KINGS-BLACKHAWKS 2OT THRILLER IS MOST-WATCHED WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL GAME ON CABLE IN FIVE YEARS

Game 5 Averages 2.175 Million Viewers, Up 79% vs. Last WCF Game 5 on Cable in 2012

STAMFORD, Conn. - May 29, 2014 - Last night's Western Conference Final Game 5, in which the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks staved off elimination with a thrilling 5-4 double-overtime victory, is now the most-watched WCF game on cable in five years.

The game (8:00-11:48 p.m. ET) averaged 2.175 million viewers: up 79% vs. the last Western Conference Final Game 5 on cable between Los Angeles and Phoenix (1.217 million) in 2012 (no WCF Game 5 on cable last year); up 147% vs. San Jose-Vancouver Game 5 in 2011 (879,000); and the most-watched WCF game since Chicago-Detroit in 2009 (2.324 million). Viewing peaked at 3.14 million viewers from 11:15-11:30 p.m. ET, and delivered a 1.29 HH rating.

Locally, Chicago drew its second-best WCF rating ever on NBCSN with a 16.3 rating, trailing only its 16.6 rating for LA/Chi Game 2 of last year's WCF (6/2/13). Los Angeles delivered a 3.0 rating for the game.

The 2OT contest also set a litany of NHL streaming records in all key metrics across NBC Sports Live Extra, including 95,000 uniques and 5.49 million minutes. For streaming, the game is now the best Conference Final game ever; best game of the 2013-14 season; and best non-Stanley Cup Final game ever in minutes watched.

Following are additional 2014 Stanley Cup Playoff notes released earlier today:

· Six May games drew more than 1.75 million viewers - the most-ever in the month and up from five in 2013 and one in 2012. NBCSN's most-watched game of the month, the May 14 Game 7 between the Canadiens and the Bruins, averaged 2.276 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final game featuring a Canadian team on NBCSN.

· The combined NBCSN/CNBC average viewership for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs for the month (1.294 million viewers) ranks as the best May on cable for the NHL postseason since 2000.

TONIGHT

Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers look to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years tonight with a Game 6 win over P.K Subban and the Montreal Canadiens at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live hosted by Liam McHugh, alongside former NHL players and analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - will provide live streaming coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET.