Report: Sabres' local ratings soaring, Penguins' numbers falling
Buffalo is tuning in, but Pittsburgh is starting to tune out.
The Sabres' local TV ratings have risen 55 percent this season, while the Penguins' have fallen by 19 percent, according to John Ourand and Ian Thomas of the Sports Business Journal.
Buffalo leads all American NHL markets with an average rating of 6.81 on MSG, and Pittsburgh ranks second at 5.51 per broadcast on Root Sports.
Despite being tied for third-last in the league with a 23-28-6 record, Sabres broadcasts have seen the biggest rise south of the border, excluding Nashville and Carolina, where information wasn't made available.
That could have something to do with second-overall pick Jack Eichel, who's already proving to be appointment viewing in his rookie season.
The Penguins have dominated the local ratings race for the last six years, but they're - perhaps temporarily - on the outside of the playoff race looking in at 28-19-8.
Pittsburgh's ratings dip could be attributed to the Penguins' inconsistency in a year accompanied by high expectations after the Phil Kessel trade last summer.
The Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks have seen a slight drop of seven percent, averaging 3.91 and ranking third.
The Florida Panthers - despite leading the Atlantic Division and boasting the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Aaron Ekblad, and Roberto Luongo - saw a nine percent drop and rank last with a 0.20 average local number.
Meanwhile, hockey in Southern California continues to flourish. Besides the Sabres, the biggest winners, ratings-wise, have been the Anaheim Ducks (up 41 percent to 0.41) and Los Angeles Kings (up 39 percent to 0.68).
The teams with the biggest decreases have been the St. Louis Blues (down 25 percent to 3.5), New York Islanders (a drop of 24 percent down to 0.42) and Arizona Coyotes (down 23 percent to 0.41).
Ratings weren't available for any of the Canadian markets, according to the report.