Does a playoff run help the masses re-engage where the Dallas Stars are concerned? That’s been the hope for the last six playoff-less seasons, and at least when TV ratings are taken into account, the answer is yes. Or that it’s a start.
Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News reports on ratings for the series…
The six-game opening round series of the NHL playoffs finished with a 1.9 average in Dallas-Fort Worth, which coincidentally is the same number the Stars scored for their six-game first-round playoff victory over the Ducks in 2008. The 1.9 rating, by the way, translates into 50,450 homes.
So you know: Sunday’s series ending 5-4 overtime loss was easily the highest rated game. It scored a 3.0. It peaked in the third period at a relatively whopping 5.0 as the Stars clung to a 4-2 lead. The sudden death overtime dropped incredibly to a 3.3.
Horn has a number of other interesting historical facts on Stars TV ratings here at the Dallas Morning News…
Are those numbers very good compared to the Texas Rangers or the Dallas Mavericks? Not really. We know that. The Stars know that. That’s OK. That they’re where 2008 was is pretty good. They would have gone up exponentially the further into the playoffs they went.
The city was definitely interested, and radio and TV personalities were pushing it on the public for the first time in six years, making people at least aware and conversational, as you no doubt found in your every day travels- Even if they were not actually viewing it.
If a 1.9 is 50,450 homes and game six had a 5.0 at one point- Plus the nearly 20,000 people who were AT the game… That’s a lot of humans caring about hockey in North Texas who ordinarily don’t.
Our ratings, so to speak, on this website were pretty good, too. We ranked third among all SB Nation NHL blogs during the month of April. So thank you for that.
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At Hundred Degree Hockey Stephen catches up with former Dallas and Texas Star Francis Wathier. [100 Degree Hockey]
Tim Thomas is looking like the lead dog to be the United States’ starting goaltender at the upcoming World Championships. [Too Many Men on the Site]
This piece about teams looking for general manager includes Pierre McGuire’s name as a possible candidate(!!) while also noting that the Stars got Jim Nill. I’m thinking Dallas made that change at the best possible time. [Detroit Free Press]
The Orange County Register compares and contrasts the verbose Brude Boudreau with the cynical stylings of Darryl Sutter, who routinely conducts 90 second press conferences. Funny stuff. I hope they all fall into the ocean. [Orange County Register]
Twitter is great, except for when people use it to showcase their absolute worst qualities, like trying to hurt PK Subban just because they’re mad that their favorite team failed to put the puck into a big net as many times as the opposition did. [Toronto Star]
This SI preview claims Cam Fowler did a great job of shutting down Jamie Benn in the first round. So you probably shouldn’t read it [SI.com]
Patrick Kane scored a ridiculous backhand goal last night- And the shot wasn’t even the prettiest thing about the play. That would be the pass-fake he performed as he was between the circles and still fairly high. That paused the defensemen enough to create a little extra space, and it was awesome. [Pro Hockey Talk]
The over-glorification of Ryan Getzlaf continues. [Puck Daddy]
Seconds before the New York Rangers won game one in overtime last night, they had already won game one in overtime last night. [Puck Daddy]