Sidney Crosby returns to the ice for the first time since Dec. 5, 2011 as his Pittsburgh Penguins, second in points in the Eastern Conference (89), travel to New York to take on the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers (95) at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. ET on newly added coverage on the NBC Sports Network. Beginning Thursday, the NBC Sports Group will present 12 live NHL or college hockey games over the next seven days. Crosby’s Penguins will be featured twice across the platforms of the NBC Sports Group, including Sunday’s NHL Game of the Week on NBC at their in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers; the Rangers will appear three times, all at home; and the San Jose Sharks, fighting to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, will also appear three times. The bonus Thursday night game also means that the NBC Sports Group will air 11 straight nights of live hockey action dating from Sun., March 11 through Wed., March 21. Thursday night’s Penguins game on the NBC Sports Network is a non-exclusive telecast and will be subject to local blackouts.
The team of Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside the Glass’ analyst) will call the action for Sunday’s game on NBC, and NBC Sports Network’s Wednesday night game. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (‘Inside the Glass’ analyst) will call Sunday night’s game. Emrick and McGuire will call Monday’s primetime coverage, with Strader and Engblom teaming up again for Tuesday’s game. Liam McHugh and analyst Mike Milbury will cover all the intermissions for NBC’s coverage. Additionally, McHugh hosts NHL Live, NBC Sports Network’s pre- and post-game studio show, and is joined by expert analysts Milbury and Keith Jones. John Walton (play-by-play) and Ken Hodge (analyst) handle college hockey for NBC Sports Network on Friday and Milbury will join them on Sat. to call the Hockey East Finals.