PENGUINS PRECAUTIONS

City to fans: Don’t rush into South Side if Stanley Cup is won

If the Pittsburgh Penguins capture the Stanley Cup, city officials hope hockey fans will contain the urge to rush immediately into the popular South Side.

It’s no problem to go there and watch the championship series on TV, police Cmdr. Ed Trapp said Friday. But in case of a big victory, fans watching elsewhere should avoid the South Side right afterward, he said.

“What we don’t want is, after the game, people pouring in. We’re going to be trying to get everybody safely out of South Side,” Cmdr. Trapp said, asking people not to overwhelm the area. “Everybody’s going to want to leave and go home. We want that to happen safely.”

Officials could restrict access temporarily into the South Side, although residents would not be blocked, he said. The Penguins could clinch the championship Sunday in playoff game No. 6 against the Nashville Predators. That game will be played in Nashville.

Game No. 7 — if the playoffs last that long — would be played Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.

Among other provisions the city announced Friday:

A revived “couch patrol” over the weekend will enforce Pittsburgh’s outdoor furniture rules, which prohibit people from leaving indoor couches on porches and lawns. To prevent celebratory couch fires, roving crews will

confiscate indoor furniture they see outside. That work began a few weeks ago, according to the city. Workers will hold confiscated furniture for three days so owners may reclaim it.

Starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, street parking will be off-limits on East Carson Street from 10th to 22nd streets. The restriction will remain in place until 4 a.m. Monday. It could return Wednesday, depending on the championship series.

If the Penguins win the championship, police will allow fans 90 minutes afterward to celebrate in the streets. After that, officers will announce it’s time to leave and may nudge crowds along if necessary, Cmdr. Trapp said.