2022 Stanley Cup playoffs thread

Carolina is weird. Their diehards are REALLY diehard, and they must also be N.C. State fans because of the inferiority complex they project. I used to love going down there for Caps-Canes games because the lower-bowl tickets were cheap and the building was usually 60-40 Washington fans. That's changed some.

 

That’s because MSG is so dark that you need flashlights to see the playing surface.

 

My New York buddies say the Rangers sell out with the same 20,000 at every game

 

Ahem.

 

It's been a long time now, but I remember this happening when the Rockies were in the NLCS in 2007. It was very difficult and expensive to get tickets to the series in Colorado, people went pretty crazy for that run that year, and in some cases cheaper and easier to get tickets and travel to Phoenix for the games there. There were a lot of Rockies fans at the two road games. (I was one of them, but lived in Phoenix at the time.)

 

During previous playoff runs in Raleigh, they would join the fans wearing red and black in the tailgates around the ESA. While the tickets are pricey relative to the market, it was cheaper for fans in Buffalo or Toronto to fly or drive down there, buy tickets and stay for a couple of nights than it was to grab tickets in their home market.

However, I'm not buying - pun not intended - that tickets now are merely $100. Paid almost that much for a 300-level ticket for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final in 2006. The guess here is that Tom Dundon is quickly making up for lost ticket revenue during the pandemic ... prices for everything in and around the ESA have shot up (pro tip: park at the State Fairgrounds unless you're hellbent on tailgating, walk across - or under Trinity Ave - around Carter-Finley Stadium and into the ESA. That will pay for a half-decent dinner right there.)

I'm not saying it's $300 like it would be at the Garden, Ragu ... maybe for the club-level seats and rinkside, but not 300-level seats.

 

I've been to a bunch of Hurricanes over the past few years, and they've got a very solid and growing fan base. The building will be rockin' like a hurricane this week, regardless of how many Ranger fans show up.

On the ticket restrictions, I like to think of it as good southern hospitality to help save Ranger fans the time and money from what will be a disappointing evening.

 

Including all the fees?

Yeah ... Section 329. 328 is where a few of the same fans used to, at least once during the game, shout "(goalie's name ... goalie's name ... goalie's name) ... YOU SUCK!"

At least they'll be able to pronounce "Shesterkin," even if it's dumb and not terribly accurate. Shesterkin should be odds-on for the Vezina and all ...

Didn't know the midweek rate offered that level of price break. Betting there won't be a double-figure price ticket for Game 2. If it weren't for the pandemic and they kept the prices down, I'd wear a sweater and take the trip ...