Strong Game 7 Can’t Save Ratings

Despite a strong showing for Tampa Bay’s Game 7 win over Calgary on Monday, the average rating for the five Stanley Cup final games on ABC were the lowest since the network began broadcasting the finals again in 2000.

The Lightning’s 2-1 win got a 4.2 rating with a 7 share. That’s down 9% from the 4.6 with an 8 for New Jersey’s 3-0 win over the Mighty Ducks in Game 7 last year.

Still, the rating for Monday’s game was well above the five-game average of 2.6 with a 5 share. With one team from Canada and another from a nontraditional hockey market, the ratings were anemic throughout the series.

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The weary and subdued Calgary Flames returned home to grateful fans Tuesday, hours after losing Game 7 of the finals.

About 400 fans greeted the team at the airport. Many shivered in the cold for hours outside a private terminal awaiting the charter flight.

Enforcer Krzysztof Oliwa had tears streaming down his face when he saw the fans. Rookie defenseman Mike Commodore waded into the crowd and signed autographs for more than a half-hour.

“We had a great run,” Commodore said. “We needed one more win, and it was tough for all of us -- very, very emotional.”