Running numbers:

All NHL playoff games, for the first time, are on national TV via NBC and its cable channels NBCSN and CNBC as well as the NHL Network. That means total playoff viewing will likely increase, although individual game ratings might drop because audiences will be pulled in more directions. But early box office looks good: After NBCSN’S national ratings were up 22% for its first two days of coverage, NBC’S Washington CapitalsBoston Bruins game Saturday drew a 1.5 overnight (1.5% of households in the 56 urban markets measured for overnight) — up 36% from last year’s comparable coverage.