What if one of these folks paying $10k a season for tickets is a Pittsburgh transplant that loves hockey and loves the Pens?
Is their $10k worth less than the guy sitting next to him?
- mlindsay

Then you can go to the game, cheer, scream whatever you want but not wear Penguins clothes. I think if someone spent $10k they are ok not rocking a jersey to the game and are adult enough to understand.

It is truly remarkable that a corporation/team comes out with the decision to minimize seating to the opposing fans. It doesn't set a really good example and as a team executive I would be rather embarrassed for this situation.

Here we are in todays world, fighting for equal rights for ALL and that everyone has an equal opportunity and then something like this comes out that is rather laughable and rather embarrassing. All this is, is a disgraceful episode of controlling favortism. Should a team not allow other fans to sit in certain seats, that is the teams choice, nothing against it but it shows how far a team/corporation will go to TRY and distort reality of the situation.

If the lower bowl was filled with Pens fans and not Tampa fans, that says something about an organization, how it is run and the promotions of that team...so in reality all Tampa Bay is trying to do is cause a distortion in the reality of the situation down there. Can't fill the building, that is a reflection of the team/corporation and trying to limit the opposition is a very weak attempt.
- Darklight11

In any other state yes. In Florida no. People don't retire by the millions to move to Chicago or Pittsburgh for the mild winters, beaches, and lack of state income tax. A sizeable percentage of hockey fans (even Lightning fans like myself) are transplants from other states. These people don't suddenly shun the team they rooted for their entire lives because they moved to Florida. Many of those opposing fans in opposing jerseys are Lightning fans (even season ticket holders) who show their Bolts colors for every game of the year, except when their old team comes to town, then they dust off the Detroit-Philly-Chicago-Pittsburgh jersey for that game or series. Happens all the time. You are comparing apples to oranges. The same is true for the Rays, Bucs, Magic, Panthers, Dolphins and every other Florida sports franchise.

The Bolts franchise is doing just fine. They are owned by a deep-pockets businessman who is a dollar short of being a billionaire. Attendance is up since he took over. We have a hall of fame legend as GM. Continuing playoff success. Attractive to free agents (just ask Boyle and Stralman). The future is bright for the Bolts, no matter how many fans wear red or yellow jerseys.

Is Sami Salo back? I missed that. Ha-ha! Just rousting you. I assume you meant Coburn.

I mean I don't think Stralman has any kind of the stones as Letang. I say we Callahan him right back into the pressbox and take the 5 min penalty.
- Grinder47

That's just stupid and you are a fool for saying it. Nothing good comes of that. Do you wanna see a repeat of Game 1? A bunch of nastiness instead of good hockey? Open that can of worms and we send Paquette after Sid or Malkin. You sound like a wrestling fan. Save that garbage for the WWE.

In any other state yes. In Florida no. People don't retire by the millions to move to Chicago or Pittsburgh for the mild winters, beaches, and lack of state income tax. A sizeable percentage of hockey fans (even Lightning fans like myself) are transplants from other states. These people don't suddenly shun the team they rooted for their entire lives because they moved to Florida. Many of those opposing fans in opposing jerseys are Lightning fans (even season ticket holders) who show their Bolts colors for every game of the year, except when their old team comes to town, then they dust off the Detroit-Philly-Chicago-Pittsburgh jersey for that game or series. Happens all the time. You are comparing apples to oranges. The same is true for the Rays, Bucs, Magic, Panthers, Dolphins and every other Florida sports franchise.

The Bolts franchise is doing just fine. They are owned by a deep-pockets businessman who is a dollar short of being a billionaire. Attendance is up since he took over. We have a hall of fame legend as GM. Continuing playoff success. Attractive to free agents (just ask Boyle and Stralman). The future is bright for the Bolts, no matter how many fans wear red or yellow jerseys.
- GalacticStone

What people don't think of is if you were born in Tampa the first year the Lightning played you're just now 20-21, hardly in a financial position to buy season tickets. The organization is trying to get a steady fan base but it takes time.

If Murray struggles the slightest bit, he gets pulled. If they lose, MAF gets the start in gm 3.

BTW, I thought Drouin looked good gm 1. Pens should have traded DP for him!
- sammy87

they should have. but that wouldn't be enough.

