Attendance

[LIDevsFan1]

Too many of our fans are a little Lazy when it comes to our team. The Islanders didn't have a problem with their attendence in their two home games and that arena is a bitch to get to.

We are what we are and thats not going to change. Ever.

au contraire, Nassau is a picnic to get to to and in and out of compared to CAA---its a huge difference.

However I agree with the rest of your post. Bottom line is that we're the third most popular team in the fourth most popular sport---add in a bad location, lousy economy and fans so jaded (a la the Atl. Braves) that the playoffs are a non-event until the third round, and you don't get a lot of sellouts. Oh, and throw in the boring style of play and no individual personalities (have you seen a Pat Burns press conference? he makes Lou Lams look like Mr. Personality).

[Zamode]

Not this sh!t again! Give it a rest people. TB aren't the most intriguing team to see, either, even if they did make it to the playoffs. Had they been paired up with Philthy or Toronto, it'd be a different story. It will go up if/as they move along.

Tickets and everything that goes with them are very expensive. Too much for many families. A child over 2 has to pay $95 for a lower level seat? I'd love to go to more games now before I have any kids but I live at least an hour away and I have to be at work between 5-5:30; getting home at 11:30 at night doesn't make for a good day.

[NJDevs4978]

Come now...I'm not all that happy that the Devils don't usually sell out the first two rounds of the playoffs but there should be no complaining about the attendance after last night. NONE. The Devs had everything stacked against them; the @#$% NHL made us wait till one and a half days before the game before telling us when it would be played, it was a weeknight game and it was against a non-traditional rival. Not to mention the price issue which some have already brought up.

[devilsrule33]

I know but you know I hear everyone talk about in sports radio shows and in the paper they like to joke around and say now I understand why the Devils only got 15,000 last night, because that was the most boring game I have ever seen.

I have to admit that last night was so boring but I hope most Devils fans are not going because of prices and stuff and not because the team plays boring.

[Weekes Head]

...if the team is so boring, then stop complaining and get off the board...

If you're such a hardcore fan, then this team wouldn't be boring to you.

And if you were such a FAN to begin with, you'd be happy with the win, instead of bitching and moaning about the atendance when you don't even live in the state and barely watch the games to begin with.

Get off our cases, and get off the Devils' case.

The last thing we need is hypocrites like you.

[Zamode]

I'd rather have a win and low attendance than not watching any hockey at all now. As was mentioned in a previous post, I'd take 10g at a game with a Cup than a full house without one.

Corrected for spehling spelling

[JHofSec234]

I'm with you, Zam!!

[NJDevs4978]

I'll add this too...I'd rather have 15,000 diehards than 20,000 fair-weather fans anyday, although if you're Lou you could say the fair-weather fans help pay the bills.

[HellOnICE]

If they truly want to sell out the building they will change their pricing amd marketing policies.

[CMaGee]

It's a bad economy. And the tickets and food are very expensive. I've been to two games so far this playoffs. I'll try for a few more.

[devilsrule33]

...if the team is so boring, then stop complaining and get off the board...

If you're such a hardcore fan, then this team wouldn't be boring to you.

And if you were such a FAN to begin with, you'd be happy with the win, instead of bitching and moaning about the atendance when you don't even live in the state and barely watch the games to begin with.

Get off our cases, and get off the Devils' case.

The last thing we need is hypocrites like you.

Okay..I am not complaining and if I made it seem like it sorry. I am very happy we won. Second if I lived in the state of NJ I would by season tickets in a second. I jsuts aid 15,000 fans at this point is not the best. How am I a hypocrite RD. Second if I said the game was entertaining I would be lying. The game was boring. I am sure everyone knows. Ask any fan of hockey and that was a boring game. Also what does me not being able to watch a lot of the games have do with anything. I have watched every Devils game that has been on TV that I can get and every playoff game. Also get off your cases. Did I say you guys make me sick that you don't go to games. Did I say so you don't make that much money, find a way to go. No I did not.

[CMaGee]

The 1st period was dreadful to watch. After that, the Devils had a bunch of shots, and ample scoring chances. 2 outta 3 ain't bad. It was good for me.

