Arguably the most entertaining playoff of all the four major sports, the NHL playoffs will get underway on Wednesday night, April 15th as the league’s best teams square off for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
In the Eastern Conference, the No. 1 seed and President’s Trophy winners, the New York Rangers will face off against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Washington Capitals face off with the New York Islanders in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup. The Montreal Canadiens finished three points behind the Rangers and were awarded the No. 2 seed and will play the Ottawa Senators in Round 1. To wrap up the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning will battle against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Western Conference’s No. 1 seed was awarded to the Anaheim Ducks, who totaled up 109 points and won a tiebreaker against the St. Louis Blues, and will face the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues will play the Minnesota Wild in the No. 2 vs. No. 6 matchup. The Nashville Predators will face off the playoff-tested Chicago Blackhawks and finally, the Vancouver Canucks have a Canadian battle with the Calgary Flames.
With ticket information provided by ScoreBig.com, lets take a look at some of the most expensive NHL playoff tickets for this week.
Most Expensive: 4/18/2015 | New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins | Madison Square Garden | Average: $651.10 | Get-in: $211
Madison Square Garden has the highest average ticket prices for the Rangers for the first week of the NHL playoffs. With an average price of over $650, Rangers fans are proving that they’re some of the best in the league when it comes to supporting their team at the most important time of the season. A rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals doesn’t fair to be as close this time around, but the Penguins have enough firepower to upset any team.
4/19/2015 | Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks | Scotiabank Saddledome | Average: $566.16 | Get-in: $251
As if a series between two Canadian teams wasn’t going to appear on this list. The two rivals haven’t met in the playoffs since 2004, when the Flames won a grueling seven-game series before losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Calgary has surprised many this year, not expecting to have a chance to move onto the second round of the playoffs. It’s their first time in the postseason since 2009.
4/19/2015 | Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators | United Center | Average: $521.93 | Get-in: $116
The Nashville Predators spent a considerable amount of time atop the NHL standings, leading the lead by a significant amount for many weeks. Their play of late hasn’t been championship caliber, but they are a team that knows it is capable. The Blackhawks have a similar feel, knowing they are one of the most talented groups in the league. This series may have more of a conference semifinal feel than a first round matchup, which is helping raise prices for Predators vs. Blackhawks tickets.
It’s no surprise to see these three games top this list. The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden is always one of, if not the, highest NHL postseason draw. The Canadian rivalry in the playoffs will always have fans excited, with the Canucks and Flames appearing in the second spot, while two of the most talented teams face each other in the third series.