Yeah bud great try. Somehow 29 other teams seem to do it without being so cowardly. You guys are soft flatlanders from a place in the world that's only good for fishing and comfortable for old rich people to go to die.
- Grinder47

Fishing, beaches, hot women, no income tax, theme parks, fossil-hunting (world class), golf courses (also world class, your Pens will be on them soon), and a dozen other things.

And there is nothing soft about me. I'll show you when I climb off your mother.

Fishing, beaches, hot women, no income tax, theme parks, fossil-hunting (world class), golf courses (also world class, your Pens will be on them soon), and a dozen other things.

And there is nothing soft about me. I'll show you when I climb off your mother.
- GalacticStone

except that part. that is a lie.

except that part. that is a lie.
- martox

I had to throw that in there. That guy is just talking smack, so I threw it back at him.

This series is far from over. I am still far more worried than I was when we went down 1-0 against the Isles. The Pens have had our number for years and that doesn't just reverse itself in a season or two. We could lose the next 4 in a row for all I know. (I hope not). Whatever happens, I'd like to see this series go 7 games and triple overtime in game 7. I love great run-and-gun hockey and these two teams are capable of it.

That's just stupid and you are a fool for saying it. Nothing good comes of that. Do you wanna see a repeat of Game 1? A bunch of nastiness instead of good hockey? Open that can of worms and we send Paquette after Sid or Malkin. You sound like a wrestling fan. Save that garbage for the WWE.
- GalacticStone

You can send Paquette anywhere you want. You think players haven't tried for years to hurt Crosby and Malkin? Paquette isn't matt cooke he can't hurt people on will.

Fishing, beaches, hot women, no income tax, theme parks, fossil-hunting (world class), golf courses (also world class, your Pens will be on them soon), and a dozen other things.

And there is nothing soft about me. I'll show you when I climb off your mother.
- GalacticStone

I'll give you fishing, just because of the tarpon. There's hot women all over the world. I'm fine with paying my taxes. Theme parks? I have no kids and am not 12. Fossil hunting????? You do realize animals have lived all over the world since the beginning of time, there are fossils everywhere. Golf means nothing to me. Maybe the NHL should just relocate your team to Canada? I mean your best player is already relocating himself there.

Reports are that Hornqvist took a puck in the head and has left the ice.

ETA - Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC · 34s34 seconds ago Hornqvist took a puck in the head...leaves the skate

I had to throw that in there. That guy is just talking smack, so I threw it back at him.

This series is far from over. I am still far more worried than I was when we went down 1-0 against the Isles. The Pens have had our number for years and that doesn't just reverse itself in a season or two. We could lose the next 4 in a row for all I know. (I hope not). Whatever happens, I'd like to see this series go 7 games and triple overtime in game 7. I love great run-and-gun hockey and these two teams are capable of it.
- GalacticStone

I hope you just jinxed your team with previous comment

Wow. Hornqvist

Reminds me when I was skating behind the net after drop in one time. Skating behind the net and my buddy ripped a puck just over the cross bar. Good thing I ducked my head (bucketless) a little because the puck grazed my hair and hit the glass

I'll give you fishing, just because of the tarpon. There's hot women all over the world. I'm fine with paying my taxes. Theme parks? I have no kids and am not 12. Fossil hunting????? You do realize animals have lived all over the world since the beginning of time, there are fossils everywhere. Golf means nothing to me. Maybe the NHL should just relocate your team to Canada? I mean your best player is already relocating himself there.
- Grinder47

You know jack about fossils obviously. Florida has the best Pleistocene deposits of anywhere in the world. Paleontologists come from all over the world to research here.

Hot women everywhere? Yes. Hot women on white-sand beaches wearing thongs? No. Come down here and see Bradenton beach, you'll see the difference. Bradenton also has a strong Pittsburgh affiliation (Pirates summer training) and a lot of transplants.

Taxes? Fine, throw your hard-earned money away on potholes and graft. We don't need taxes down here because they tourists pay for everything. I guess we get so many tourists because we suck so bad.

Golf means nothing to me either, but it means a lot to many people - those same people travel from all over the world to play here - and they drop a lot of cash. So much cash that we don't need income taxes. We get to keep our cash. More money for fun stuff.

Our best player? Stamkos I assume. He isn't worth $10-million a year and you know it. We don't need another albatross contact like Lecavalier's. If he wants that kind of money, let him walk. Toronto can have him and then regret it halfway through the contract term. His best years are behind him and he hasn't been the same since that nasty leg break.

