NHL trio pushes for a Game 7

On Monday night, a trio of NHL teams will try and follow the lead of the Phoenix Coyotes and force a deciding game in their first round series. Buffalo would appear to have the most difficult task, winning on the road, but that is what Phoenix did. Montreal and Nashville will at least be on home ice, needing a victory to push a Game 7, both as non-favorites.

Buffalo at Boston 7:00E NESN

The Sabres are scratching their helmets wondering how they are in this predicament. Buffalo has scored the first goal in all five games against Boston and has been ahead or tied over 70 percent of game minutes yet could be eliminated tonight. Buffalo is still hopeful leading scorer Thimas Vanek can go, giving the team a lift.

“I never said I can’t play,” Vanek said. “I wanted to play the last two, but, obviously, we talked. We have to be realistic about it. And I said before, if (Ruff) doesn’t feel like, if we both feel like I can’t really help the team, then there’s no point of going and taking a spot away from somebody else.”

Off their 4-1 win in Game 5, the Sabres are 14-5 after allowing one goal or less in their previous contest this season. Buffalo is a +125 money line underdog to the Bruins and is 3-11 in road games against meager offensive teams scoring 2.55 or fewer goals a game. They will hope Boston’s 2-7 record at home revenging a loss where opponent scored four or more goals this season continues.

Washington at Montreal 7:00E VERSUS

Montreal knows they will have a chance in a Game 7 against top-seeded Washington since they have already won twice on the Capitals home ice this series. Getting there could be the issue as the Canadiens have failed to defeat Washington is both home tilts in the opening round.

Montreal is 6-13 at home in the playoffs since its current streak of sellouts began in 2003. “We appreciate and respect our crowd very much,” Habs forward Michael Cammalleri said Sunday after practice. “It’s the reason why it’s so much fun to play for the Montreal Canadiens. You get chills every game when you get on that ice.”

The Canadiens are +175 home underdogs and have 15 wins in 41 tries as +150 to +200 ML dogs.

Washington found a way to keep this series extended, after falling in previous contest 2-1 and is 23-6 revenging a loss vs. opponent as a home favorite.

“It’s important because it’s an important game,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. “You just have to be ready as we’re sure the crowd will be ready and they will be ready. It will be an electric atmosphere again. The Caps are 41-13 after permitting two or less goals in next outing.

Chicago at Nashville 9:00E VERSUS

The Predators have been one of the most resilient NHL teams all season and their mettle faces a max test in Game 6.

For all intents, Nashville won in Chicago Saturday. Leading 4-3 with 63 seconds, the Preds were going on the power play and didn’t need to score, just ice the puck for the remainder of the contest and head home for potential series upset.

Instead the Blackhawks scored a shorthanded goal with 13.6 seconds remaining and won in overtime 5-4.

“This game is certainly difficult, the hardest way to lose as possible,” Nashville defenseman Dan Hamhuis said Sunday. “It’s going to take a little bit more to rebound from it. Sometimes when things go really bad, you bounce back even harder and come out with a better effort again.” Nashville is 27-13 revenging a loss.

The Predators are +145 ML home underdogs; however is 8-3 if opposing club scored five or more goals in last encounter. Chicago knows how lucky they were; nevertheless they made their own breaks and have won last nine of 12 as postseason chalk.

NHL Playoff teams try avoid 3-1 deficit

Two road teams and one playing at home look to stay away from having to win final three games of their opening round series. Buffalo and Vancouver both came in as No. 3 seeds from the respective conferences and each are trying to avoid a third defeat to upstart. Montreal was feeling so good after taking Game 1, but its defense has been shredded for 11 goals the last two contests and the Canadiens goal light looks like a flashing blue light from K-Mart. All three clubs have their sights set on evening their series tonight.

Buffalo at Boston 7:00E VERSUS

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has a simple message for his team. - “We win that game (Game 4), we’re back in our own building with momentum,”

Buffalo needs to turn up the offensive pressure on Boston to get this series back 2-2. Top scorer Thomas Vanek missed the last contest with undisclosed injury and no word has come down if he’s available tonight. Either way the Sabres are not beating the Bruins defensive men in their own end and have to start feeding the middle more. Buffalo is 10-30 this year when they score two or less goals.

Even when Buffalo has put on a few surges on goalie Tuukka Rask, he has stoned them. “We are making mistakes and we have Tuukka making huge saves for us.” said Mark Recchi “We have been in these close games for a long stretch now, and have been playing playoff hockey for over a month.” Since March 27, Rask has permitted 14 goals in 10 games during regulation. Boston has won 11 in a row on home ice against teams from their own division.

DiamondSportsbook.com has the Sabres as +120 money line underdog and they are 12-3 after scoring one goal or less and 12-4 UNDER revenging a road loss versus opponent this season.

Washington at Montreal 7:00E TSN

The old adage of “win, survive, advance” sure sounds good to Montreal right now as it feels like Washington is assaulting them with a barrage of weapons. In best Dennis Leary voice, “Here’s the crazy part”.

The Canadiens have given up 11 goals in last 6+ periods, but haven’t allowed one goal in 14 opportunities against the Capitals down a man in penalty kills. If they had, how much worse would the blood-letting be!

Though the task is monumental, Montreal has to attempt to control neutral ice better and maintain possession of the puck like they did in the opener. Washington has far too many guys that can bury the rubber into the netting. The Canadiens had chances in the first period to claim a lead; they just failed to do so. Montreal is 11-26 at home after a blowout loss by four goals or more; however they are 4-0 revenging a home defeat vs. opponent of three goals or more.

Montreal is +170 ML underdog and faces Caps club that is 8-0 after three straight games with eight or more shots edge on goal.

Vancouver at Los Angeles 10:00E VERSUS

The Canucks would do well to tighten their overall play and stay out of the penalty box, since they are getting killed when down a man. Los Angeles has score 10 times in this series, seven via the power play.

Vancouver has to find a way to contain Jack Johnson and Dew Doughty of the Kings as these young guys have been running the power play from the top expertly. “They’re great on our blue line,” said L.A.’s Michal Handzus who scored two power-play goals set up by the defensemen. “They’re very strong and really creative, (but) they know how to keep it simple, too.”Los Angeles will look to create a 3-1 lead in the series at the Staples Center and they are 22-6 after game where eight or more total goals were scored.

Vancouver is professing not to panic. “We’re confident in ourselves, even after a couple of losses,” said Henrik Sedin, who has three assists. “We realize we just have to execute, because we’ve done it before. The penalty killing has to improve, and the power play has to be more active and more effective. Once we get that done, we’ll be all right.” The Canucks are 16-4 after a loss by two or more goals.

Vancouver is a -120 ML choice with total Ov5 and is 8-3 after their opponent scored five or more goals and 15-5 OVER after allowing three goals or more in consecutive games this season.

NHL Playoff Preview – Eastern Conference

Normally, there would be a great deal of clamor about a young, though veteran squad that was seeking a second straight Stanley Cup and third consecutive appearance in the finals. However, all is quiet about Pittsburgh on the Eastern Conference front with the season Washington had. The Capitals are the most dominating offensive team in hockey, as they scored 96 more goals than No. 2 seed New Jersey (allowed 42 more) and the second best scoring team was Vancouver, who was a distant 46 goals behind. If defense wins championships, then Washington is the wrong choice in a conference with only three teams with legit chance to play for Stanley Cup. All lines courtesy of Bookmaker.com.

(1) Washington vs (8) Montreal

How good has Washington been? The Caps are first team in four years to ring up 300 or more goals and have seven snipers that but the puck over the line 20 or more times. Alex Ovechkin is arguably the most dominating offensive player in the game and Mike Green led all NHL defenseman in points. Washington was 30-11 at home, but six of those losses came in overtime. Rejuvenated Jose Theodore has been nearly unbeatable for three months, as his only three losses in 23 starts have come after three periods of play (20-0-3).

Sure Montreal comes in as the eighth seed, performing worse than Kate Gosselin on DWTS with three wins in last 11 outings, but those sweaters are still Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge. The Canadiens might have an edge in speed in their offensive end, but they look like pip-squeaks compared the Washington blue-liners. That would leave Jaroslav Halak to have to stand on his head in net against Capitals onslaught.

These teams split four games, each winning on the other’s frozen pond, but Washington is the top overall choice to win the Cup at +275 and should sweep if focused and win in five if not, being better in all areas against Les Habitants.

3DW Pick- Washington (-565) in four over Montreal (+465)

(2) New Jersey vs (7) Philadelphia

Typically, the second seed would be thrilled their first round opponent had to fight until the 82nd game to make the postseason tournament, however that is not the case with New Jersey. The Devils had a devil of a time, losing five of six times to Philadelphia. New Jersey plays defensive-style, conceding the fewest goals at 2.3 per contest with the remarkable Martin Broduer in front of the cage. Offensively, the Devils are not imposing beyond Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk and they enter the playoffs 22-8 having won three of previous four.

The Flyers are better than what they showed losing eight of 12 (they did win three of final four to sneak in) to gain entry into the playoffs. Philadelphia has components that could lead to upset. Philly is ranked third in the league in power play conversion at 21.5 percent and a respectable 11th on penalty kills. It’s not a coincidence the ’06 Edmonton squad and ’07 Anaheim club were in the finals with Chris Pronger manning the blue line, as he always elevates his play in the postseason. The wild card is third string goalie Brian Boucher, whose been forced to play with others injured. He helped the Flyers make the playoffs, can he lead the upset?

If Philadelphia can light the lamp on man-advantages and curtail New Jersey’s chances, an upset is in the making.

3DW Pick- Philadelphia (+195) in seven over New Jersey (-235)

(3) Buffalo vs (6) Boston

Two teams from the old Adams Division (circa 1974-93) will chase the puck in the third of three first round division matchups. Both Buffalo and Boston had surprising seasons, the Sabres for winning the division with relative ease and the Bruins for scuffling just to make the playoffs after having the most points in the East last season. Watch the total in Buffalo, as these clubs are 8-1 UNDER.

The series is about finding bodies that can produce on the ice. Buffalo has players at less than 100 percent like Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford, which means goalie extraordinaire Ryan Miller will play a key role in Buffalo advancement. If Miller can almost singlehandedly take the USA to Olympic gold, he can certainly contain Boston’s feeble attack. The Sabres split four contests with division partner.

Boston has a number of players out and it’s hard to comprehend a team could be in playoffs after finishing 30th in goals scored, nonetheless, here the Bruins are. Boston suffered a 10-game losing streak from the middle of January into February. They had a stretch of scoring more than three goals once in 19 contests, yet managed to win six of last nine games (all losses by one goal). Coach Claude Julien had to do the unthinkable, turn his team’s fortunes over to 22-year-old Tuukka Rask between the pipes. Though Rask was named starter just 39 times, he led the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage.

3DW Pick- Boston (+145) in six over Buffalo (-165)

(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Ottawa

Whether it’s an 8 vs. 9 in the NCAA basketball tournament or 4 vs. 5 in the NBA or hockey playoffs, the presumption is a tight game or series is the forecast. This however is not the case in this Eastern confrontation. The talented Penguins waddled thru the regular season and flip the switch in mid-April. After losing to Detroit in 2008 Finals, Pittsburgh was less than inspired the next season finishing fourth, the very same position they are in presently, on the way to being champions.

Pittsburgh has Sid Crosby and the defending NHL scoring champ Evgeni Malkin, who was hampered by injuries most of the season. He played in 66 games, but was a factor in maybe half and had an off year. Though Pitt’s often dynamic duo will receive light criticism for indifference during the regular season, no player is more emblematic of his team than enigmatic Marc-Andre Fleury. He’s a latter day Grant Fuhr of the Edmonton glory days with Wayne Gretzky and the gang.

Ottawa is more unstable than some of the people that sit with Dr. Phil. The Senators had 11-game winning streak right before Valentine’s Day and a six-game stretch without a defeat afterwards. Throw those in the blender with a four and two 5-game losing streaks and it’s easy to decipher Ottawa as having multiple personalities for extended periods. A bit of research dug up these facts about the Senators that are very telling about their mental makeup. Ottawa is 21-4 SU when leading after first 20 minutes and is 4-24 SU when trailing.

3DW Pick- Pittsburgh (-275) in five over Ottawa (+235)

Half Season NHL Report

The National Hockey League will soon be taking a break due to the Olympics and with most at or past the halfway point of the season, determined this would be a good time to check in wagering aspects of all the teams. We’ll blend the team thoughts along with betting units for each team to create a perspective.

Eastern Conference

New Jersey (41-12, +17 units) The Devils have rekindled the magic, thanks to a group of hard-working players who rededicated themselves to playing New Jersey hockey and the front office replenished the depth. The Devils come at teams in waves and goalie Martin Brodeur is as sharp as ever. New Jersey’s 15-5 road record speaks to mindset.

Buffalo (28-16, +6.7 units) Buffalo was one of the first teams to adjust to the rule changes a few seasons ago, having faster players that could really work. They never got beyond being a good regular season team, however this season a case could be made presently that net-minder Ryan Miller is the league MVP for team on the rise again. This club is solid wager.

Washington (27-17, +3.2 units) Top scoring team in the league, led by Alex Ovechkin who is playing like a man on a mission. Goaltending is very suspect, which makes them a so-so bet for a top flight squad.

Pittsburgh (28-19, -0.7 units) The defending Stanley Cup champions have not been known for big first half efforts since they became elite team. They are burdened with inflated money lines, making each lost costly and they will go thru the motions for a stretch of games. They were four seed last year and won it all, will likely settle in same area and look to save energy for playoff run.

Montreal (22-25, -1.9 units) Fans of the Canadiens yearn for the days of the up and down the ice high-flyers. This team is in the bottom 15 percent of goals scored per game and goalies Jaroslav Halak or Carey Price essentially have to stand on their heads most night to give Montreal a chance.

Florida (18-27, -2.9 units) No name team that hasn’t make the postseason since 2000. The only reason they are a halfway decent wager is because they are almost .500 on the road, receiving heavy numbers from oddsmakers.

N.Y. Islanders (19-27, -3.5 units) The Eastern Conference is not stuffed with many good hockey teams, which is why the Isles still have a opportunity at the playoffs. To have any chance, the Islanders have to improve -26 goal differential.

Ottawa (22-24, -4.9 units) The Senators have hung in their despite losing their best scorer from last season and crummy goaltending. Credit coach Cory Clouston for keeping this afloat. Watch carefully however, this team could go south with more holes than Dunkin Donuts.
Atlanta (19-25,-5.9 units) Nothing like a nine-game losing streak to ruin what was shaping up to be a good first half of the season the Thrashers. It’s hard to tell what is worse right now, the defense or the goaltending.

N.Y. Rangers (22-23, -6.1 units) Think the Rangers have trouble scoring? Since Nov. 24, the Blueshirts have scored more than three goals three times (22 games). If Marian Gaborik were to get injured, the Rangers would likely be on a two goals max limit. Doesn’t goalie Henrik Lundqvist really deserve this?

Philadelphia (22-22, -6.3 units) Easily the most disappointing team in the East. Continual non-efforts cost John Stevens his coaching job and things haven’t improved much. Talented squad mired in mediocrity makes this a “stay away” from wager unless they collectively decide to play.

Boston (22-22, -7.3 units) If the Bruins had a consistent attack to light the lamp, they would be a super wager, since defensively they are among the best. For the most part they just pepper the net with mediocre shot attempts that high school goalie could stop and waste defensive efforts most nights, making them unsafe bet.

Tampa Bay (17-27, -7.9 units) Lousy record doesn’t tell the whole story. The Lightning is 2-10 in OT, including unlucky 0-6 in shootouts. If Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis start playing up to capabilities, this becomes dangerous play on team in hunt for playoff berth.

Toronto (15-31, -16.1 units) The Maple Leafs needed eight games to register initial victory and five more contests to reach two wins. Who has the league’s worst penalty killing outfit and allows the most goals, you don’t have to read the Hockey News to figure that out.

Carolina (13-31, -16.5 units) Did this team really win the Stanley Cup three and half years ago and make the East Finals last season! There had been talk this team was running on fumes last year, turns out to be true.

Western Conference

Nashville (27-19, +10 units) The biggest surprise for hockey bettors is the play of the Predators. Nashville doesn’t score a lot of goals, however receives contributions from a smorgasbord of players. Back-stops Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis are like a dependable restaurant, good every time and there is no apparent reason why Nashville can’t keep winning and building bankrolls.

