Only fans from the Predators' television viewing area were allowed to purchase tickets from the teamGetty Images
The Predators have imposed a "restricted" area for ticket sales to their second round series against the Jets that is "intended to keep bots from buying tickets ... and prevent pesky opposing-team fans from showing up and stealing the home team’s thunder" at Bridgestone Arena, according to Carol Sanders of the WINNIPEG FREE PRESS. The Predators' team website says sales will be "restricted to residents of the Nashville Predators television viewing area --Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 4/24). The restriction "only affects the 100 upper level seats the team puts out for each playoff game." It "does not include third-party sellers, which have several tickets for sale." Yesterday afternoon people "could buy a ticket" from a third-party site for less than C$200. Jets VP/Communications & Community Engagement Rob Wozny said that the team "took a slightly different tack to restrict ticket sales outside the broadcast area, by offering pre-sales" to Jets email subscribers (CBC.ca, 4/23).
IDEAL MATCHUP: In Winnipeg, Paul Friesen writes the Jets and Predators were the "top two teams in the NHL" during the regular season, making this matchup "must-see TV." Additionally, both teams are "among the NHL's top-10 in scoring," and the series features "two of the three Vezina Trophy finalists" in Jets G Connor Hellebuyck and Predators G Pekka Rinne. These teams' home venues "may be the two loudest buildings in the league." Each team also "happens to have" a "villain" as well, in Predators D P.K. Subban and Jets D Dustin Byfuglien (WINNIPEG SUN, 4/24).
TIME FOR A CHANGE? In Winnipeg, Paul Wiecek writes the Jets’ "reward for finishing second overall in the NHL regular-season standings is that they have to play the only team in the entire league that finished higher than them." It "makes no sense." The Stanley Cup Playoffs format is "profoundly stupid on a lot of different levels and the Jets are getting screwed more than anyone this year." The NHL is the only major American sports league that "forces playoff teams to continue playing within their own division once the playoff begins." In every other league, teams are "seeded at the conclusion of the regular season and then the playoffs begin with minor variations of first plays eighth, second plays seventh, third plays sixth, etc." (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 4/24). In Nashville, Joe Rexrode notes the playoff format will "pit the two best teams in the league against each other in the second round, for the second straight year." This system "is dumb." Rexrode: "I would like to thank [NHL Commissioner Gary] Bettman, because this strange way of doing things has guaranteed us the monster series of the tournament." The Predators and Jets should "be playing in the Western Conference Final instead of the second round," but "at least they’re playing" one another (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/24).
