Penguins 2009-2010

[Chadd 916]

i think everyone has given up on the pirates frankly - but they did have decent attendance the first few years the stadium opened - it didn't hurt them

yeah of course people will go just to see it and eat in the restaurants there but pirates are such a dead franchise right now. they have been losing for too many years.

Thank you for making my point for me. As long as the team wins, people will go.

[camhockey16 5]

i agree as long as they are winning attendance will probably be good - unless they stupidly raise ticket prices too much - but i dont think pens management is that dumb

i went to alot of the games in 03-04 when ryan malone was a rookie and you had your pick of practically any seat in the house - i've definitely noticed a lot more fairweather fans lately that dont know the first thing about hockey.

i guess the real question is if you are able to sellout games when you are winning - how do you turn those fans into ones that will come regardless of if the team is good or bad?

[Chadd 916]

i guess the real question is if you are able to sellout games when you are winning - how do you turn those fans into ones that will come regardless of if the team is good or bad?

In Pittsburgh? Call them the Ice Steelers.

[slacker76 3]

Just like the New stadium helped the Pirates sell out?

The Pirates are a terrible team in a wonderful building. Even the Pirates have given up on the Pirates.

As for hockey. The team is doing well and I remember the lean years as well. Though just like when the Pens won back to back Cups, there was a huge swelling of hockey popularity again. It began to die off when the team went in the toilet but obviously has began to grow. It spawned new generations of fans and players. Hockey has gone mainstream in Western PA for better or for worse. With the current squad and the birth or rebirth of additional generations of fans the Pens will be putting people in the seats. Though I assume sales are already slumping due to the economy. There have been numerous programs to buy reduced priced seats for games during the month of October. The Pens will continue to "sell out" there games due to the student rush program or other marketing ideas. Of course they take a beating on the seats but they'll keep their streak alive.

As for youth hockey in the area, it is definately down. Rinks are having problems keeping the doors open and big box shops are crushing the little guys. Hopefully the Pens being successful will bring back the numbers to what they were.

[english15x 3]

i think everyone has given up on the pirates frankly - but they did have decent attendance the first few years the stadium opened - it didn't hurt them

yeah of course people will go just to see it and eat in the restaurants there but pirates are such a dead franchise right now. they have been losing for too many years.

Thank you for making my point for me. As long as the team wins, people will go.

even if the pirates were winning world series after world series it wouldnt change the fact i dont watch baseball let alone the pirates.

[WhiteyHimself 0]

I don't watch hockey but im going to try and watch it this year. I am choosing this team because my brother watches hockey and this is the team he roots for. So go Pens

[dsjunior1388 81]

Winning brings fans in. A new stadium will spike attendence for the first year, maybe the second, but winning is the only way to ensure a fanbase.

I just love that pittsburgh thinks they have reached a point where they will never have attendence problems again because they have two superstars. Apparently they forgot that this is not the first time they had two superstars, and it didn't prevent them from nearly going belly up right after they left.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

winning is the only way to ensure a fanbase.

Not always true. Depends where the team is as well and how big of a city it is. Rangers never have attendance problems, same as the Knicks who have been god awful. But i know what you mean, and 97% of the time, your right.

[mik3 1]

Didn't get home from my game till about 10:10 but I thankfully got to see Sid's shootout move, whew.

[english15x 3]

yeah pens played like shit. then came back to win with some good chances. vokoun was real good. crosbys shootout goal was nice! :D

[Invert 13]

Winning brings fans in. A new stadium will spike attendence for the first year, maybe the second, but winning is the only way to ensure a fanbase.

I just love that pittsburgh thinks they have reached a point where they will never have attendence problems again because they have two superstars. Apparently they forgot that this is not the first time they had two superstars, and it didn't prevent them from nearly going belly up right after they left.

There were much deeper issues than the two superstars leaving that had the drop in everything. The previous ownership (Baldwin) was writing checks he couldn't cash. Lemieux took own the team as a creditor and ran the team so it would lose as little money as possible in the mean time. The NHL was a different world with teams like the Rangers, Flyers, and Leafs spending huge amounts of money. A great example of that was Robert Lang going to the wings for 5 million a year. So the Penguins did not waste money and try to be competitive, did that hurt fanbase? A bit. Using that though, they rebuilt through the draft instead of poaching other teams talents and have been highly successful. Ultimately time will tell, but I don't think that will happen in the salary cap NHL.

[mik3 1]

I know they've only lost two games but both the losses have been completely uninspired efforts where it seems like everyone is off. It also didn't help that 19 year old MAF mad an appearance last night.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Agreed..both losing efforts appeared as though everyone forgot to show up. A loss is a loss and they were deserved, but in my opinion noone has beat the Pens when they've played a complete game thus far.

[Trooper 8]

I just love that pittsburgh thinks they have reached a point where they will never have attendence problems again because they have two superstars. Apparently they forgot that this is not the first time they had two superstars, and it didn't prevent them from nearly going belly up right after they left.

Can you document where Pittsburgh thinks this? I'm just curious how you know what everyone thinks...

