Today’s News Clips April 27, 2018

Chicago Tribune

Blackhawks' biggest loss since '15 Stanley Cup? Almost half their local TV audience

Phil Rosenthal April 26, 2018

What’s the most significant loss for the Blackhawks in the three seasons since their last Stanley Cup championship?

Forget about players and playoff series, or even the postseason berth they failed to earn this year for the first time in a decade.

It’s local TV viewers, who have bailed on the team in droves.

The Blackhawks’ cable TV ratings on their home outlet have plummeted 45 percent in those three seasons, from a 4.3 average household rating in the Chicago area in 2014-15 to 2.36.

Combined with there being fewer TV homes in this market, that represents a loss of 71,708 local homes, per Nielsen estimates.

The Blackhawks averaged 149,521 households watching their games on what was then called CSN in 2014-15, but just 77,873 had the games on the rechristened NBCSCH this season.

Those numbers don’t count the games cherry-picked for national TV or WGN-9. But as a benchmark of viewer interest and audience trends, it’s not pretty.

The Blackhawks remain a big draw at the United Center, continuing to lead the league in average home attendance. This season they averaged 21,654, which is 109.8 percent of seating capacity, also tops in the NHL.

Also, even in decline, the Blackhawks still have more households watching them on their local regional sports network than any other American NHL team.

The Penguins have the NHL’s highest local household ratings among U.S. teams, averaging 5.81 percent of Pittsburgh-area TV homes. But Pittsburgh is the nation’s No. 24 market, so that represents only 66,437 homes.

The Bruins, No. 5 in local ratings with a 2.95 household rating in the No. 10 Boston-Manchester, N.H., market, are runner-up to Chicago in average households with 71,500.

But household TV ratings in the third-ranked Chicago market for the Blackhawks in 2017-18 were down 29 percent from 2016-17, which was down 16 percent from 2015-16, which was down 8 percent from 2014-15.

The 2.36 average household rating this season, or 2.36 percent of all TV households in the market, is the team’s worst local cable performance since 2008-9, when the Blackhawks averaged a 1.26 average household rating or just 44,010 homes.

That was when the Blackhawks began a run of nine straight postseason berths that ended this spring. It also was the first season they put their entire schedule on TV. Both were critical factors in the franchise’s rebirth and rise in popularity.

Chairman Rocky Wirtz, who took over the team from his late father, Bill, the season before, moved quickly to reverse the Blackhawks’ longstanding and long-puzzling anti-TV policy by televising a handful of home games on local TV in 2007-08.

At the time, the Blackhawks’ average household TV rating that season was a scant 0.63, or 21,855 homes, while average United Center attendance was only 16,814. That gives some indication of what the organization had built up and how quickly the Jenga tower of fan support can be shaken and come crashing back to Earth.

Blackhawks local cable ratings peaked in the 2012-13 season with 5.38 household average, or 187,482 homes, but that was buoyed by two anomalies.

First, there was an abbreviated 48-game season because of a league lockout. Second, the Blackhawks got off to a phenomenal 21-0-3 start in the first half en route to their second of three championships in six seasons.

This past season on NBCSCH started on a high note, a 5.12 household rating for the opening victory over the two-time defending champion Penguins. But of the last 20 Blackhawks telecasts this year, a run that began in February, the Blackhawks lost 16.

Some teams can weather that kind of mediocrity and sustain their ratings. The Blackhawks clearly cannot.

They did better than their also-struggling United Center stablemates, the young Bulls, whose local cable numbers declined 10 percent from a 2.0 rating in 2016-17 to 1.8 this past season on NBCSCH.

That’s below the NBA’s league-wide average on local regional sports networks this season, which was a 2.4 rating, a 4 percent season-to-season increase. Total viewership for NBA national regular-season telecasts — on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV — was up 8 percent from a year ago to 1.28 million people.

What all teams aspire to be is a franchise that somehow has amassed a dedicated fan base that remains engaged even as losses mount and insulated from when their sport and/or league seemingly falls from favor.

That would be the Bears.

Despite the NFL’s average total viewership falling 9.7 percent from 16.5 million people in 2016 to 14.9 million, the Bears’ broadcast and cable household ratings rose 4 percent in the Chicago market last season, from an 18.6 average household rating in the 2016-17 to 19.4.

