A crowd of 16,744 took in the Senators' 2-1 win over the Rangers on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the "smallest home gate this post-season by about 2,000," according to Wayne Scanlan of the OTTAWA CITIZEN. Hundreds of empty seats "were conspicuous at all three arena levels." The development is "stunning considering this is only the second time" since '07 the Senators "have been among the final eight teams." Seventy-five minutes before game time, the "'Red Zone' was alive with fans ... but the lobby was quiet -- crowds were longer in the outdoor face-paint lines than at the inside ticket windows." In what could "only be viewed as a white flag of surrender, club staff left the top few rows of the 300 devoid of white rally towels." Nothing "beats live playoff hockey." But the "add-ons, the nightmare of getting parked and getting out of these suburban parking lots post-game, the higher ticket and parking costs of playoff hockey, are factors" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 4/28). In Ottawa, Don Brennan notes arena employees eight minutes after opening face-off were ordered to pick up "all the extra souvenir wave towels." Brennan: "How do you not sell out the first game, or any game, in the second round of the playoffs?" Those "high up seats were being sold for $100, which is an incredible hike, but still doesn't seem like too much to ask." The Senators are "supposed to be vying with" the Oilers to "become Canada's Team right now, but the whole country has to be shaking its head in disgust at all the unused seats at CTC" (OTTAWA SUN, 4/28).
