The Pens ran a dysfunctional franchise for 20 years before building a fan base the first time. After that the base was pretty stable. I don’t think Vegas has that much time to succeed or fail but I hope they can build one. They’re starting from a much better base than the Pens had.
You’re probably right about Detroit. The same is true here in Pittsburgh, winning has become the status quo. The injection of youth is important for teams such as this. Gives everyone something new to look at.
Re: Pens
Two words: Mario Lemieux