NBC Airs STANLEY CUP FINAL Game 2 Tomorrow

Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning look to draw even tomorrow night in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, when they host Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:15 p.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of Game 2.

Coverage of Game 2 begins tomorrow night on NBC immediately following the network's coverage of the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes, as American Pharoah tries to become the first horse to complete the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. The Belmont Stakes and Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final highlight this weekend's high-profile "NBC Sports Championship Season" events on NBC and NBCSN.

Three-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike 'Doc' Emrick and Emmy Award-winning "Inside the Glass" analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of Game 2 from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Analyst Eddie Olczyk will not call Game 2 as he will be working on NBC's Belmont Stakes coverage. Host Liam McHugh and analysts Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick and Keith Jones will anchor NBC Sports Group's intermission and post-game coverage.

GAME 1 - BLACKHAWKS DEFEAT LIGHTNING 2-1

Chicago stunned Tampa Bay on Wednesday night with a 2-1 come-from-behind win in Game 1, as the Blackhawks netted a pair of goals in a 1:58 span late in the third period en route to victory. Blackhawks 20-year-old rookie Teuvo Teravainen scored with 6:32 remaining in the third period to tie the game at one, and assisted on Antoine Vermette's go-ahead goal with 4:34 left in regulation. Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 22 of 23 shots in the win, including a save on Lightning forward Ryan Callahan'sbreakaway attempt moments prior to Teravainen's tying goal.

Chicago's Game 1 win on Wednesday night marked the Blackhawks' third consecutive one-goal Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks defeated the Flyers 6-5 in Game 1 of the 2010 Final, and beat the Bruins 4-3 in triple overtime of Game 1 in 2013.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S BLACKHAWKS-LIGHTNING GAME POSTS BEST STANLEY CUP FINAL NON-OT GAME 1 OVERNIGHT IN 18 YEARS

Game 1 of Blackhawks-Lightning on NBC was the most-watched Game 1 that did not require overtime in 18 years, and NBC's second-most watched Stanley Cup Final Game 1 ever, producing a 3.34 HH rating and averaging 5.547 million viewers.

Game 1 viewership was up 16% compared to last year's Rangers-Kings Game 1 (4.785 million), which the Kings won by a score of 3-2 in overtime. The only Game 1 on NBC to surpass last night's viewership was the triple-overtime thriller between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, which averaged 6.315 million viewers. Viewership of Wednesday night's game peaked at 6.433 million viewers from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET.

PRIMETIME

Game 1 was a winner for NBC. The network won the night with a 1.8 rating in the A18-49 demo, up 38% over its nearest competitor (FOX, 1.3). NBC ranked No. 1 from 8-11 p.m. ET among all broadcast and cable networks in A18-34, A18-49 and A25-54.

LOCAL

Chicago delivered a 28.0 metered market rating, its third-highest ever for a Blackhawks game on NBC, trailing only the Stanley Cup Final-clinching Game 6 matchups in 2013 and 2010. Wednesday's Game 1 rating was up 12% vs. Game 1 in 2013 (25.1), and up 66% vs. Game 1 in 2010 (16.9).

Tampa drew a 17.9 rating, the highest rating ever in the market for a Lightning game on any NBC network, up 50% vs. last Friday's Eastern Conference Final Game 7 against the New York Rangers on NBCSN (11.9), and up 47% vs. Game 1 of the Lightning's last SCF appearance in 2004 against Calgary (ESPN; 12.2).

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