NHL and NBC announce second round Stanley Cup schedule, voices and channels; Two games tonight

It looks like NBC will use Carolina’s longtime television voice, John Forslund on the Carolina-Isles series while Isles’ TV announcer, Brendan Burke is being shipped out of town by NBC to call a couple other series. There are no locally produced telecasts beyond the first round.

Kenny Albert will be kept busy. He did a nice job last night in that pulsating double overtime win by Carolina which silenced Caps fans in DC.

With ten overtime games, three game sevens and two unlikely sweeps, NBC says that it had its largest viewership for the first round in many years. The 778,000 average viewers tuning in through NBC’s family of stations, were the highest network numbers generated in seven years.

For those who miseed it, there was a wonderful interview on NBC Sports Network conducted by Kathryn Tappen with former NHL great Eddie Olczyk. He took viewers back to his roots outside Chicago. The family’s modest home dining room was cleared of furniture. Eddie’s mom would then dress up in a goalie’s uniform while Eddie would pepper away.

Olczyk talked about how he was mercilessly traded by Toronto to Winnipeg while he was with his wife in the hospital as she was about to give birth. Tappen, a Rutgers alum, did a marvelous job. If you can find the interview, you’ll truly enjoy it. The piece transcended sports.

Chuck Kaiton, the former 39-year radio Voice of the Carolina Hurricanes, was kind enough to offer his predictions for the four second round series. They’re embedded below.

These are the second round announcers. The schedule follows.

Series

Boston- Columbus

Mike Emrick, Brian Boucher, Mike Milbury

Chuck Kaiton’s prediction: “Columbus in six, Bluejackets should out grit bruins.” 

Dallas-St. Louis

Brendan Burke/Kenny Albert, Pierre McGuire, AJ Mleczko

Chuck Kaiton’s prediction: “Blues in 6. In the battle of the B’s in goal, Binnington prevails over Bishop.” 

New York Isles-Carolina

John Forslund, Brian Boucher, Eddie Olczyk

Chuck Kaiton’s prediction: “Islanders in 7, Stifling defense and goalie edge go to Isles.” 

Colorado- San Jose

Brendan Burke/Chris Cuthbert, Pierre McGuire, Joe Micheletti

Chuck Kaiton’s prediction: “Sharks counter attack to outdo the big three of Avs (MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog).”

Schedule:

Thur., April 25

Game 1 – Columbus at Boston, NBCSN, 7 p.m.

Game 1 – Dallas at St. Louis, NBCSN, 9:30 p.m.

Fri., April 26

Game 1 – Carolina at N.Y. Islanders, NBCSN, 7 pm

Game 1 – Colorado at San Jose, NBCSN, 10 pm

Sat., April 27

Game 2 – Dallas at St. Louis, NBC, 3 p.m.

Game 2 – Columbus at Boston, NBC, 8 p.m.

Sun., April 28

Game 2 – Carolina at N.Y. Islanders, NBC, 3 p.m.

Game 2 – Colorado at San Jose, NBCSN, 7:30 p.m.

Mon., April 29

Game 3 – St. Louis at Dallas; NBCSN, 8 p.m.

Tues., April 30

Game 3 – Boston at Columbus; NBCSN, 7 p.m.

Game 3 – San Jose at Colorado; NBCSN, 10 p.m.

Wed., May 1

Game 3 – N.Y. Islanders at Carolina, NBCSN, 7 p.m.

Game 4 – St. Louis at Dallas, NBCSN, 9:30 p.m.

Thur., May 2

Game 4 – Boston at Columbus; NBCSN, 7:30 p.m.

Game 4 – San Jose at Colorado; NBCSN, 10 p.m.

Fri., May 3

Game 4 – N.Y. Islanders at Carolina, NBCSN, 7 p.m.