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Boston’s Game 3 crowd was louder than Rogers Arena in Game 2

Adam McQuaid; Raffi Torres

Boston Bruins fans wave goodbye to Vancouver Canucks fans as they leave in the final minutes of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals in Boston, Monday, June 6, 2011. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

AP

We compared the highest levels of noise at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena in Game 2 to the peaks for Chicago and Philadelphia in the 2010 Stanley Cup finals, but that doesn’t seem totally fair to Canucks fans. With Game 3 at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden in the books, it might be more interesting to compare NHL.com’s Decibel Meter readings from the two contests.

Before we compare and contrast the two arena’s peak levels, there are two things we should keep in mind. First, here are some numbers regarding what these numbers mean.

Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss: 90 – 95dB
Pain begins:
125dB
Loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection:
140dB
Loudest sound possible:
194dB

Secondly, some might find the arena’s hockey capacities to be relevant. According to NBC Box Score numbers, Rogers Arena packed in 18,860 people in a Game 2 sell-out while TD Banknorth Garden attracted its own capacity crowd of 17,565 during Game 3.

Now that we got those two things out of the way, let’s get to some of the loudest moments during Boston’s Game 3. You can check out all of them here.

Cam Neely introduced as honorary captain during pre-game ceremony - 107dB (like a Power saw)
Andrew Ference scores 11 seconds into second period - 117dB (Loud rock concert)
Brad Marchand scores that 3-0 shorthanded goal - 118dB (Loud rock concert)
Krejci’s 4-0 goal late in second - 117dB (Loud rock concert)
Fans cheer during games closing seconds of game - 112dB (Sandblasting)

Now let’s look at some of the highlights from Vancouver’s Game 2.

Pre-game “Manny! (Malhotra) chant: 98dB – like a snowmobile
Malhotra’s first shift, appears on video screen: 108dB – Power saw
Burrows’ first goal: 111dB – Sandblasting
Daniel Sedin‘s tying goal: 114dB – Loud rock concert
Burrows scores the OT winner: 117 dB – Loud rock concert
Fans chant “We Want the Cup” – Snowmobile

While Vancouver’s absolute loudest moment (during the Burrows OT-winner) at 117dB wasn’t far from Boston’s (during Marchand’s shorthanded 3-0 goal) at 118dB, Bruins fans reached those heights more often.

Now, naturally, Bruins fans had that much more to cheer about. Obviously, there was the release that came from seeing their team run away with a big game while they were on the ropes. (Not to mention all of the anger they released toward Burrows.) Eight goals after that hideous Aaron Rome hit on Nathan Horton must have provided a cathartic experience, so we’ll see how Game 4 compares.

That being said, Rogers Arena packs 1,000+ more fans than TD Banknorth Garden, so it’s an impressive feat nonetheless. Regardless of who wins on Wednesday night, Canucks fans will get at least one more chance to top their previous efforts. We’ll keep on our eyes on the results as the Cup finals continue.