NBC Airs Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final This Sunday

After winning Game 5 by a score of 4-2, the San Jose Sharks will try to fight off elimination yet again as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, in Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. Pittsburgh leads the series 3-2 and can win their first Stanley Cup since 2009 with a win in San Jose.

Four-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike 'Doc' Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning 'Inside-the-Glass' analyst Pierre McGuire will call Sunday's Game 6 from SAP Center in San Jose. This marks the 10th consecutive year that Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire have combined to call the Stanley Cup Final for NBC Sports.

Sunday night's pre-game coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live, hosted by Kathryn Tappen and Dave Briggs alongside analysts and former players Jeremy Roenick, Anson Carter andBrian Boucher on-set outside of the arena. Coverage shifts inside the arena with host Liam McHugh, who will anchor pre-game and intermission coverage alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury andKeith Jones.

NBC SPORTS REMEMBERS "MR. HOCKEY" GORDIE HOWE

Hockey legend and Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, who played more games than any player in NHL history and whose career spanned five decades, passed away this morning at the age of 88. Following is NBC Sports' statement on Howe's passing, as well as quotes from NBC Sports commentators on the impact that "Mr. Hockey" had on the game for which he was synonymous.

NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood on Gordie Howe: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gordie Howe. Gordie's records on the ice placed him in the Hall of Fame, but his immeasurable contributions to the growth of the sport made him 'Mr. Hockey.' He taught us all to live the Gordie Howe hat trick of life, and was a true legend both on and off the ice. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Gordie's family, former teammates, friends and the entire Detroit Red Wings organization."

Mike 'Doc' Emrick: "Like the sport he played, Gordie Howe was a mixture of imposing brawn and polite character. There were generations of fans who bought tickets to see 'Mr. Hockey,' and playing in five different decades, there were also generations of players who so admired his skill that they too wore No. 9.

Growing up as a boy, I was a fan of Gordie Howe the athlete, but was even more impressed with Gordie's personality, his character, and how he served as an ambassador for the league. Gordie was a major reason why many who weren't athletes still loved the sport. They shook that hand, got one of those legible autographs, and for a few seconds fashioned a lifetime memory. My heartfelt condolences go out to Gordie's family, teammates, friends and the Detroit Red Wings organization."

Mike Milbury: "Gordie Howe was 'Mr. Hockey' because he was the embodiment of all the qualities we admire in a player - skilled, beyond tough, durable, reliable and team-oriented. More importantly, and what made him most endearing, was that he was simply a very nice guy."

Pierre McGuire: "Gordie Howe is probably the most iconic No. 9 of all time, along with Maurice 'Rocket' Richard and Bobby Hull. Gordie was the personification of the power forward position - he was fast, rugged, skilled, and dominated the game. He was feared by his opponents, and respected by his teammates. I got to know Gordie during my time as the head coach of the Hartford Whalers, and as fierce as he was on the ice, he was a better gentleman off the ice. It was a pleasure and privilege to know him and his family, and he'll be missed by the National Hockey League and the entire hockey community."

GAME 5 AVERAGES 5 MILLION VIEWERS & SETS LOCAL RATINGS RECORDS IN SAN JOSE & PITTSBURGH

Last night's Sharks-Penguins Game 5 on NBC averaged 5 million viewers (5.009) and a 3.0 rating to rank as NBC's second-most watched Stanley Cup Final game without an Original Six team, trailing only Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final featuring Edmonton and Carolina (5.288 million). Viewership peaked in the final full quarter hour with nearly 6.5 million viewers (6.453). Last night's viewership was up 50% vs. Game 5 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final on NBC, the last Final to not feature an Original Six team (New Jersey vs. Los Angeles; 3.331 million).

Locally, last night's game delivered an 8.4 rating in the San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland market to rank as the highest-rated Sharks game ever on the networks of NBCUniversal in the market. Game 5 produced a 36.9 rating in Pittsburgh, the second-highest rated Penguins game ever on the networks of NBCUniversalbehind Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final vs. Detroit (42.2).

On NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app, last night's game produced 223,000 uniques and 12.7 million minutes to rank second all-time for an authenticated NHL game on NBC, behind only last year's Cup-clinching Game 6.

STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 6 - SUNDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC - PENGUINS LEAD SHARKS 3-2

The Sharks fought off elimination and forced Sunday night's Game 6 with a 4-2 win in Game 5 on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, as San Jose goaltender Martin Jones made a postseason career-high 44 saves, andBrent Burns, Logan Couture, and Joe Pavelski scored their first goals of the series. San Jose won Game 5 despite being outshot 46-22 by Pittsburgh. Game 5 featured a wild start, with the Sharks and Penguins combining for four goals in the first 5:06 of the game, the fastest four goals ever to start a Stanley Cup Final game.

In Stanley Cup Final history, teams with a 3-1 lead have a 31-1 all-time record in the series - the only team to come back from 3-1 deficit was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

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