Manny Legace got his third shutout of the season on Saturday, as the Blues beat the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0. The win snapped a four-game home losing streak. The big story in St. Louis is that hockey is back. Lee Stempniak scored his ninth goal of the year in the first period. St. Louis struggled on the power play, going 0-for-4 against the league’s worst penalty-killing unit. The Blues have failed on 28 straight power-play chances and are ranked last in the NHL.
According to Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal , the Blues have seen a 55% increase in attendance through the first 16 home games compared to last year. Blues averaging 17,090 per game. Six of the sixteen home games have been sellouts. The biggest turnaround in bringing fans back to NHL games started this summer with a great ad campaign that showed a Blues player standing at the front door holding flowers saying "We want you back," much like a boyfriend apologizing to his longtime girlfriend. Plus, Blues players also hand delivered season tickets to their fans as well.