The Chicago market’s reduced size means the Bears were on in almost 4,000 fewer homes even with the better rating, but that's a decline of only 0.6 percent in an audience that continues to exceed 640,000 local households each game.

Imagine what some enthusiasm for new Bears coach Matt Nagy and a few victories might do.

Meanwhile, if the Blackhawks failing to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season has helped anyone, it may be the local baseball teams. Without even a first-round four-game ouster to compete against, their NBCSCH ratings are up for the Cubs and White Sox despite disappointing starts.

The Cubs' local cable household ratings are up 20 percent compared to this point last season, from 3.5 to 4.2. White Sox ratings are up 38 percent from 0.8 to 1.1. The number of unique viewers for each teams’ games via the NBCSCH live stream is up as well.

The ballclubs have been playing in hockey weather, while the Blackhawks have a few months to try to figure how to get viewers to warm to it once again. Winning would be a good start.

Daily Herald

IceHogs eliminate Wolves in triple overtime

John Dietz April 27, 2018

The Rockford IceHogs are loaded.

As in, loaded with players who saw plenty of NHL playing time this season.

That experience proved to be a huge boon for coach Jeremy Colliton's squad lately and it paid off big time during a three-game sweep of the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup playoffs. Victor Ejdsell ended a marathon Game 3 when he scored with 2:38 remaining in triple overtime to give the IceHogs a 4-3 victory in a contest that started at 7 p.m. Thursday and ended eight minutes after midnight.

Ejdsell, who also scored in the second period, ripped home a shot from the right point with Rockford on the power play.

"Obviously everyone's pretty happy," Ejdsell said. "I mean it was a long game, a long night. Everybody's glad it went our way."

Cody Franson and Chris DiDomenico also scored for Rockford, and the IceHogs got 52 saves from Collin Delia in what was the eighth-longest game in AHL history.

"Longest one I've been a part of," said IceHogs coach Jeremy Colliton. "Lot of guys had to dig deep and played a lot of minutes. Glad we could come through."

Rockford will face either Grand Rapids or Manitoba in a best-of-seven series in the next round.

The Wolves, who won the Central Division thanks to 36 victories in their last 53 games, got a whopping 72 saves from Max Lagace.

"My hips are pretty sore right now, but it was all worth it," Lagace said. "I just wish we had won. This really hurts."

Franson (23 games) and Ejdsell (6) are two of many IceHogs who saw time with the Blackhawks this season. Others included Lance Bouma (53), David Kampf (46), Gustav Forsling (41), John Hayden (24), Matthew Highmore (13), Andreas Martinsen (9) and goalies Delia, Jeff Glass and J-F Berube.

"If the Blackhawks had had more success, maybe not as many of them would have had the chance to audition," Colliton said. "But a lot of them went up and did well and showed they could play. This is a continuation of that audition to show, hey, we can help the team win."

Franson almost certainly won't be in Chicago next season, but the 6-foot-5, 214-pound Ejdsell is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

The Swedish forward, acquired from Nashville at the trade deadline, gave Rockford a 3-2 lead on a gorgeous back-and-forth move that easily beat Lagace with 6:06 remaining in the second period. It came just 54 seconds after DiDomenico's tied the game at 2-2 and 4:04 after Franson's one-timer got Rockford on the board.

Colliton coached against Ejdsell last year in Sweden and said this about the 22-year-old forward: "He's got a tremendous shot and skill. He's adjusting to the game over here, but his ability to make a play (is high end) … and he can hit a one-timer. Those are the type of guys that you like to have in your group."

Franson now has 10 goals in 40 games since being sent to Rockford in January. Seven of those have come on the power play.

Colliton admitted he was somewhat surprised with the sweep, but also believes his team outplayed the Wolves in this short series.

"That's a good team," he said. "They've got a really good group of forwards especially. So it says a lot about the team we have that we were able to win three in a row. Obviously they could have easily won tonight, but overall I think we were better.

"It feels good to be moving on."

The Athletic

Older and wiser Brandon Pirri still pushing for NHL

Scott Powers April 26, 2018

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Brandon Pirri was frustrated five years ago.

He thought he should be in the NHL. He wasn’t. He was in the AHL. I came around to Rockford, stuck out my recorder and asked him about it. In response, he expressed his frustration.

