The 2014-2015 NHL Boondoggle

[TorinK92 314]

Good God that Sens game was boring, no flow to it whatsoever. There's been only one goal in each of the first two periods in Ottawa's games so far, at least in Nashville and Tampa the game picked up in the third.

And zone entries, it's going to be the mantra of the season for the Sens, it's mainly the reason why we can't get going on attack.

Anyone have attendance figures on that game?

Edit: TSN didn't carry highlights or updates of that Montreal-Tampa game after the first intermission, what happened there? Looks like an absolute route on paper.

[twi 380]

Panthers brass has started to use actual butts in seats as their announced attendance instead of artificially inflating numbers and they're not giving away free tickets anymore because it wasn't fair to actual ticket buyers, which as it turns out there's about as many of those as we thought. Attendance will be a train wreck this season. Like, worse than Glendale bad.

No, I think they're still using tickets distributed over butts in seats, it's just that they're not distributing quite so many tickets. They announced around 11,000 the other night and that was so not 11,000. Any way you slice it, they're pulling back the curtain (by...putting up a curtain? I'm in Metaphor Hell here) on some ridiculous numbers.

Viola has already announced that the ticket number this year will be purely tickets sold, as he is trying to cast no illusions as he rebuilds. Iirc, they are the only team counting this way. As we can see it may be too little too late but Viola is doing right so far. No freebies is a good start, IMO.

[the admiral 29,242]

If I remember correctly, the Greensboro iteration of the Hurricanes was all about not giving away tickets and not giving discounts so that people would get used to NHL price points. It resulted in them playing to about 3,000 people a night. I don't think doing anything Peter Karmanos did is doing right.

Also, a Stamkos hat trick is what happened.

[cmm 386]

Announced attendance in Flordia was 7,311.

[habsfan1 4,002]

Announced attendance in Flordia was 7,311.

And that's for the home opener.

When the season moves along, assuming the Panthers have a losing season and play without incentive, it's going to be even lower.

[rams80 4,333]

Announced attendance in Flordia was 7,311.

So 7000 season ticket holders I see.

[Still MIGHTY 3,835]

Ducks were all over the Sabres today. Shots were close to 30-10 at one point. And I knew that Kesler was good, I knew that I always wanted Kesler, and I figured he was what the Ducks needed, but I guess I underestimated what his impact would be. He's been fantastic. Three games, but still his effort in the face-offs, on the power play, killing penalties, physicality, and I'm actually surprised at his scoring touch (scored on a penalty shot today). Can't wait for the full season with him. He's going to be one hell of a weapon once the playoffs come around.

---

And Panthers... oof. That's almost indescribably bad. And a 1-0 loss the boot? Yuck.

[ninersdd 581]

Yeah, I saw on twitter that Stamkos matched the Sabres shot output.

[JayMac 3,916]

The Flyers are down 2-0 to the Ducks in the 1st. This team is going to be bad. Maybe not epically bad like 2006/07 but bad nonetheless.

[RyanMcD29 871]

Altitude finally has a graphics package that actually looks like its from this decade, so there's that, Avalanche fans

[zpqmaowl 419]

#HereComeTheOilers

[AHcreative 505]

#HereComeTheOilers

On a more serious note: the Islanders sure are looking legit in their farewell season on Long Island.

[Sodboy13 5,815]

Christ, Edmonton, even the Washington Generals manage to make it look competitive for a few minutes here and there.

[cmm 386]

Isles' wins at Penn Station are always nice.

[the admiral 29,242]

Six goals and Tavares only figured into two of them? Not what I'm used to so far, but okay! This just might get fun.

[the admiral 29,242]

But this ain't fun. This is a game between two terrible teams that went to an extra-inning shootout.

[Still MIGHTY 3,835]

Wait... Buffalo/Carolina was the NBCSN game tonight? ...instead of any of the other games in that slot like Isles/Rangers, Ducks/Flyers, Caps/Sharks, or even Stars/Blue Jackets... You went with Buffalo/Carolina? ...and it went to extra shootout? ...Oof.

I hope your patented Buffalo ratings surge was worth it, NBC.

[the admiral 29,242]

I'd have cut out the feed after the first period and replaced it with a talking French pineapple

closest NBCSN would get to a Habs game this year

[Cosmic 6,536]

You mean you guys didn't like The Latvian Locomotive Zemgus Girgensons scoring to win the BUF-CAR game?

[the admiral 29,242]

How come they don't pronounce his name as GEER-ginn-sinsh? I thought the terminal s in Lettish was always pronounced "sh," like Sandis Ozolinsh (whose name was spelled Ozolins in Lettish).