Re-Alignment Decision Expected Tonight

[dare2be]

Dash my friend but this my be true during the playoffs it's not true during the regular season.....When getting to the playoffs count.

Yes, but, Boss my friend, the fact that more games will be played between east and west teams means that there will be less "all-west" games during the regular season, and an equal amount that are played on eastern home ice as western home ice. So this would actually increase the number of eastern time zone games involving west teams (and vice-versa), which should spread the interest of all teams around the US (Canada doesn't need any shot in the arm in popularity )

 

[pixburgher66]

Guys, there's no official ruling on the playoffs from what I have read, so the East/West may still be relevant. I think they're still considering "pairing" the conferences for the postseason. Heck, this whole thing still hasn't been ratified by the NHLPA.

 

[filosofy29]

Maybe they haven't done the math enough to know the dangers of our second guessing?

No tool fans in here huh?

 

[IPostedWhat]

No tool fans in here huh?

 

[elocomotive]

Awwwww.... his mom is SO gonna wash his mouth out with soap.

 

[elocomotive]

Hey I see a whole shit load of complaining about the new format. I just don't get it. I think it will be great and I think you will see other leagues copy this.

Yes, just like all those other sports are rushing to add fighting, utilize a complex point system for the standings, and develop very specific, subjective rules that make their games even hard to understand.

My problem is it goes too far. More games against division opponents (rivals, similar markets, less travel, same time zone) is a good idea for the players AND for TV. But re-organizing the playoffs along with that was an unnecessary step.

 

[Vadered]

Yes, just like all those other sports are rushing to add fighting, utilize a complex point system for the standings, and develop very specific, subjective rules that make their games even hard to understand.

My problem is it goes too far. More games against division opponents (rivals, similar markets, less travel, same time zone) is a good idea for the players AND for TV. But re-organizing the playoffs along with that was an unnecessary step.

It is actually a necessary step because of the way they divided the divisions. There are 16 West teams and 14 East, and the West teams would have justifiably screams bloody murder about getting screwed there. The WAY they divided them forced them to reevaluate the playoff structure, although I'm not a huge fan of how they redid it. Either way, I hate unbalanced divisions to start with, so... yeah, fuck it.

 

[SLY]

No tool fans in here huh?

lmfao... Tool is good. Got lame in their latest album though. I'm more interested in Volta! now, Danny Carey's new jazz fusion project.

 

[dboy97]

Yes, just like all those other sports are rushing to add fighting, utilize a complex point system for the standings, and develop very specific, subjective rules that make their games even hard to understand.

My problem is it goes too far. More games against division opponents (rivals, similar markets, less travel, same time zone) is a good idea for the players AND for TV. But re-organizing the playoffs along with that was an unnecessary step.

Wow, I never said everything the NHL does is correct. I for one hate the way they give out loser points always have always will, I even wrote a published article on that very subject in 2006.

I do however like the way they redid the conferences. Would it be better if there were either 7 or 8 per conference? Yes, definately!

If they tried to make an easy change it would have been to move Winnipeg out west and move someone into the Winnipeg spot in the south-east A change like that would have kept the current system alive, and I do like the current system. The problem with that was there were three teams that wanted that spot.

1. Nashville the one closest geographically to south-east. 2. Columbus the team that is most east of the western conference teams and unlike nashville in the eastern time zone. 3. Detroit the oldest and most established team also in the eastern time zone but the team furthest from the south-east. Detroit had been assured they would move east the next round of realginment, supposedly.

The problem with Detroit moving was it would most likely involve a lot of division shuffleing. It was also not going to make Chicago very happy as they would lose their oldest and best rival to the eastern conference.

One of the things I find best about this system is that every team in your conference plays the same schedule, end of story. If you do not have one of the four best in your conference oh well there is no complaining about an easy schedule. To demonstrate this point look at the 2003-04 final standings. Tampa Bay got the number one seed by 2 points with 106. The rest of the division was pure and utter garbage with the second place Atlanta Thrashers having 78 and finsihing 10th in the conference. Do you think playing in a stronger division would have changed Tampa Bay's playoff position?

 

[SLY]

Wow, I never said everything the NHL does is correct. I for one hate the way they give out loser points always have always will, I even wrote a published article on that very subject in 2006.

I do however like the way they redid the conferences. Would it be better if there were either 7 or 8 per conference? Yes, definately!

If they tried to make an easy change it would have been to move Winnipeg out west and move someone into the Winnipeg spot in the south-east A change like that would have kept the current system alive, and I do like the current system. The problem with that was there were three teams that wanted that spot.

1. Nashville the one closest geographically to south-east. 2. Columbus the team that is most east of the western conference teams and unlike nashville in the eastern time zone. 3. Detroit the oldest and most established team also in the eastern time zone but the team furthest from the south-east. Detroit had been assured they would move east the next round of realginment, supposedly.

The problem with Detroit moving was it would most likely involve a lot of division shuffleing. It was also not going to make Chicago very happy as they would lose their oldest and best rival to the eastern conference.

One of the things I find best about this system is that every team in your conference plays the same schedule, end of story. If you do not have one of the four best in your conference oh well there is no complaining about an easy schedule. To demonstrate this point look at the 2003-04 final standings. Tampa Bay got the number one seed by 2 points with 106. The rest of the division was pure and utter garbage with the second place Atlanta Thrashers having 78 and finsihing 10th in the conference. Do you think playing in a stronger division would have changed Tampa Bay's playoff position?

I really like the new format, even moreso than the current one. Yes, having an even number of teams in each conference would have been best, but this is not a perfect world. Maybe there will be expansion teams (2), maybe the league will downsize (2). Either way, I believe this is a step in the right direction.

 

[elocomotive]

Wow, I never said everything the NHL does is correct....

I know. I was making a joke to point out that your statement about other sports following the proposed playoff pattern of the NHL was probably not going to happen. If anything, major sports have moved towards a more open playoff system in each conference, not added more "conferences" and had the early playoff rounds exist only in that vacuum.

One of the things I find best about this system is that every team in your conference plays the same schedule, end of story. If you do not have one of the four best in your conference oh well there is no complaining about an easy schedule. To demonstrate this point look at the 2003-04 final standings. Tampa Bay got the number one seed by 2 points with 106. The rest of the division was pure and utter garbage with the second place Atlanta Thrashers having 78 and finsihing 10th in the conference. Do you think playing in a stronger division would have changed Tampa Bay's playoff position?

For starters, no, not that much, b/c people incorrectly exacerbate the differences between divisions in the current system based on the SCHEDULE. At present, any team in a conference plays 24 games vs. it's own division and 20 games vs. each team in the other two divisions within that conference. FOUR games difference. That's it. Now in terms of the privilege of getting a high SEED, yes, that is primarily where a weak division can give you an advantage. You can get a #3 seed and have fewer points than the #4 and #5 seeds.

However, that issue pales in comparison to the fact that in your same scenario under the new system, Atlanta would have actually been in the playoffs, even though other teams would have deserved it more. That is MUCH more aggregious and concerning than a slight seeding difference.

 

[SLY]

Here is a template I got if someone wants to tweak it... I just have no motivation right now.