NBCSN presents a decisive Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7 tonight featuring two of the biggest names in hockey with their seasons on the line, when Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Three-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator and
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 2014 Media Person of the Year Mike 'Doc' Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning Inside-the-Glass analyst Pierre McGuire will call tonight's Game 7 from Madison Square Garden in New York.
Pre-game coverage of tonight's Game 7
BETWEEN the Capitals and Rangers begins at 7 p.m. ET on
NBCSN with NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh, with analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.
Following are quotes from McGuire and Jones on tonight's Game 7:
Pierre McGuire: "Madison Square Garden is always alive for a big event. Tonight's game should be epic. This series has become amazingly intense, and the fans should only add to that intensity tonight. The major issue for both teams is how to score against two great goalies in Holtby and Lundqvist."
Keith Jones: "There's a major advantage at home for the New York Rangers, and how they've come back in this series to shift the pressure to the Capitals. I think the Rangers will want to take advantage of some nerves on the Capitals part early, and build off the excitement in the building. If tonight's Game 7 matches or exceeds the excitement of Game 6, then we're all in for a real treat."
The Rangers forced tonight's Game 7 with a 4-3 win in Game 6 on Sunday night, as Lundqvist made 42 saves and Chris Kreider scored twice. Tonight marks the third time in four years that the Rangers will face the Capitals in a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In their 2012 second-round series, Lundqvist outdueled Holtby in a 2-1 Game 7 win at Madison Square Garden. Exactly two years ago to the day, the two teams required a Game 7 in their 2013 first-round series, which the Rangers won 5-0 in Washington D.C., as Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots he faced for a shutout victory.
Lundqvist has won an NHL-record five consecutive Game 7s, and in six Game 7s has a 1.00 goals-against-average and .965 save percentage. The Rangers have never lost a Game 7 at home, winning all six Game 7s at Madison Square Garden since 1992.
The Capitals are 4-9 in Game 7s since 1987, and have already won a Game 7 this year, defeating the Islanders by a score of 2-1 in Game 7 at home in the first round. Last year, the Rangers erased a 3-1 series deficit against the Penguins to win their second-round series against Pittsburgh, and hope to become the first team to replicate that feat in back-to-back years.
The winner of tonight's game will advance in the bracket to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 4-1 in Game 6 last night to clinch their second-round series.
NBCSN's presentation of Game 6
BETWEEN the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night delivered a 7.0 rating in Tampa, making it the second-highest rated Lightning game ever on NBCSN/CNBC/USA Network, only behind Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Final against Boston (7.9).
The Eastern and Western Conference Finals will begin later this week, and will be finalized following tonight's Game 7 matchup. The Anaheim Ducks advanced to the Western Conference Final with their Game 5 win on Sunday over the Calgary Flames, while the Chicago Blackhawks advanced in the bracket by completing a four-game sweep of the Minnesota Wild last week. The Tampa Bay Lightning will face the winner of the Washington Capitals-New York Rangers series.
TEAM
USA FACES SWITZERLAND IN 2015 IIHF WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS TOMORROW AT 9 A.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN's coverage of the IIHF World Hockey Championship continues tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET, when Jack Eichel and Team
USA face Switzerland in the quarterfinal round. Eichel propelled Team
USA to a Group B victory in the preliminary round with a 5-4 overtime win on Tuesday against Slovakia, scoring the game-winner with 28 seconds left in the extra session. The winner of tomorrow's game will face the winner of Sweden-Russia in the semifinal round.
GAMES TELEVISED SO FAR
For the fourth consecutive year, NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, CNBC and NHL NETWORK are combining to televise every Stanley Cup Playoff game nationally.
| Network |
Games |
| NBC |
9 |
| NBCSN |
40 |
| USA Network |
8 |
| CNBC |
10 |
| NHL-N |
1 |
| Total |
68 |
One-goal Games: 36
OT games: 14
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