That’s how Pirri’s time is often remembered with the Blackhawks. He was that prospect who actually voiced his displeasure with his situation. For most, his 3 1/2 years with the organization can be summed up with the hashtag #freepirri, which in doing some research appears to have been spurred on by a few Corey Pronman tweets in 2013.

Pirri’s openness isn’t all that common in hockey, especially by players in his situation. Most think it, but don’t say it. I’ve interviewed many Blackhawks prospects discontent with being in Rockford over the last six seasons, and most of them bite their tongues to vary degrees. Pirri didn’t.

Honestly, Pirri didn’t say anything controversial. He was just open about not being happy where he was at the time.

Five years later, I caught up with Pirri to discuss that and more. Leading up to the Rockford IceHogs-Chicago Wolves Calder Cup playoffs first-round series – Game 3 is Thursday night – we talked about his past, present and future.

As always, Pirri spoke honestly. But now, he does it with a different perspective. He was 19 years old when he signed his entry-level deal and began his pro career. He was just a few years older than that when #freepirri took off. He’s now 27 with a home, a wife and a three-month-old child.

“Obviously getting married, having a kid, that changes a lot,” Pirri said. “When I was in Rockford, I was a kid. I was fortunate to play pro hockey really early. I certainly feel like I needed a little more maturing moving forward, but I was fortunate to be in a pretty good spot for a while and grow my game, so when I did get an opportunity in the NHL I was ready. I enjoyed my time there.”

It also does help that Pirri has gotten a much larger taste of the NHL since then. He’s played 193 NHL games since being traded from the Blackhawks in 2014. He’s had some success too. For his career, he has 60 goals and 101 points in 228 NHL games.

Pirri also understands better today why things didn’t work out for him with the Blackhawks.

“When I was there, Chicago was so deep,” Pirri said. “They’re winning every year. It was a tough lineup to crack. At the same time, it played out the way it did. I’m happy where I’m at now. Obviously I would like to be in the NHL, but right now the focus is here and having the team succeed. NHL teams want to see you’ve won at levels.”

Where Pirri is now is in the AHL. He played in 60 games with the New York Rangers last season and nearly went overseas to play this season because NHL teams weren’t calling. He ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in October and was assigned to the Wolves.

Pirri has spent most of the season with the Wolves and has produced nearly a point a game. He had 29 goals and 23 assists in 57 regular-season games. That AHL production has never been the problem. In 295 career AHL games, he has 252 points.

His NHL production hasn’t really been an issue either. He’s demonstrated he can put up points in the NHL. It’s some of the other parts of his game that aren’t as desirable, especially if the points aren’t coming.

As one NHL scout said, “If you look he always has a good shooting percentage and he certainly has shown he can score and dangerous on the power play. That being said, I think it’s a trust factor regarding his compete level night to night and his commitment to the defensive side of the game.”

As time has passed, Pirri gets that too. His game isn’t going to fit every scenario. That’s why he was grateful when he was recalled earlier this month by the Golden Knights that he was utilized in a way to maximize his tools. He was given ice time, a top-6 role and let loose. He answered with three goals in two games.

“I’ve played enough NHL games to know my strengths and weaknesses,” Pirri said. “Teams know that. For me, continue to do that, play with confidence. I think that’s something I got away from when I was in New York. Here, I was happy with the opportunity I got to play those big offensive minutes and be a difference maker on the ice.

“When I got called up this year, having the head coach in Vegas, he knew that. He put me in a position to succeed. That was an opportunity I was grateful for. He didn’t have to do that. I know I can play in the NHL and I know my abilities. It’s just a matter of showing well here and the rest take care of itself.”

Pirri does still keep eye on the Blackhawks. I mentioned how I’m sure a younger Pirri would have loved to get the chance some of the Blackhawks prospects got in key spots this season. He laughed.

“It’s a different situation they’re in right now,” he said. “Obviously that core is still one of the best in the league. I’m sure they weren’t happy with what went on this year. They’re going to look to get better whether that’s in house or free agency or whatever goes on there. It is funny how all that stuff works out. Like I said, I’m happy with the opportunity I got with Chicago and Rockford.”

There’s always the outside chance Pirri does get another call-up with the Golden Knights this season. It would take an abundance of injuries. They’re carrying 15 forwards in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Pirri’s mind doesn’t wander there. He knows his focus has to be on the present if he’s ever going to get another NHL chance.

