FREEP.COM There were thousands of empty seats at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday. The Wings gave the official attendance as 18,712, but I suspect they meant limbs.

We saw this kind of attendance in the first round, too. I really thought that if the Wings made it past Calgary, they would convert some skeptics, and the atmosphere would change by Round 2.

And the atmosphere did change.

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It got worse….

It was the worst environment for any pro playoff game I have ever attended in this state, for any sport. It was so quiet you could hear the puck drop — and that was before the Sharks took a 2-0 lead. It was a mid-January atmosphere at the end of April — and the Wings gave a mid-January performance.

Between the second and third periods, I went online to find tickets to Game 2. Just my luck: I could get 12 seats together in Section 225B. Unfortunately, I can’t possibly find 11 friends who want to spend $90 a pop to sit in the corner of the upper level (and pay a $5.75 “convenience charge” for the privilege). (Full Story)

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