The Sidney Crosby/Alex Ovechkin rivalry was not quite ready for primetime on NBC.
Game 2 of the Penguins/Capitals Stanley Cup playoff series had a 1.7 overnight rating on NBC Saturday night, tied as the network’s fourth lowest for a primetime NHL telecast, and its second-lowest for a primetime playoff game. NBC did not air a primetime game on the comparable weekend last year.
The 1.7 declined 15% from NBC’s primetime game the week before, Game 6 of Blues/Blackhawks in the first round (2.0).
Head-to-head Saturday night, Penguins/Capitals comfortably topped Premier Boxing Champions on FOX (1.2) but trailed Game 1 of the Thunder/Spurs NBA playoff series on TNT (2.7).
In the weekend’s other action, Game 2 of Islanders/Lightning had a 1.0 overnight on NBC Saturday afternoon — down 17% from Capitals/Rangers last year (1.2) and down 29% from Canadiens/Bruins in 2014 (1.4), both of which aired in an earlier timeslot.
Blues/Stars Game 2 had a 1.4* overnight on Sunday afternoon; there was no comparable window last year.
* ShowBuzz Daily reported a 1.36 overnight for Sunday’s game, while Sports Business Daily reported a 1.3.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
