NBC TO BROADCAST GAMES 3-7 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL IN PRIMETIME BEGINNING TOMORROW NIGHT AT 8PM ET

"You have 23 Cups on the Detroit side against four for Pittsburgh. The theater was not too big for them." � NBC's McGuire on Red Wings dominance thus far

"The Penguins have an extremely loyal crowd and I expect them to give the team an extra boost." -- McGuire

NEW YORK � May 27, 2008 � NBC Sports, the network home of the National Hockey League, will broadcasts Games 3-7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in primetime and presented in high definition beginning tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET with Game 3 from Pittsburgh. The Red Wings lead the best of seven series 2-0, outscoring the Penguins 7-0 in the first two games.

Mike "Doc" Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass analyst) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty in the on-location studio show alongside Mike Milbury and Bob Neumeier, the former voice of the Hartford Whalers. NBC's coverage is produced by Sam Flood, former captain of the Williams College hockey team and the son of a hockey coach.

The matchup features some of the NHL's marquee players, including Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa against Detroit's trio of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom. Detroit has won 10 Stanley Cup championships (last in 2002) in their long history as an NHL "Original Six" franchise and the Penguins, two (1991 & 92). Ten current Red Wings players have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup compared with just three for the Penguins.

MCGUIRE ON DETROIT'S DOMINANCE THUS FAR: "The experience really showed in the first two games. You have 23 Cups on the Detroit side against four for Pittsburgh. The theater was not too big for them."

MCGUIRE ON RED WINGS STRATEGY: "Their strategy is obvious, to shut down one player -- Sidney Crosby. Having the last change in Detroit really helped them accomplish that. I know I'm stating the obvious but the Penguins need to get Malkin, Hossa and Sykora going."

MCGUIRE ON THE PENGUINS RETURNING TO PITTSBURGH: "The Penguins have an extremely loyal crowd and I expect them to give the team an extra boost. They haven't lost at home in something like three months. Still, you have to wonder about the Penguins' psyche."

MCGUIRE COMPARING DETROIT RED WINGS AND PISTONS: "Detroit has the great tradition of an original six hockey market and it's called Hockeytown for a reason. Fans are going to watch on TV and I think they're going to keep their eyeballs glued to what could be one of the best Stanley Cup Finals we've seen in a long time. Hooray for 'Hockeytown.'"

OLCZYK ON PITTSBURGH: "You have two great hockey markets and hockey cities. I was lucky enough to spend almost eight years of my hockey life there, as a broadcaster, player and coach, and Pittsburgh is an unbelievable hockey town and an unbelievable hockey market."

EMRICK ON THE STAR POWER IN THIS STANLEY CUP FINAL: "I cannot recall more stars in a final since 1987 when Edmonton had five of the best, but they were all on one team. This time we have the stars divided out on teams."

EMRICK ON NHL: "The moons are aligned properly for the NHL and its popularity."

MCGUIRE ON NHL: "Never before in the history of the NHL have we had this much talent come into the league in such a short period of time. So this is not just a one-hit wonder kind of a final. If the NHL were a stock coming out of the lockout that was the time to buy it."

EMRICK ON CROSBY BEING A CROSSOVER STAR: "He will probably be the first one in the United States since Gretzky who can appear in any number of settings that are hockey related or not and be recognized, particularly after this Final.

"We have wonderful star players on both sides. The thing that causes Sid to stand out more than others is not only his playing excellence, because you have to have that, it helps if you're willing to converse. He's so willing and cooperative to take that extra step that not many players in the past have. They either didn't have the playing excellence or the willingness to do it."

OLCZYK ON CHRIS CHELIOS: "He's the greatest American-born ever to play in the league."

MCGUIRE ON CHELIOS: "One of the advantages of being between the benches is I can hear the conversations and I can tell you, the way he talks to the players, he's been almost another coach on the bench. Chris is another set of eyes for the coaching staff, and when you're looking at somebody eyeball to eyeball and you're Chris Chelios, usually you can make an impact that way."

PRODUCER FLOOD ON HOW HIS TEAM WILL CALL THE FINAL: "When we sign a talent, their first obligation is to the audience. It doesn't matter what jersey you've worn in your career, or what eight or nine jerseys you've worn in your career, the only one that matters at the point when you come on board with NBC is the NBC jersey. Your number one obligation is to the fans and telling the truth about what's happening on the ice, good or bad."

FLOOD ON THE MATCHUP: "Our one rule is whoever wins the previous game, we're rooting for the other team so it can go seven."

STANLEY CUP FINAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE (all times 8 p.m. ET)

Game 3 Wednesday, May 28 Detroit at Pittsburgh NBC

Game 4 Saturday, May 31 Detroit at Pittsburgh NBC

Game 5 * Monday, June 2 Pittsburgh at Detroit NBC

Game 6 * Wednesday, June 4 Detroit at Pittsburgh NBC

Game 7 * Saturday, June 7 Pittsburgh at Detroit NBC

*if necessary