“It’s about opportunity,” Pirri said. “For me when I got called up this year, I knew it might be my last shot. I certainly wanted to perform well. You can’t worry about that stuff. That’s why you don’t pay any attention. That’s why when you’re here, you got to perform because there’s scouts. We’re right beside O’Hare. It’s the biggest airport going, right? People do come. People do watch. Especially in the playoffs, you can’t take a shift off because they take notice and they want winners.”

Whatever happens, Chicago will be Pirri’s home at the end of the day. He and his wife Elyse, who is from Highland Park, have settled down in the city.

“I love this city,” Pirri said. “This is home now. It was fair for as a family to decide this was going to be home, be close to her parents in the summer. She’s been all the support I wanted and needed. This makes sense.”

A lot of what Pirri said made a lot of sense when we talked. He’s a different person than the one I used to interview in Rockford. He’s older and wiser. Time does that. It’s freeing. NBCSportsChicago.com

Five takeaways from Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Charlie Roumeliotis April 26, 2018

We're going to be a little honest. The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs could've been better.

It didn't help that the Vegas Golden Knights and swept their series', wiping out those West Coast games for the last week and a half. There were also only five overtime games, four of which came in the Washington-Columbus series, compared to 18 in the first round last season.

But having said all that, we might be in for one of the most entertaining second rounds in recent memory.

Before we get to that, here are five takeaways from Round 1:

1. Artemi Panarin is a playoff performer.

We're not going to rehash whether the Blackhawks made a mistake in trading away one of the best offensive players in the league.

Instead, let's talk about how the Bread Man proved to skeptics that he's a superstar in his own right, yes, even without Patrick Kane.

It was fair to wonder whether Panarin's production would be on par with what it was in his first two seasons in Chicago, because it was also fair to do the same for Kane, who put up his best point totals in each of those two seasons as well playing alongside Panarin — 106 points in 2015-16 and 89 in 2016-17, respectively.

But the idea that Kane made Panarin was always a lazy narrative, because they both benefited from each other. In fact, Panarin set a Blue Jackets record by registering a 82 points in a single season without Kane, proving he could thrive in a role where he was "The Guy."

Panarin finished the regular season with five straight multi-point games, and opened the playoffs with seven points (two goals, five assists) in three games, including the overtime winner in Game 1. He went pointless in the final three games, but he admitted after the Blue Jackets were eliminated that a knee injury sustained early in Game 5 played a role in his effectiveness — or lack thereof — over the final two contests. That's not an excuse, just a fact.

He now has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 17 postseason games for his career, which is nearly a point-per- game average. Panarin is a big-game player, and anybody that thinks otherwise is reading too much into the Blackhawks' first-round sweep at the hands of the last season, where every single member struggled.

2. Do the Penguins have what it takes to three-peat?

The Penguins became the first team in the salary cap era to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Now they can become the first to make it three in a row, and there's a realistic chance of that happening after they became the sixth team in NHL history to win nine straight playoff series following their first-round win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

There's one major caveat, as there is to almost anything: Can they stay healthy?

Evgeni Malkin will miss Game 1 against the Washington Capitals with an apparent leg injury, and Carl Hagelin has already been ruled out for the first two games.

That's a huge factor in all this, because the Penguins still have three more rounds to go if they want to make history and would need to do it with their second-best player clearly not at 100 percent and probably won't be for the rest of the playoffs.

If there's a year the Capitals can finally slay the dragon having lost nine of their past 10 playoff series against Pittsburgh, it's this one. They've got home-ice advantage, they're healthy, playing well in all phases and don't have the expectations that have seemed to weigh on their minds in the past.

3. Vegas, baby.

Has there been a more fun bandwagon to be a part of than the Golden Knights' during their inaugural season? They racked up 109 points, won the Pacific Division and swept the Los Angeles Kings when many perceived that to be a coin flip.

Marc-Andre Fleury was ridiculous, recording a 0.65 goals against average, .977 save percentage and two shutouts in four games against the Kings. Vegas as a team allowed only three goals and scored seven, with each of those seven goals coming from a different player.

It's been an incredible story.

The next stop will be against the San Jose Sharks, which certainly won't be a cakewalk. Expect that to be an evenly-matched series between two teams that aren't satisfied with how far they've come already, especially the Golden Knights. They want to make history by winning a Stanley Cup in Year 1 of existence.

