Another Cup Final OT Sets Game 4 Viewership Record

NEW YORK -- Another overtime game in the Stanley Cup finals drew another big audience for the NHL.

The high-scoring, back-and-forth Game 4 on Wednesday night on NBC, won in OT by the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 over the Boston Bruins, was watched by an average of 6.5 million people. That's the most viewers for a Stanley Cup Game 4 since records started being kept in 1987.

With three of the first four games going to overtime, the finals are averaging 5.4 million viewers. That's the most through four games since at least 1994, though the population is larger now. It's more than double the 2.5 million for last year's Los Angeles Kings-New Jersey Devils series.

And with the series guaranteed to go at least six games, more big audiences by NHL standards are likely.

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