Colorado (26-21, +8.7 units) First year coach Joe Sacco deserves all the credit for molding this young squad into cohesive unit, with most experts seeing them in the Northwest Division basement by now. Not certain the youngsters can hold it together for the second half, more likely a play on-play against team depending on the streak.

Chicago (31-15, +7.5 units) Blackhawks fans can hardly believe their eyes; they have one of the best teams in the NHL after years of spendthrift ways. Chicago has exciting young talented snipers, a stingy defense and the best penalty kill unit in the game. Stanley Cup contender without injuries.

Phoenix (26-20, +7.0 units) Let’s get this straight, this team was in bankruptcy court, hired their present coach one week before the season started, while presumably headed for relocation and only four teams have more points than the Coyotes! Now it makes sense. If Shane Doan can start playing as well as netminder Ilya Bryzgalov, this might be another Miracle on Ice.

Los Angeles (25-21, +3.7 units) The Kings have suffered key injuries to some of its veteran players and still produced a winning record. With these players close to 100 percent, Los Angeles could match their early season success the rest of the way.

Vancouver (27-19, +3.3 units) The Olympics are in Vancouver, which could ruin a good season for the Canucks. Starting at the end of this month, Vancouver has to play eight road games before the break, after the Olympics, six more road games for a total of FOURTEEN straight games away from home. They are 9-11 on the road thus far.

San Jose (29-17, +1.8 units) From talent perspective, the best team in the West and probably the NHL. The problem is the Sharks are boring to bet. Heavy money lines mean soft wins and losses are like beaten eaten by sharks. Similar to New York Yankees, play on when in hot streak to show a profit before the losses hit.

Minnesota (23-23, +1.2 units) Minnesota’s 3-9 start really put them behind the curve and they have rebounded nicely to be .500. Distinct wagering qualities about the Wild - 15-7 at home and 8-16 on the road.

Calgary (26-20, -0.5 units) Jarome Iginla leads two good scoring lines for Calgary who has been somewhat forgotten in the Northwest Division with the play of Colorado. Miikka Kiprusoff is having his best year in net since the lockout and the Flames should be a consistent team in the second half.

Anaheim (20-26, -5.9 units) Too many personnel losses on the blue line have robbed this team of what used to be a reliable defense. The goaltending has been below average, complicating the situation. Even the ability to score is no help from a team that was this close to being in the Stanley Cup Finals last June.

Detroit (23-21, -6.9 units) Perhaps no team has been bitten by the injury bug to its most important players than the Red Wings. If most everyone can come back healthy by March, Detroit suddenly becomes a club nobody wants to face and could string a number of wins together at a fairer value for bettors.

Dallas (19-26, -7.9 units) Dallas is ordinary at best, picking up points in overtime losses, which only helps on the puck line at +1.5. Nothing points to rally or slipping further into the abyss, just continued triviality.

St. Louis (18-26, -8.9 units) It looks like the Blues second half surge from a season ago was a mirage and coach Andy Murray was recently jettisoned. With one of the poorer offenses around, this club is like a bad stock, dump it.

Edmonton (16-28, -11.2 units) What’s the best same to sum up Oilers? Inferior at home with 9-14 mark and rotten on the road with 7-14 record. Oh yea, one more thing, one of the worst defenses in the NHL. That about sums up Edmonton.

Columbus (18-29, -13.5 units) Columbus made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season and has followed up that joyous occasion by stinking up the joint at almost every turn. Even the home ice has yellow tint.

NHL Hybrid

I would not classify myself as a hockey fan. Sure, I know which teams are good and who the star players are, but beyond that all of the Czechoslovakian and Russian names without vowels create a state of confusion in my brain.

But in honor of the NHL’s 57th All-Star game this weekend (Sunday at 6 PM ET on Versus if anyone cares), I think I’ve schemed a solution to resurrect hockey as a major sport. And let me go ahead and shed my apologies to those readers who are die-hard puck fans and are appalled even at the notion of altering the game.

Before I unleash my earth-shattering concept to change the face of hockey, I want to let you know where this epiphany came from. It stemmed from my disbelief in some of the recent transpirations involving player suspensions and a proposed fighting ban.

Three weeks ago I got up on my soapbox and preached about why former Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery deserved a second chance. Two meaningless words cost this hockey player a job and perhaps his future in the sport. I argued, and continue to do so, that athletes in other sports have committed far greater crimes and received far less in terms of punishment.

