A winter storm swept through the metro area Friday night, and the Devils waited for the fallout. They had sold every ticket to a Saturday matinee game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but how many people would actually use them?

Nearly 17,000, it turned out. There were fewer than 700 no-shows. The Devils won the game, and team owner Jeff Vanderbeek posted a letter on the team's website thanking local authorities and fans.

The...