Highest rated Isles game in 20+ years

From the Isles website:

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MSG+ sets new single-game ratings record for an Islanders telecast

Islanders-Penguins Series the Highest-Rated Islanders Playoff Series in a Decade

Thursday, 05.16.2013 / 2:58 PM / News

New York Islanders

The MSG+ telecast of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins scored a 2.21 average household rating, making it the highest-rated Islanders game ever on the network. The Islanders previous single-game high telecast was March 25, 2002 vs. the Rangers, which registered a 1.99 household rating.

Through five games on MSG+ (Game 3 was on NBC), the series averaged a 1.51 household rating, which was the highest rating for an Islanders playoff series since 2001-02 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs (1.78 HH). The series average rating was up 131% compared to the team's 2002-03 playoff appearance vs. the Ottawa Senators (0.66 HH), up 12% compared to team's 2003-04 first round matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning (1.35 HH) and up 140% compared to the team's 2006-07 round one matchup vs. the Buffalo Sabres (0.63 HH).

Islanders regular season telecasts on MSG+ averaged a 0.49 household rating this season, up 133% compared to the 2011-12 regular season average (0.49 HH vs. 0.21 HH), making 2013 the highest-rated Islanders regular season ever on the network (MSG+ began tracking Islanders household ratings at the start of the 1991-92 season).

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There's a well-deserved asterisk for the previous single-game high (3/25/2002) between the Isles/Rangers. That game was an FSNY-exclusive telecast during a period in which only the home team produced a telecast, so the rating was inflated by Ranger fans unable to watch Sam/JD.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick