rangers win tonight, Game 1 between New Jersey and New York would be on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Game 1 between Los Angeles and Phoenix would be on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. That would seem to indicate that Game 1 between New Jersey and New York or Washington, should that series go seven, will take place next Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

Advertisement

Devils Clincher Down From Game 4

The New Jersey Devils wrap up of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Philadelphia Flyers took a dip from some of the earlier games in the series, as likely some casual fans and Philadelphians tuned out for New Jersey’s victory.

Game 5 drew 1.31 million viewers, still quite a sturdy number. It will go down as the sixth-most watched game of the playoffs on cable, but the second-least watched game of this series. Game 2 was the only game to draw a lower number.

The game drew a 2.36 rating in New York, just missing out on Game 4’s record-setting 2.37.

The Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Devils and Flyers averaged 1.67 million viewers over five broadcasts, including Game 1, which aired on NBC. On cable, the series averaged 1.47 million viewers over four broadcasts on NBC Sports Network. It will likely end up the second-most watched conference semifinal series, behind Rangers/Capitals.

Viewership Numbers for Devils/Flyers Eastern Conference Semifinal

Game 1 (4/29/12, NBC): 2.5 million
Game 2 (5/1/12, NBC Sports Network): 1.29 million
Game 3 (5/3/12, NBC Sports Network): 1.66 million
Game 4 (5/6/12, NBC Sports Network): 1.63 million
Game 5 (5/8/12, NBC Sports Network): 1.31 million
Five-Game Average:
Four-Game NBC Sports Network Average:

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

1. NY Rangers vs. Washington, Game 3 (5/2/12, NBCSN): 1.85 million
2. Philadelphia vs. New Jersey, Game 3 (5/3/12, NBCSN): 1.66 million
3. Philadelphia vs. New Jersey, Game 4 (5/6/12, NBCSN): 1.63 million
4. Washington vs. NY Rangers, Game 2 (4/30/12, NBCSN): 1.53 million
5. Washington vs. Boston, Game 7 (4/25/12, NBCSN): 1.32 million
6. New Jersey vs. Philadelphia, Game 5 (5/8/12, NBCSN): 1.31 million
7. New Jersey vs. Philadelphia, Game 2 (5/1/12, NBCSN): 1.29 million
8. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5 (4/20/12, NBCSN): 1.07 million
9. Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 4 (4/18/12, NBCSN): 1.03 million
10. Ottawa vs. NY Rangers, Game 7 (4/26/12, NBCSN): 984,000

(Source: TV By the Numbers)

Your Announcers and Open Thread for Night 29 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs

NY Rangers vs. Washington, Game 6 (NYR Leads 3-2), 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: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

Nashville/Phoenix Finishes Up, But Still Low

Despite having a big lead-in from another overtime game between the Rangers and Capitals, few stuck around to see the conclusion of the Phoenix Coyotes defeat of the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Game 5 of the series drew 707,000 viewers on NBC Sports Network (the game began around 10:25 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the first 10 minutes or so airing on CNBC due to the overtime of Washington/New York) up 7% from Game 4 (660,000) but still down from the first two games of the series.

In Phoenix, the game scored a 4.6 rating, the highest ever for an NHL game in that market. NBC Sports Network was the #1 cable network in the Phoenix market for the entire game.

Nashville/Phoenix averaged 632,000 viewers over five broadcasts (four on NBCSN, one on CNBC). That’s up 3% from last year’s Nashville/Vancouver series, which averaged 610,000 viewers over six broadcasts (all on VERSUS).

(Sources: @SonoftheBronx, @NBCSportsPR)

Predators-Coyotes Western Conference Semifinal Viewership
Game 1 (NBC Sports Network): 767,000
Game 2 (NBC Sports Network): 796,000
Game 3 (CNBC): 231,000
Game 4 (NBC Sports Network): 660,000
Game 5 (NBC Sports Network): 707,000