Blackhawks' Loss Has Playoff Ticket Prices Plummeting

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Blackhawks face elimination when they take the ice for Game 5 of their Western Conference Final against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night at the United Center. If you want to see it in person, you may be able to go for a fraction of the ticket's face value.

Prices are still substantial for front-row seats. Chicago Ticket Connection is advertising a front row seat for $1,800, while Gold Coast Tickets is advertising $1,400 for the front row and $675 for Row 7.

Beyond that, ticket prices fall sharply.

It's not just that the Hawks lost but the way they lost that is depressing prices for brokers such as Max Waisvisz of Gold Coast Tickets.

"Ticket prices have come down really a lot," he said.

Waisvisz said he doesn't want to be stuck with upper-level tickets for Game 5.

"I'm selling tickets at way below face value -- and I've got tons of them," he said.

He said Gold Coast is selling $215 face-value tickets for $135. Yet another broker calls Game 5 a "meaningless" game from his standpoint but said Game 7 prices are holding steady.

"Those prices have not come down," he said.

Down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Hawks must win out or call it a season.

"We're hoping there's a Game 7. That's just a great game to go to because if they win they go to the Stanley Cup (Final). That means a lot," Waisvisz said.