[devilsrule33]

The game picked up in the third but the first period was what, 8 shots in total?

[Derek21]

people want to be entertained and no offense but the devs are not the most entertaining team. just look at last night, the game was beyond boring for 50 minutes. if i'm spending $400 to bring others youre damn right I wanna be entertained.

This is it right here Devils744. Last night was tough to watch. If you like winning hockey, then you're happy. But for the prices they charge, I can see why fans stay home.

Brooks also had a write-up on it. A harsh evaluation that reflects about last nite's game. Some good quotes from Devils on Brodeur focusing when he had little action.

http://nypost.com/sports/devils/34731.htm

THIS DEVIL WIN

A REAL SNOOZER

MR. ZERO:

Devils' Martin Brodeur makes one of his 15 saves last night en route to his third shutout of these playoffs, a 3-0 win over Tampa.

- N. Miller

April 25, 2003 -- SO there was Martin Brodeur following the easiest playoff shutout he - or any goaltender - will ever record, trying to explain his approach as last night's Game 1 against the Lightning dragged into a scoreless third period.

"I had to stay in the game and stay awake because I knew one mistake could cost us everything," he said following the 15-save, 3-0 victory in which Tampa could not create a scoring chance through the first 45 minutes. "Mentally, you have to be able to fight [the lack of action.]"

If Brodeur were compelled to stay awake, the 15,568 in attendance at the Meadowlands needed only to check the prices on their ticket stubs to jolt themselves into consciousness. Postseason prices for regular-season ennui. You gotta love it. No, honestly; you do have to love the sport - or your team - in order to endure a game as brutally pedestrian as last night's contest.

"I know it couldn't have been too exciting for the first two periods," Ken Daneyko said.

The Lightning are here following their six-game victory over the Caps that concluded with Sunday's triple-overtime match that made liars of all us hockey folks who like to proclaim that there's nothing in sports quite like Stanley Cup playoff overtime.

Actually, off of that momentous match, we must admit that there most certainly is; say, like, Detroit Tiger baseball.

The Lightning have promised to be better for tomorrow afternoon's Game 2. It's a pledge that won't be difficult to uphold.

Vincent Lecavalier, the first-line center on a one-line team (paging the Bruins), did little. Speaking of whom, right winger Martin St. Louis, who registered five goals in the final four games of the Washington series, did not announce himself until 5:30 had been played in the third, when he forced Brodeur to make his first standout stop of the night on a wrist shot off the draw from the left circle. There would be two more above-and-beyond stops, on Brad Richards from the slot and the put-back by Vaclav Prospal with 5:15 to go.

"It must be really tough for Marty to stay focused in games like this," John Madden said after another spotless performance. "Particularly tonight."

Madden, a co-conspirator in limiting Lecavalier, not only scored his third goal of the playoffs, he's been on the ice for 11 of the 16 goals the Devils have scored in the tournament. Jamie Langenbrunner, who broke the 0-0 draw with a soft one through Nikolai Khabibulin's pads, has scored six times himself.

As far as Brodeur, he has three shutouts in the last four games, 16 for his Cup career, and has allowed a total of three goals in his five victories.

"I've had a lot of shutouts, so I can't really remember if this was the easiest," Brodeur said. "I do know there was maybe one odd-man rush all game, though."

There is, of course, no real history between the Devils and Lightning. No hate. Tampa may simply be happy to be here after winning the first series in their 11-year history. The Devils, meanwhile, are expected to achieve far bigger things.

"Kind of a Samson and Goliath," Daneyko said.

He meant, David. Or maybe, Delilah?

[Triumph]

The 1st period was the most boring period of hockey I've ever seen.

I mean, ever. Other than Grant Marshall's hits, Vinny's almost breakaway, I can't remember a single thing about it. I had to go to class after that, and I was happy about that, heh.

Anyway, as for attendance, I *don't* think it is affected more than +/- 1000 people for 'excitement'. So even if the game had been a great one, it wouldn't attract more fans for the next game. People in New Jersey know about hockey, they're not like Tampa or Carolina fans who might be sucked in by a playoff run.

