Although all three division winners in the Eastern Conference failed to take advantage of their home ice in the playoffs, playing in front of a rabid fan base gives teams an edge.
Late last season, the Atlanta Thrashers were facing the Boston Bruins on the brink of their second postseason in franchise history.
Even after the Ilya Kovalchuk fallout that resulted in their franchise player departing to New Jersey, the Thrash looked ready to take advantage of a weak Eastern Conference.
However, despite offering heavily-discounted tickets, the Atlanta natives—who have been tormented with the loss of All-Stars Marian Hossa, Marc Savard, Dany Heatley, and, most recently, Kovalchuk —failed to show.
Described by one reporter as quieter than the local library, the team had no momentum in the game and were shut out 4-0, essentially ending their playoff hopes.
On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens, backed by their loyal fans, were able to take advantage of their home ice advantage (Bell Centre capacity: 21,273) and go on a Cinderella run as an 8-seed in the playoffs.
In the West, Chicago capitalized its rejuvena ...
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Article written by Tom Schreier
NHL Power Rankings: Who Has the Best Home-Ice Advantage?
September 6th, 2010 by Tom Schreier Leave a reply »
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