Pittsburgh Penguins Playoff Bound – Time for Fans to Turn it Up
By Mike Necciai
It’s a beautiful spring afternoon. The sun is shining through the windows, kids are dancing, and folks are sitting around playing games on their cell phones. You couldn’t ask for a quieter, more relaxing atmosphere. The problem?
The problem is that the atmosphere I’m referencing is Consol Energy Center on game day.
This isn’t an article meant to insult Pittsburgh Penguin game attendees. This is simply a plea to bring some interest and energy with you in the upcoming post season. This team can use it. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and even Le Magnifique Mario Lemieux wants to hear you.
Have you seen the crowd in Montreal?
I don’t expect that any other arena can bring it quite like the Bell Centre. But, the Penguins are entering Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, and that crowd can also bring it.
My question for Pittsburgh Penguins fans is; Can you bring it? We sure used to.
The last game that I was able to attend at Mellon Arena was game 6 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. I watched Nicklas Lidstrom hoist the Stanley Cup on our ice, and I can say that it’s the best hockey game I’ve witnessed live. The crowd was electric. The balcony that I was sitting on was rocking throughout the entire game. And when the Pittsburgh Penguins almost completed a comeback, I actually feared that the building could collapse. Listen to the crowd at Mellon Arena during a commercial break.
If you had the privilege of attending a game at Mellon Arena you’ll probably remember that there was no hope of cell phone reception once inside. I’m starting to wonder if that has something to do with the energy difference between the buildings. It’s pretty disheartening to see the number of fans that play games on their cell phones and text or talk during gameplay.
Obviously, at this point we have no clue what the series will look like when it returns to Pittsburgh for game-3. But, we do know that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been far less than stellar as of late on home ice, both in the regular season and playoffs.
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If you happen to get tickets to the first round of playoffs, promise me that you’re going to bring it. Promise me that you’re going to let this team know that you’re behind them. For once, I’d love to hear an opponent say “that’s a tough building to play in”. Believe it or not, players used to say that about Pittsburgh.
So, my plea for all Pittsburgh Penguins fans in attendance this post season is simple. Get your pictures out of the way early, put your phones in your pocket, and TURN UP the volume! This is the NHL post season after all.