NBC Sports’ regional coverage during Sunday’s Hockey Day in America — highlighted by the Detroit Red Wings NHL-record 23rd home win in a row, a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks — tied for the best NHL regular-season rating in eight years, excluding Winter Classics, and was the most-watched coverage for a non-Winter Classic in six years. The regional coverage (12:30-3:14 p.m. ET) — consisting of San Jose at Detroit, Pittsburgh at Buffalo, and St. Louis at Chicago — generated a 1.3 rating/3 share, up 30 percent compared to last year’s regional coverage (1.0/3), and tied with Jan. 14, 2006 (three-game regional on NBC) as the best rating for NHL regular-season game coverage in eight years, excluding Winter Classics (Jan. 10, 2004; 1.4 rating; three-game regional on ABC). The regional coverage averaged 1.94 million viewers, the most since 1.96 million for regional coverage on NBC on Jan. 14, 2006. It was also up 26 percent compared to last year’s Hockey Day regional coverage (1.54 million).