NBC Sports Presents Game 2 of 2018 Stanley Cup Final Featuring Washington Capitals & Vegas Golden Knights
By: Tori Hartshorn May. 29, 2018
NBC Sports' exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final continues Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, as Marc-Andre Fleury and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals for Game 2. The Golden Knights defeated the Capitals, 6-4, in the series opener on Monday night in Vegas, which set the record for the most-ever lead changes in a Stanley Cup Final game.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide streaming coverage of all 2018 Stanley Cup Final games.
Six-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 the 2018 Stanley Cup Final on NBC and NBCSN. This marks the 12th consecutive year that Emrick, Olczyk and McGuire will call the Stanley Cup Final for NBC Sports, one of the longest streaks by any broadcast team calling a major U.S. team sport championship.
Pre-game coverage will begin on NBCSN at 6 p.m. ET with a two-hour edition ofNHL Live. Host Liam McHugh will anchor pre-game, intermission and post-game coverage on-site, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milburyand Keith Jones. In addition, Kathryn Tappen and Paul Burmeister will host pre-game and post-game coverage from outside sets in Las Vegas, capturing the scene amongst the fans alongside analysts and former players Jeremy Roenick, Brian Boucher, and Anson Carter.
GAME 1 OVERNIGHT RATING UP 7% VS. 2017; VEGAS AND WASHINGTON SET LOCAL MARKET RECORDS
- Last night's Game 1 of the Washington-Vegas Stanley Cup Final on NBC delivered a 3.72 overnight rating, the best overnight for a Game 1 in three years, since 2015 with Chicago-Tampa Bay (4.23).
- Game 1's overnight rating (3.72) was up vs. both last year's Game 1 with Nashville-Pittsburgh (+7%; 3.49) and 2016's SCF Game 1 with San Jose-Pittsburgh (+36%; 2.73).
- Las Vegas' 28.1 local rating stands as the highest rating for a Golden Knights game ever in the market, surpassing this year's deciding Game 5 of the Western Conference Final vs. Winnipeg on NBC (17.9).
- With a 16.0 local rating in Washington D.C., Game 1 was the highest-rated Capitals game ever on the networks of NBC in the market, topping this year's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final vs. Tampa Bay on NBCSN (12.6).
TOP 10 MARKETS FOR MONDAY'S STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 1 ON NBC
| 1 | Las Vegas | 28.08 |
| 2 | Wash, D.C. | 16.02 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 10.31 |
| 4 | Baltimore | 9.07 |
| 5 | Buffalo | 8.84 |
| 6 | Richmond | 6.92 |
| 7 | Minn.-St. Paul | 6.58 |
| 8 | St. Louis | 5.22 |
| 9 | Denver | 5.11 |
| 10 | Ft. Myers | 4.71 |
STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 2 - GOLDEN KNIGHTS-CAPITALS - WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The Golden Knights' fourth line combined to score three goals in the third period, including two goals by Tomas Nosek, as Vegas defeated Washington, 6-4, in Game 1 after trailing 4-3 early in the final period. Vegas improved to 7-1 at home in the postseason with the victory. The five goals are the most allowed by Washington goaltender Braden Holtby since Feb. 17. Four Capitals players scored in the losing affair, including Nicklas Backstrom, who has 18 points in these playoffs.
The following are quotes from Game 1:
McHugh on Game 1: "In terms of pure entertainment, it doesn't get much better than that."
Milbury on the Golden Knights: "We can put to rest any scintilla of DOUBT that Vegas is for real."
Olczyk on Vegas' success in its inaugural season: "This team should be the Sports Team of the Year, as well as the decade."
Milbury on Ovechkin: "The difference is the attitude. He's all about getting this done as a team ... it's a new, improved Ovechkin. I don't think he's going to let this opportunity pass."
Jones on both teams' performance: "Vegas played extremely well, but the Capitals showed that they can play with these guys. They have the speed to keep up."
Click here for more Notes & Quotes from Game 1.
Following is the full telecast schedule for the 2018 Stanley Cup Final with networks and start times. Pre-game coverage will begin each night with NHL LIVE at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Wed., May 30 | Game 2 - Washington at Vegas | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., June 2 | Game 3 - Vegas at Washington | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Mon., June 4 | Game 4 - Vegas at Washington* | NBC | 8 p.m. |
| Thur., June 7 | Game 5 - Washington at Vegas* | NBC | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., June 10 | Game 6 - Vegas at Washington* | NBC | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., June 13 | Game 7 - Washington at Vegas* | NBC | 8 p.m. |
*if necessary
WAYNE GRETZKY STARS IN Hulu OPENER
Wayne Gretzky - The Great One - starred in a Hulu opening tease that began NBC Sports' coverage of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
In the 15-second spot, Gretzky - the leading scorer in NHL history and winner of four Stanley Cups - skillfully uses a hockey stick to procure his remote control, allowing him to easily access all the Stanley Cup Final content available on Hulu from the comfort of his home. The spot will be used throughout the Stanley Cup Final.
Prior to the playoffs, Hulu, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL®) announced a new partnership in which Hulu became an official sponsor of the NHLPA and the NHL for the entirety of the 2018 Stanley Cup® Playoffs and Final.
The partnership features a national marketing campaign for Hulu across all League touchpoints including NBC Sports, the NHL's digital and social channels, as well as camera-visible, in-stadium inventory within all U.S. venues.
The collaboration also includes integration within all NBC Sports broadcasts with on-air presenting sponsorship of NBC Sports' NHL LIVE pre-game show for the Stanley Cup® Playoffs as well as integration within the broadcast opening.
Hulu is a leading premium streaming service that offers instant access to live and on demand channels, original series and films, and a premium library of TV and movies to more than 17 million subscribers in the U.S.
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ABOUT NBC SPORTS RADIO
NBC Sports Radio is a joint venture between NBC Sports Group and Westwood One and will broadcast every Stanley Cup Final game. The joint venture provides sports talk programming to radio stations nationwide and is distributed by Westwood One. Content includes hourly sports news updates, daily features, and long-form shows. On social media, join the NBC Sports Radio community on Twitter at twitter.com/nbcsportsradio. To listen live or on demand, or to find a station, visit www.nbcsportsradio.com.
STREAMING COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app - NBC Sports Group's live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide live streaming coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs via "TV Everywhere," giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.
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