On January 7, Senators right wing Jarkko Ruutu was handed a two-game suspension for biting the finger of another player while in an altercation. Now this one had me rolling on the ground in tears.

Andrew Peters, who serves as the enforcer for the Buffalo Sabres, was the victim of this chomping and he claimed that “it’s not part of the game of hockey” and “not acceptable at any level.”

This is coming from a guy who batters, bruises and boxes other men for a living.

I don’t know what fighting parameters Peters grew up with but playground rules are: Anything goes except a kick or punch to where the sun doesn’t shine. Biting, scratching, hair-pulling, eye-gouging, tittie-twisters, Indian sunburns and wet willies are all fair game. But this 6-4, 247-pound beast of a man, who is supposedly the team goon, is calling mamma because he got bit on the thumb.

The head coach of his own team, Lindy Ruff, shared my sentiment, "I find it a little humorous to tell you the truth. It makes it something good to talk about. Games need a little spice and we get a little spice."

The latest news to hit the frozen floor this week reports that the NHL’s Director of Operations plans to discuss with the league’s 30 general managers the possibility of placing a ban on fighting.

That could be the most ignorant idea I have ever encountered.

Gloves dropping on the ice and bare knuckles flailing are the only reason this sport is still attracting a fraction of fans. If people wanted to watch a boring, back-and-forth, low-scoring sporting event they can flip over to ESPN Deportes and watch soccer. Because without fighting, that is exactly what hockey would be.

This is what Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager, Brian Burke had to say about the proposal of taking the physicality out of the game, "I vigorously oppose (a ban), so I think it will be a short discussion.”

It is very apparent the National Hockey League’s biggest fault is making a big deal out of nothing. Antics Commissioner Bettman and his posse have pulled over the last month gives the league no credibility.

Are they seriously trying to hold their players to the PGA’s code of conduct? These are hockey players and attempting to give their image a divine appearance is skewed. This sport needs some bad boys with an edge. A league full of Sydney Crosbys and Wayne Gretzkys would be like watching a PG-13 chick-flick.

So enters NHL Hybrid.

A league that would never entertain the possibility of terminating fighting but instead, promote it. Highlighting featured bouts between bruisers where at least two fights per game is guaranteed.

Essentially a sport where the only rule is there are no rules.

Okay maybe we won’t take it that far. Icing, offsides and any regulation that keeps the game in some form of uniformity can remain, but everything else goes. No penalty minutes for cross-checking, high-sticking, holding, hooking, roughing, slashing or tripping.

In fact, penalty minutes will become extinct. The penalty box will remain intact, although a bit remolded, to serve as a boxing ring inside the rink. This enlarged area with padded walls will encase the nightly boxing matches that occur after the conclusion of the first two periods. So whichever two guys are the most ticked off at each other get to go round and round until someone gets dropped.

So no penalties would equate to no power plays right…WRONG!

There will still be short-handed opportunities. Designated power plays of two minutes during certain time frames of the first and second periods will be assigned to each team. The power play assignments will be determined by a coin flip before the start of the game.

Let me try to break this down in the easiest way possible. Team A wins the coin toss and elects to take the first power play session. The first six minutes of play is standard hockey with five players and one goalie on the ice for each team. Then the next two minutes is a power play for Team A. After Team A’s allotted time expires, Team B gets their two minutes with a man advantage. The following six minutes is back to standard play, and then the last four minutes of the first period will be each team’s final power play possession. But this time Team B gets the first power play with Team A closing out the period.

The same format would be followed for the second period of the game.

The third and final period is standard play for the first 17 minutes and then in the final three minutes both of the goalies are pulled. Six on six with nobody in the net. And if the game is tied at the end of regulation, an overtime shootout immediately ensues with current rules applicable.

A helmet modification from the current issue will be mandated as well. With the physical nature expected in the new league, heavy-duty head gear with equipment covering the entire face and neck will be enforced.

NHL Hybrid is a league for people like Happy Gilmore and Reggie Dunlop. It will offer fans higher scoring contests, more excitement (fighting) and a change from the standard game that has produced the lowest ratings and attendance figures in years.


These are the thoughts of freelance write Scott Cooley.