Decline in Stanley Cup Final Ratings From Last Year

The Stanley Cup finals' television ratings were down 29 percent from last year.

The Los Angeles Kings' victory over the New Jersey Devils in six games averaged a 2.2 rating and 4 share on NBC. The 2011 series between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, boosted by a Game 7, averaged a 3.1/6.

Viewership was also hurt by going head-to-head against the NBA playoffs, unlike last year. Monday's decisive Game 6 earned a series-high 3.1 rating, down 3 percent from last season's Game 6.

Ratings measure the percentage of homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares measure the percentage of all households with TVs in use at the time.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)