There is a notion in Boston that there is "decidedly less buzz around the Bruins this season," and those thoughts have been "somewhat confirmed," as local TV ratings for games are down by 19% over '14-15, according to Steve Conroy of the BOSTON HERALD. Bruins President Cam Neely said, "Obviously, they’ve dipped starting last year when they tailed off a little bit, but I firmly believe we’ll get back to where we’d like to be." Neely said compared to '05 and ’06, ratings have "come a long, long way." Neely: "Obviously, with (increased) expectations, we’ve had some really good years. ... But having said that, based on where we are (in the standings) this year, I think a lot of people wouldn’t have expected us to be where we are right now." Conroy writes the reason for the ratings drop "could be tied to many factors." Neely said there was "a lot of focus and attention" on the Patriots following their Super Bowl XLIX victory. But he added, "Competition is great. It pushes us to be better. But there’s an element of when things are going well, people will come to the building or they’ll tune in." Conroy writes another factor in "tepid interest" is that this year's team is "not exactly the Big, Bad Bruins anymore." Fighting is "waning in the league." Neely: "The game is certainly changing. You’re not going to have a guy that can’t play but can fight" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/21).
BORED GAME? In Boston, Fluto Shinzawa wrote last Tuesday's Bruins-Blue Jackets was "up and down, back and forth, with very little resembling anything of consequence until the winning goal in overtime." It is "not surprising that NESN’s ratings are down" from last season, and the root of the problem is "the decline in the game’s entertainment value." Shinzawa: "This year, I’ve watched way too many 10-minute stretches where nothing of consequence takes place: no goals, no scoring chances, no hits, and certainly no fights. With the way we’re distracted by multiple devices, it does not take much to change the channel." The decline in fighting is "another problem," but is a "tricky issue." The league is "headed for a bad spot if the owners and GMs don’t fix it immediately." If speed and skill "don’t produce anything of note, we will miss the sport’s primal characteristic of conflict" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/21).