Sorry. Try again.

You know jack about fossils obviously. Florida has the best Pleistocene deposits of anywhere in the world. Paleontologists come from all over the world to research here.

Hot women everywhere? Yes. Hot women on white-sand beaches wearing thongs? No. Come down here and see Bradenton beach, you'll see the difference. Bradenton also has a strong Pittsburgh affiliation (Pirates summer training) and a lot of transplants.

Taxes? Fine, throw your hard-earned money away on potholes and graft. We don't need taxes down here because they tourists pay for everything. I guess we get so many tourists because we suck so bad.

Golf means nothing to me either, but it means a lot to many people - those same people travel from all over the world to play here - and they drop a lot of cash. So much cash that we don't need income taxes. We get to keep our cash. More money for fun stuff.

Our best player? Stamkos I assume. He isn't worth $10-million a year and you know it. We don't need another albatross contact like Lecavalier's. If he wants that kind of money, let him walk. Toronto can have him and then regret it halfway through the contract term. His best years are behind him and he hasn't been the same since that nasty leg break.

Sorry. Try again.
- GalacticStone

So... did you wake up with sand in your ass, or you just miserable normally?

Fishing, beaches, hot women, no income tax, theme parks, fossil-hunting (world class), golf courses (also world class, your Pens will be on them soon), and a dozen other things.

And there is nothing soft about me. I'll show you when I climb off your mother.
- GalacticStone

Now that was funny! I've lived in Pittsburgh and have a home in Sarasota, FL which is about 50 miles south of Tampa. Both are great places to live and to visit!

Wow. Hornqvist

Reminds me when I was skating behind the net after drop in one time. Skating behind the net and my buddy ripped a puck just over the cross bar. Good thing I ducked my head (bucketless) a little because the puck grazed my hair and hit the glass
- znagle58

Did it look bad or like he just said the heck with warm-up? Still haven't seen the video.

I hope you just jinxed your team with previous comment
- pensfan024

I'm a walking jinx, just ask my wife. LOL.

That's why I am in here and not the Tampa threads where tumble-weeds are blowing around and crickets can be heard. Maybe my presence here will shine a bright light of love and brotherhood to my fellow hockey fans in Pittsburgh.

You know jack about fossils obviously. Florida has the best Pleistocene deposits of anywhere in the world. Paleontologists come from all over the world to research here.

Hot women everywhere? Yes. Hot women on white-sand beaches wearing thongs? No. Come down here and see Bradenton beach, you'll see the difference. Bradenton also has a strong Pittsburgh affiliation (Pirates summer training) and a lot of transplants.

Taxes? Fine, throw your hard-earned money away on potholes and graft. We don't need taxes down here because they tourists pay for everything. I guess we get so many tourists because we suck so bad.

Golf means nothing to me either, but it means a lot to many people - those same people travel from all over the world to play here - and they drop a lot of cash. So much cash that we don't need income taxes. We get to keep our cash. More money for fun stuff.

Our best player? Stamkos I assume. He isn't worth $10-million a year and you know it. We don't need another albatross contact like Lecavalier's. If he wants that kind of money, let him walk. Toronto can have him and then regret it halfway through the contract term. His best years are behind him and he hasn't been the same since that nasty leg break.

Sorry. Try again.
- GalacticStone

Pennsylvania "The Land of Taxes."

Just have to throw this out there again since RW as usual suggests that just throw as many pucks at the net as possible is always the solution to winning, teams that have led in attempted shots are 22-49-2 in the 2016 playoffs.

Also a possible explanation for why Vasilevskey has a great high danger save % and not so great low danger save%, it could be because that stat is based on where the shot comes from and not the actual difficulty of the shot, I think most goalies would tell you that a good shot through traffic from a "low danger" area can be much tougher to save than a weak shot that they can see the whole way from a "high danger" area. Just another example of trying to quantify an event with a number that doesn't truly quantify or explain the event.

So... did you wake up with sand in your ass, or you just miserable normally?
- Guile

No, I just respond in kind. I wasn't the one who left the subject of the hockey first and turned to insults. But I will finish what others start. I wanna talk hockey.

hornqvist will play

No, I just respond in kind. I wasn't the one who left the subject of the hockey first and turned to insults. But I will finish what others start. I wanna talk hockey.
- GalacticStone

well you better cuz your team will play golf soon

just please (frank)ing win this game