There were 3,000 empty seats in Scotiabank Place tonight as the Ottawa Senators faced off against the Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fewer bodies in the bleachers may partly be due to fans turning away from the team, which did not make the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years last year, says president Cyril Leeder.
"It's a bit puzzling, other than the fact it is Thanksgiving Monday," says Leeder. "And it's the third game in five nights for us at home. It's a tough schedule. It's been our downfall for tonight."
The Senators will average 55,000 fans during the last three games, which comes out to about 18,333 when spread over the trio of home dates. The arena has a capacity of about 20,000.
Still, the Ottawa team is fresh off a three-game winning streak and leads the league scoreboard.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Terry Marcotte