Would it surprise anyone at this point?

4. Boston-Toronto lives up to the hype.

The script was set up perfectly.

Five years after the Maple Leafs overcame a 3-1 series deficit but collapsed in Game 7 at TD Garden by squandering a three-goal lead in the third period, the opportunity to rewrite history was right in front of them.

The Maple Leafs again fell behind 3-1, rallied back to win two straight, had three separate one-goal leads in Game 7 at TD Garden but couldn't seal the deal. It also could've served as a healing moment for the city of Toronto, which was hit with tragedy when a van drove onto a sidewalk and killed 10 people and injured 15 others, the same way Boston came together following the marathon bombings in 2013.

Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, destiny did not prevail and they're still seeking a first-round series win in the salary cap era.

It was as riveting a Game 7 as you'll see, and the hockey gods rewarded fans after a dull first round. But...

5. Get ready for Round 2.

Nashville vs. Winnipeg. Vegas vs. San Jose. Tampa Bay vs. Boston. Washington vs. Pittsburgh.

Close your eyes and pick a series and that could be the most entertaining of the second round. Each of them have the potential to be great.

It's the first time in NHL history the final eight teams standings compiled at least 100 points in the regular season, meaning it truly is the best of the best that's left. So enjoy it.

And good luck with your predictions, because going 0-for-4 looks more likely than 4-for-4. chicagoblackhawks.com

DRAFT: Blackhawks lottery history

Chris Wescott April 26, 2018

The NHL Draft Lottery was introduced in 1995, as the League waved goodbye to the previous method of determining draft order that seeded teams based on reverse order of the regular season standings (1969- 1994).

Now, upon the conclusion of the regular season, teams that miss the playoffs are entered into a lottery, which determines the initial picks of the first round.

The have a seat at the table this Saturday night in Toronto when the drawings will determine the order of the top of the draft.

From 1995 to 2012, the rules of the NHL Draft Lottery stated that the winner could only move up four spots. The rule has since changed to a weighted system in which all teams that miss the playoffs have assigned odds to win the first-overall pick.

Since 1995, the Blackhawks have won the lottery twice, resulting in different scenarios.

1999:

Following the 1998-99 season, the Blackhawks won the lottery - moving them from the eighth spot to the fourth overall pick. Although they would not use this selection, they will forever be associated with being an important piece of the trade that gave the Vancouver Canucks the Sedin twins.

The Blackhawks traded the fourth-overall selection to Vancouver for defenseman Bryan McCabe and the Canucks first selection in the 2000 draft. With some more dealing, the Canucks were able to draft both Daniel and Henrik Sedin at second and third overall, respectively.

The New York Rangers obtained the Blackhawks fourth overall pick in a trade via Vancouver and Tampa Bay, using it to select Pavel Brendl. The Czech forward played just 78 games in the NHL, recording 11 goals and 11 assists. He then spent a long career overseas in several leagues.

2007:

The second - and only other time to date - in which Chicago won the lottery came ahead of the 2007 NHL Draft. By winning, the Blackhawks moved from fifth to first in the pecking order, and selected Patrick Kane.

That pick has worked out just fine for Chicago, as Kane has since went on to star for the Blackhawks in more than 800 NHL games, scoring 312 goals and recording 516 assists. He's also been a major contributor in the post-season, tallying 50 goals and 73 assists in 127 Stanley Cup playoff games.

Chicago's odds of winning the lottery that year were 8.1%.

Playing the odds:

On April 8, the NHL announced this year's odds for the NHL Draft Lottery. The Buffalo Sabres have the highest percentage of selecting first overall (18.5%), while the Blackhawks sit with the seventh-best odds (6.5%).

The League will have three drawings:

1st Draw - Determines the club selecting first overall

2nd Draw - Determines the club selecting second overall

3rd Draw - Determines the club selecting third overall

According to the NHL, the odds for the remaining clubs will increase on a proportionate basis for the second lottery draw based on which club wins the first. The odds increase again for the third based on the results of the second.

The 12 clubs who do not hear their names called during the selection process will be assigned their pick, between selections four and 15, in inverse order of regular-season points.

The Blackhawks have a 20.4% chance of drafting in the top three. If they do not receive selections 1-3, they will draft between 7-10.