NBC Sports Coverage of 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs to Begin 4/11

The NBC Sports Group's coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Wednesday night with the Eastern Conference's #5 Philadelphia Flyers visiting in-state rival #4 Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Two additional games will air Wednesday night: the Western Conference #5 Detroit Red Wings travel to Nashville to face the #4 Predators at 8 p.m. ET on CNBC; and the Western Conference's #8 Los Angeles Kings will meet the #1 Vancouver Canucks at 10:30 p.m. ET also on NBC Sports Network. Coverage begins on the NBC Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live.

The 2012 NHL post-season marks the first time in league history that every first-round playoff game is being televised on a national platform. In order to televise as many as five games on a given day/night during the first round, the NBC Sports Group will present match-ups on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, the NHL Network, and NBCUniversal's business channel CNBC in primetime.

Following is the NBC Sports Group's Conference Quarterfinal Television Schedule through Saturday, April 21. Scheduling for remaining first-round games is TBD. (NOTE: Games airing on NBC Sports Network, CNBC and the NHL Network are subject to local blackouts in the first round; all times ET and subject to change):

Wednesday, April 11 7:30 p.m. Phi @ Pit NBCSN 8 p.m. Det @ Nas CNBC 10:30 p.m. L.A. @ Van NBCSN

Thursday, April 12 7 p.m. Ott @ NYR NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Was @ Bos NBCSN 7:30 p.m. SJ @ STL CNBC 10 p.m. Chi @ Ph

· NBCSN

Friday, April 13 7 p.m. NJ @ Fla NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Phi @ Pit NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Det @ Nas CNBC 10 p.m. L.A. @ Van NBCSN

Saturday, April 14 3 p.m. Was @ Bos NBC 7 p.m. Ott @ NYR NBCSN 7:30 p.m. SJ @ STL CNBC 10 p.m. Chi @ Ph

· NBCSN

Sunday, April 15 Noon Nas @ Det NBC 3 p.m. Pit @ Phi NBC 7:30 p.m. NJ @ Fla NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Van @ L.A. NBCSN

Monday, April 16 7:30 p.m. Bos @ Was NBCSN 7:30 p.m. NYR @ Ott CNBC 10 p.m. STL @ SJ NBCSN

Tuesday, April 17 7 p.m. Fla @ NJ NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Nas @ Det NBCSN 9 p.m. Pho @ Chi CNBC

Wednesday, April 18 7:30 p.m. Pit @ Phi NBCSN 7:30 p.m. NYR @ Ott CNBC 10 p.m. Van @ L.A. NBCSN

Thursday, April 19 7 p.m. Fla @ NJ NHL Network 7:30 p.m. Bos @ Was NBCSN 8 p.m. Pho @ Chi CNBC 10:30 p.m. STL @ SJ NBCSN

Friday, April 20 7:30 p.m. Phi @ Pit NBCSN 8 p.m. Det @ Nas CNBC

Saturday, April 21 3 p.m. Was @ Bos NBC 6:30 p.m. NJ @ Fla NHL Network 7 p.m. Ott @ NYR NBCSN 7:30 p.m. SJ @ STL CNBC 10 p.m. Chi @ Ph

· NBCSN

PRE-GAME & POST-GAME COVERAGE

NHL Live, NBC Sports Network's NHL pre-game show, will air every game night at 6:30 p.m. ET. NHL Post-Game will air a 30-minute program following the conclusion of game coverage every night of the playoffs.

COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL COVERAGE

Comcast SportsNet, the local home for the Blackhawks, Capitals, Flyers and Sharks, will air comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (for its teams that advance to the post-season), including exclusive regional coverage of all first-round games with pre- and post-game shows.

For teams that advance past the first round, the regional networks will closely follow hometown playoff progress with pre- and post-game coverage as well as breaking news and analysis throughout each team's playoff run.

Comcast SportsNet New England will air special pre- and post-game coverage for all Bruins games throughout the playoffs, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis of the team's playoff run throughout all CSNNE programming and online at CSNNE.com.

NBCSPORTS.COM

NBCSports.com's fast-growing ProHockeyTalk, which has experienced a 140% increase in unique visitors and a 289% in page views compared to last season, will anchor NBC Sports' online and mobile coverage of the NHL Playoffs.

