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Sharks/Blues & Lightning/Penguins Matches Break Records on NBCSN
By: Tyler Peterson May. 16, 2016
NBCSN's Game 1 presentations of the Western Conference Final last night and the Eastern Conference Final on Friday night, featuring the San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, delivered the second- and third-best Conference Final Game 1 overnight ratings ever on NBCSN, according to the Nielsen Company. NBC Sports Group's coverage of the Conference Finals continues tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Lightning and Penguins.
Sunday's Western Conference Final Game 1 between the Sharks and Blues, in which the Blues defeated the Sharks 2-1, produced a 1.26 overnight rating, second all-time out of 14 Conference Final Game 1s in NBCSN history. Friday's Eastern Conference Final Game 1 between the Lightning and Penguins, in which the Lightning defeated the Penguins 3-1, produced a 1.24 overnight rating to rank third all-time on the network for Conference Final Game 1 matchups.
| Conference | Matchup | Date | Overnight Rating |
| Western | Los Angeles-Chicago | 6/1/2013 | 1.42 |
| Western | San Jose-St. Louis | 5/15/2016 | 1.26 |
| Eastern | Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh | 5/13/2016 | 1.24 |
| Eastern | New Jersey-N.Y. Rangers | 5/14/2012 | 1.23 |
| Eastern | Carolina-Pittsburgh | 5/18/2009 | 1.19 |
The Sharks-Blues 1.26 overnight rating was driven by a 17.4 rating in St. Louis, to rank as the highest-rated Blues game ever on the networks of NBCU in the St. Louis market. The game delivered a 4.5 rating in San Jose to rank as the second-highest rated Sharks conference final game on NBCSN in the market (behind 5/20/11 vs. Vancouver; 4.8). The Lightning-Penguins 1.24 overnight rating was propelled by a 17.9 rating in Pittsburgh and a 7.4 rating in Tampa; NBCSN was the top network overall in both markets during the game.
Round 2 of the 2016 NHL Playoffs, which ended last Thursday, averaged 1.265 million viewers across NBC/NBCSN/USA/CNBC, up 4% from Round 2 coverage in 2015 (1.219 million; 22 games). Across all 70 First and Second Round games on NBC/NBCSN/USA/CNBC, the 2016 NHL Playoffs have averaged 905,000 viewers, up 4% vs. the comparable period of the 2015 NHL Playoffs (873,000; 68 games).
THE PASS - MONDAY, MAY 16 (All times ET)
| MONDAY, MAY 16 | |||
| Time | Coverage | Network | Commentators |
| 7 p.m. | NHL Live | NBCSN | Kathryn Tappen, Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick |
| 8 p.m. | Game 2 - Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh | NBCSN | Mike 'Doc' Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire |
All Stanley Cup Playoff games will be presented on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL Network.NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide streaming coverage of games airing on NBC, NBCSN, usa network and CNBC via "TV Everywhere." For more information on NBC Sports Group's overall NHL Playoff coverage, please click here.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL GAME 2 - LIGHTNING AT PENGUINS - TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN - LIGHTNING LEAD SERIES 1-0
The Lightning won Game 1 by a score of 3-1 on Friday night in Pittsburgh, as Tampa Bay got goals fromAlex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, and Jonathan Drouin in the victory. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves in relief of starting goaltender Ben Bishop, who left the game with 7:35 left in the first period with a lower-body injury.
Tampa Bay has won five consecutive games dating back to Game 2 of the Second Round against the Islanders, and is 9-2 in the postseason. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were kept relatively quiet for Pittsburgh in Game 1. Crosby had an assist, but has not scored a goal in 8 games. Malkin has not scored a point in his last five games. The Penguins will look to avoid a 2-0 series deficit. They have not lost consecutive games since Jan. 12 and 15 in the regular season.
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 tonight's matchup from CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Pre-game coverage begins tonight and Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live. Kathryn Tappenhosts tonight's studio coverage alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick.
GAMES TELEVISED SO FARFor the fifth consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL NETWORK are combining to televise every Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally.
| Network | Games |
| NBC | 12 |
| NBCSN | 42 |
| USA Network | 6 |
| CNBC | 12 |
| NHL Network | 2 |
| Total | 74 |
One-goal Games: 42
OT games: 16
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