The arena plain sucks. Everything about it sucks, parking, food, the crowd, everything is awful. I know I wouldn't go to more than 5 Devil games a year even if I had the cash to. It's just not worth it. The only place one's money is well-spent is on the ice, everywhere else it's not. 80 or 90 dollars for a playoff ticket.. that's ridiculous. Absolutely absurd. The fact that sports franchises get people to pay this kind of money for sporting events astounds me.

[Derek21]

DR doesn't deserve to be called a hypocrite. He's always been a good fan of the Devs on this board but because attendance is mentioned, he's not a real fan ?

Most of you are all diehard fans of that team. DR still follows them loyally from Ottawa. I'd imagine it would be tough to follow them and also get out to Continential Airlines Arena from there.

Didn't DR attend a couple of Ottawa-Devils games in Kanata?

[westcoastdevfan]

I live in California, don't blame me.

[GA Devil]

Ugh!! I don't get it. You either like the game of hockey or you don't. I rather enjoyed the chess game going on between Burns and Tortorella.

Boring? Burns said it best: (paraphrasing) "I'd rather win 2-1 than get embarassed in a 7-6 loss.

[devilsrule33]

He said he would rather win 1-0 then win 7-6. I think any coach would rather win 2-1 then lose 7-6.

[devilsrule33]

Thanks Derek. I attend every Devils game against Ottawa in Ottawa. In the playoffs it will be tough to get tickets if Ottawa and NJ play each other but I will try. Even if that means sleeping outside the Corel Centre one night. I would do that to have a chance to get to a Devils playoff game. But season ticket holders can reserve seats so I could get a friend to reserve for me.

[Zamode]

Derek posting a Brooks' article on this subject is adding fuel to the fire and a dig.

[HellOnICE]

The excitement level doesn't overwhelmingly matter. $50 cheap seats do.

[sheeps]

It is easy for an out-of-stater/out-of-provincer to complain about attendance because they can not be blamed. But it is hard when you are faced with high ticket prices, an arena in the middle of a swamp, horrible traffic problems, and little public transportation esp. no train service. Ottawa has multiple bus lines for an arena exclusively. We have relatively nothing! Which game would sell out faster, 34th Street Penn Station or Route 120, Meadowlands. This team deserves a new arena and a sold-out crowd. I agree, I wish we had more people in the stands, but I'd take a win with nobody in the crowd over a loss in front of a sold-out crowd. Gary Thorne can subtlely dig us all he wants.

[ice dog]

for people saying that attendance is due to the Devils being "boring", I think thats insane...I would much rather see a well played tight checking, low scoring game, than a sloppy shoot-out, with a ton of defensive break downs...plus the fact that the Devils are kings of this style, and a smothering force in the playoffs make it all the more entertaining!

[Germanator]

Okay, now here comes the propably farest ankle from that you can look at it, it's my ankle*G*

Basically I perceive three facts as main reasons.

1. It's the prices. But you already talked about that enough.

2. It's the arena. I know a lot of people who do not feel attracted by it for the reason it doesn't support noise or whatever...can't say much more about it. <_<

3. It's the state and city situation. You're not only living in an accumulating area of cities, in fact these are hockeytowns. To the North you'll find a majority of Rangers-fans that fill the Garden and not forget the Isles, and as soon as you cross the border to the south, you will see people wearing Flyers-jerseys if I imagine that right. The Devils are competing for a "limited audience" (though it's an amazingly big audience) along with the many other sports teams in your region. And the upper two reasons might destroy the rest potential. -> in a place where the Devils would be in a monopoly position, they could as well demand higher prices than now and were still sold out.

A quote from another hockeyfan dealing with the same issue about the Devils:

"You can get from Times Square to the Meadowlands in about 10-15 minutes on the bus. But no one in New York wants to see the Devils. They want to see the Rangers.

My guess would be the Devils fan base stretches from the Hudson River to about Princeton. West and south of there, you are a Flyers fan. East of there, you are a Rangers fan. Although there are a lot of people living in that area, the demographics aren't real favorable for hockey. Throw in the fact that the building is only accesible via mass transit from downtown New York, and you've got problems, hence the reason the Devils want to move to downtown Newark near mass transit."