[mik3 1]

[westcoastsniper 0]

If crosby and his line continue to play like they did tonight against the Habs there won't be much competition this year, they'll walk over the caps and flyers in the east (maybe rangers can keep up, if gabby can play)

and I can't see a western conference team fast enough and smart enough to beat them (detroit's gotten slower, but they can still think the game together better than any other team)

finals 3-peat??

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

If crosby and his line continue to play like they did tonight against the Habs there won't be much competition this year, they'll walk over the caps and flyers in the east (maybe rangers can keep up, if gabby can play)

and I can't see a western conference team fast enough and smart enough to beat them (detroit's gotten slower, but they can still think the game together better than any other team)

finals 3-peat??

lol waaaaaaayyyy too early for that type of talk. Crosby's developing a history of injuries, and the season is long. The Pens have played more games than any other team in the NHL (besides Detroit) in the last two years. Its relatively easy to jump to the head of the pack, it's much harder to stay there. And before you say you'll walk all over the Caps, wait until they play each other to say that. That being said, i think they'll develop a nice lead in the East, being in the top 3 through the Olympic break, but I can see them slowing down towards the end. They really just need to make the playoffs, not finish top 3. It would be wiser to give some players some rest if playoffs are guaranteed.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Too early to say. Caps didn't improve there D or goaltending situation very much and Pronger come playoffs is a wrecking machine. If Timmonen and Coburn figure out what the hell they're doing Philly will be scary good.

I really want them to start playing Brent Johnson a bit more. Fleurys played a heck of a lot of games the last 2 years - Malkin has too. Crosby got some rest with some injuries so maybe he's fresh, but so many top guns face the top D every game that it has to wear on them more, plus the Olympics will be more of the same. R and R wil be key down the stretch.

[JoeyJ0506 191]

If crosby and his line continue to play like they did tonight against the Habs there won't be much competition this year, they'll walk over the caps and flyers in the east (maybe rangers can keep up, if gabby can play)

and I can't see a western conference team fast enough and smart enough to beat them (detroit's gotten slower, but they can still think the game together better than any other team)

finals 3-peat??

lol waaaaaaayyyy too early for that type of talk. Crosby's developing a history of injuries, and the season is long. The Pens have played more games than any other team in the NHL (besides Detroit) in the last two years. Its relatively easy to jump to the head of the pack, it's much harder to stay there. And before you say you'll walk all over the Caps, wait until they play each other to say that. That being said, i think they'll develop a nice lead in the East, being in the top 3 through the Olympic break, but I can see them slowing down towards the end. They really just need to make the playoffs, not finish top 3. It would be wiser to give some players some rest if playoffs are guaranteed.

I'm a Pens' fan through and through, but beating the caps will be no easy task. Watching them against the Flyers the other night on Versus... They're flat out dangerous.

[mik3 1]

Too early to say. Caps didn't improve there D or goaltending situation very much and Pronger come playoffs is a wrecking machine. If Timmonen and Coburn figure out what the hell they're doing Philly will be scary good.

I really want them to start playing Brent Johnson a bit more. Fleurys played a heck of a lot of games the last 2 years - Malkin has too. Crosby got some rest with some injuries so maybe he's fresh, but so many top guns face the top D every game that it has to wear on them more, plus the Olympics will be more of the same. R and R wil be key down the stretch.

Thankfully the Flyers seem to not be able to get it together for extended periods of time. Hopefully they'll keep Stevens around for a while.

I sold them short before the season but it looks like, if they can stay healthy, the Rangers will be dangerous. When Lundqvist gets hot he's probably the best goalie in the east.

[tro 4]

"Head coach Dan Bylsma announced that forward Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury"

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Just saw that on ESPN. Time for Crosby put the full weight of the team on him. Id look for Jordan Staal to turn some heads during this stretch.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

I'm wondering how long Malkin has been hurt. I know you cant play at the level he played at during the post season all the time, but he just hasn't looked like himself all season long..

Penguins star Evgeni Malkin is going to miss the next two weeks with what coach Dan Bylsma called a "shoulder strain."

The injury is not to the shoulder Malkin injured three years ago. He was injured in a 2006 collision with John LeClair in a preseason game, missing the first four games of his NHL career.

Bylsma said Malkin injured his shoulder a couple of weeks ago and has been playing in pain. Malkin does not want to miss any time but the coaching staff is forcing him to rest for two weeks.

The Penguins are already playing without star defenseman Sergei Gonchar and Tyler Kennedy, who is second on the team with five goals. Kennedy will not play tomorrow in Columbus.

Malkin is the league's defending scoring champion. So far this season, he leads the Penguins with 14 points.

He will be replaced on the second line by Jordan Staal.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...=rss&feed=8

edited to answer my own question with the story..

[WSjo22 1]

Not to knock Geno but with the way he has been playing this is gonna be better for the team more than it hurts it.... he hasn't played well all year so it's better for him to shut it down till it heals, imagine how good they're gonna be when he gets healthy again

[english15x 3]

with his injury malkin still out performs a lot of other skaters. just isnt the same work horse or as aggressive. he has made some stupid plays this year. breaks through 2 guys then throws it right at the other team.