Featuring writers Jason Brough & Mike Halford, ProHockeyTalk provides unique, informative and entertaining news, commentary and analysis-- updated around the clock -- on all the stories surrrounding the NHL Playoffs. ProHockeyTalk is also an integral part of the popular NBC Sports Talk app. Other NBCSports.com features will include:

· The debut of PHT Extra, a multiple-times-a-week. online-only. video segment, featuring ProHockeyTalk's Brough and Halford

· Online-only videos featuring NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network hockey commentators previewing upcoming playoff games and wrapping-up all of the NHL action that day

· Content provided by Comcast SportsNet NHL insiders

· An NHL Playoffs Channel Finder tool that will help fans locate the times and stations for every NHL playoff broadcast

· "Second screen" companion programming on NBCSports.com for games airing on NBC will include live, in-game video highlights; a live chat with ProHockeyTalk's Brough & Halford; "Star Cams" featuring alternating, video coverage of the best players on each team, and a newly-introduced "Spotlight Cam," a just-above-ice-level/center ice look at the action

SOCIAL MEDIA

In addition to broadcast, cable, regional and digital platforms, the NBC Sports Group will connect with NHL fans via numerous social media initiatives, including social integration, on-air integration and news:

· Social Integration:

· #StanleyCup Hash Tag: NHL Fans can join the conversation by using the #StanleyCup hash tag across every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

· Milestone Mania: With the launch of the new Facebook Timeline, fans can explore and answer Stanley Cup Playoffs trivia questions

· NHL on NBC Sports Instagram: NHL fans can upload photos to Instagram and use #instahockey. The NHL on NBC Sports Instagram account "Because It's the Cup" will feature the best fan photos

· Live Twitter Chats: Fans will have the opportunity to have live Twitter chats with NHL and NBC Sports personalities and commentators throughout the playoffs

· PHT Top 10 Countdown - The writers at ProHockeyTalk are providing their Top 10 moments from last year's playoffs for NHL on NBC Sports' social platforms.

· On-Air Integration:

· Playoff Polls: Fans can weigh in on a variety of NHL themed polls on Facebook and Twitter that commentators will discuss throughout the broadcasts

· #MVPonNBC - During pre-game, post-game and in-game coverage, fans can tweet who they think the #MVPonNBC is. Commentators will discuss the fan favorites and weigh in with their own opinions.

· News:

· Fans can engange with Twitter (@NHLonNBCSports) and Facebook (facebook.com/NHLonNBCSports) to receive the most up to date tune-in information, scores, reports and stories from around the NHL and ProHockeyTalk.

REMAINING STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF COVERAGE

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

The NBC Sports Group's Stanley Cup Playoff exclusivity begins with the Conference Semifinal round for the first time. Beginning in the second round and continuing through the Stanley Cup Final, all games will air exclusively on either NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC or the NHL Network.

The NBC Sports Network will serve as the primary home for Conference Semifinal coverage, offering one or two games virtually every night of the second round. CNBC and the NHL Network will again provide live event coverage in primetime, although more infrequently than in the first round. NBC will present exclusive afternoon coverage during the weekends of April 28-29 and May 5-6.

CONFERENCE FINALS

NBC and the NBC Sports Network will team to provide exclusive coverage of the Conference Finals. NBC will broadcast a game each day on the weekend of May 19-20. The remaining games from both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will be televised exclusively on the NBC Sports Network.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

For the seventh consecutive year, NBC and the NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) will provide exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. NBC will broadcast Games 1-2 and Games 5-7 (if necessary), with NBC Sports Network televising Games 3-4.

· Last year's Stanley Cup Final seven-game series, which featured the Boston Bruins defeating the Vancouver Canucks to claim their first championship since 1972, (Games 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 on NBC and Games 3, 4 on VERSUS) averaged 4.6 million viewers and a household rating of 2.7/5, surpassing the 2004 series (3.3 million, 2.2/4 on ABC/ESPN) as the most-watched combined network/cable Stanley Cup involving a Canadian team ever and up 39 percent from that series

· Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which saw the Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-0, was watched by 8.54 million people on NBC, making it the most-watched NHL game in 38 years, according to The Nielsen Company

To post a comment, you must register and login.