Stanley Cup Final ratings: Game 3 delivers on NBCSN, thanks to Chicago

CHICAGO – The old joke is that hockey fans will watch NBC Sports Network if they can find it.

Chicago apparently doesn’t have a problem locating it.

According to NBC, the market delivered its best-ever local number (24.0) on NBCSN to fuel a 2.88 national overnight rating. The number is 14 percent better than last year’s Game 3. It’s the second-best rating for a Stanley Cup Final game in the network’s history.

The best? Game 3 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins … and the Chicago Blackhawks, of course. That earned a 3.1 overnight rating.

The Top 5 markets for last night’s Game 3 on NBCSN: Chicago (24.00), Tampa (13.20), Buffalo (4.27), Boston (4.23) and Providence (3.84).

Tampa’s rating was also its best-ever on NBCSN. Although the Blackhawks have been on the network slightly more often than the Lightning.

In a related story: Nate Silver is now 0-for-3.