NBC Sports presents a preview of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic this week on Wednesday Night Rivalry, when P.K. Subban and the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Canadiens host Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage continues at 10 p.m. ET with NBCSN's Wednesday Nightcap, when Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche.
This week's NHL action on NBCSN begins tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET with two of the hottest teams in the league, when Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals host Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings.
NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs - will stream this week's NHL coverage.
Three-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 have the call of Bruins-Canadiens from Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.
Ken Daniels (play-by-play) and McGuire will call Red Wings-Capitals, and John Forslund (play-by-play) and Brian Boucher ('Inside-the-Glass') will provide commentary for Penguins-Avalanche.
Pre-game coverage on NHL LIVE begins at 7 p.m. ET tomorrow and Wednesday. Kathryn Tappen anchors tomorrow's studio coverage alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones, whileLiam McHugh hosts NHL LIVE on Wednesday with Milbury and Jones. NHL insider Bob McKenzie will join NBCSN's Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage to provide the latest in-depth news from around the league.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY - BRUINS-CANADIENS - 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The Canadiens host the Bruins in a preview of the upcoming 2016 Winter Classic matchup on New Year's Day on NBC. The Bruins and Canadiens have played each other in more than 900 regular season and Stanley Cup Playoff games, the most of any two teams in NHL history. Wednesday night's matchup marks the 732nd all-time regular season meeting between the Bruins and Canadiens.
Montreal has registered a pair of 4-2 wins against Boston this year. In their last meeting on Nov. 7, David Desharnais scored a tie-breaking power-play goal with 1:08 remaining in regulation, as Montreal rallied from behind with three third-period goals. The Canadiens currently lead the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with a 19-6-3 (41 pts) record, despite having dropped their last two games, and have scored the most goals in the NHL (93).
The Bruins (14-8-3, 31 pts; 4th in Atlantic Division) have recorded at least one point in nine of their last 10 games (7-1-2), and have scored the fourth-most goals in the league (82). Boston is coming off a 4-0 shutout victory in Vancouver on Saturday, as Tuukka Rask made 17 saves and 10 different skaters recorded a point for the Bruins. Boston hosts NASHVILLE tonight before visiting Montreal on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY NIGHTCAP - PENGUINS-AVALANCHE - WEDNESDAY AT 10 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The Penguins close out a western road trip in Colorado against the Avalanche on NBCSN's Wednesday Nightcap. The Pens (14-10-2, 30 pts; 5th in Metropolitan Division) are looking to rebound from losses in Los Angeles and Anaheim last weekend. Pittsburgh's offense has been led by Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosbyand Phil Kessel, who are the only players on the team with more than four goals. Malkin currently leads or is tied for the team lead in all major offensive categories, including goals (12), assists (13) and points (25).
Colorado sits last in the Central Division (11-15-1, 23 pts), but has won four of its last six games, including a pair of 2-1 victories against the Devils and Rangers. The Avalanche completes a home-and-home series tonight against the rival Wild, and was shut out by a score of 3-0 in Minnesota on Saturday. Avs forwardMatt Duchene has scored 13 goals in his last 16 games, including a pair of goals in Colorado's 4-3 loss to the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Nov. 19.
RED WINGS-CAPITALS - TOMORROW AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN's matchup between the Red Wings and Capitals tomorrow night features two of the hottest teams in the NHL. Detroit (15-8-4, 34 pts; 2nd in Atlantic Division) is riding a 10-game point streak (7-0-3), with eight of those 10 games requiring overtime. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-4 overtime win at home over the Predators, which included a goal and an assist from 19-year-old rookie Dylan Larkin. Larkin leads the NHL with a plus-19 plus-minus rating, leads all rookies with 11 goals, and is tied for the team lead in points (21) with Tomas Tatar and Henrik Zetterberg.
The Capitals (18-5-2, 38 pts; 2nd in Metropolitan Division) boast a 7-1-2 record in their past 10 games, including a 2-1 overtime win in Detroit on Nov. 18. Goaltender Braden Holtby leads the league with 16 wins, and seven different Capitals skaters have scored at least five goals, including Evgeny Kuznetsov, who leads the club with 26 points (8g/18a).
Following is this week's NHL coverage on NBCSN:
Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
Tues., December 8 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
Detroit at Washington | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. | |
NHL Overtime* | NBCSN | 10 p.m. | |
Wed., December 9 | NHL Live | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
Wednesday Night Rivalry - Boston at Montreal | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. | |
Wednesday Nightcap - Pittsburgh at Colorado** | NBCSN | 10 p.m. | |
NHL Overtime* | NBCSN | 12:30 a.m. |
*immediately following game coverage
**subject to local blackout in Pittsburgh
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