GDT: Around the League | 22-23 III AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!!!

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Because it was a foregone conclusion. I didn't even bother to watch the first two games of the series. Barely intended to start watching in game 3.

I was going back in time to SC finals and memory is an odd thing. I thought the Oilers vs Boston 1988 finals was the biggest cake walk since they let expansion clubs in finals. The scoreline there through 5 games was 21-12. That series however was essentially a 4 game sweep as the game 4 in Boston was incomplete as the lights went out and they couldn't get them back on. Fittingly the score in that game was 3-3 anyway. Series finished in Edmonton with the Oilers walking away with the deciding game.

This series was one of the most lopsided ever with 3 absolutely shit kicking blow outs in the 5 games. In a 4th Win Vegas had a 3 goal lead.

Combined scoreline of 26-12, Astoundingly the 3 games in Vegas were 21-7 with Florida only getting some garbage time goals because Knights had stopped playing hard.

Once Vegas got past us they were probably always going to win it all. No team left was better than them. What a league.

 

[Mr Kot]

The gymnastics on reddit by Americans trying to explain this away is impressive.

I hate reddit so much. Please post some so I may laugh at them.

 

[K1984]

good job Gary!

It really isn't a surprise. Florida is probably the only market in the league where interest doesn't really even temporarily spike in a meaningful way even when they're playing for a title and Vegas still seems to be a "fanbase" that are still in "oh this is cool and fun!" mode that doesn't have widespread local viewership.

For the general hockey fan market you also couldn't find a less intriguing matchup. I've probably watched 95% of all Finals games since I've been alive and I only brought myself to watch all 3 periods of a game in this series when it was an elimination game. Two teams that nobody cares about, one of which basically had the red carpet rolled out by the NHL for them to walk all the way to the Final. Horrid.

I hope this series puts a bullet in the theory that teams in these markets going deep pays any sort of sustainable dividend. I'd bet a lot of money that even an all Canadian Edmonton vs. Toronto finals matchup would far exceed the US viewership of this final despite not having an American team. Make the game better to watch for your hardcore fans and it will pay off with consistent ratings no matter who is playing. An officiating and rules circus the entire playoffs that conveniently seems to favor certain teams in certain markets does nothing but turn the true fan away. They're losing more true fans than they're gaining in sunbelt bandwagon markets.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

@K1984, in case you saw my reply, disregard it...I misread the post. Reading comprehension stayed in bed today apparently.

 

[Stoneman89]

In a crazy kind of way, this might not be a good thing for the Vegas franchise. Now that they have had steak, we'll see how the fan base reacts when you don't get that steak every year. We all know how tough it is to win in this league, with a lot of things needing to go right through the season and most importantly, through 2 tough months of sledding. Unless Gary and the league make sure they pull all sorts of strings to keep them on top, the fans have now had their big moment.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[K1984]

In a crazy kind of way, this might not be a good thing for the Vegas franchise. Now that they have had steak, we'll see how the fan base reacts when you don't get that steak every year. We all know how tough it is to win in this league, with a lot of things needing to go right through the season and most importantly, through 2 tough months of sledding. Unless Gary and the league make sure they pull all sorts of strings to keep them on top, the fans have now had their big moment.

They have a horseshoe up their ass. Theoretically the bottom should fall out soon due to their complete lack of prospect base combined with aging and expensive core, but right when those issues come home to roost the cap will jump. They happen to also find themselves in a "darling" market that literally nobody has on their NMC list and anyone with a NMC would waive for. Also won't have problems signing the big name UFAs either.

Trust me, I want nothing more than to see them fail, but they are a franchise where they will be able to continually add quality players on the fly.

As an aside, NMC's, limited NMC's and the ability for players to only waive NMC's for specific teams is THE biggest CBA/contractual problem in the NHL. There is a large class of players that will exclusively only go to a certain number of teams allowing these teams to get them for under market value. It reminds me of the pre-salary cap caste system where some teams are developmental programs for others. The "blessed" markets (Vegas, Tampa, New York, etc) can continually trade for fully baked players for a song of a trade price while the "unwashed" markets have to deal these guys for less than a fair return. Needs to end. The Tkachuk and Matthews contracts are prime examples of this. Sign a bridge with a full NMC and then you get to pick your team. The team that drafted and invested in you gets a poor return? Oh well. Rule should be if you waive your clause you are open to be moved to any team in the league.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think a lot of casual fans would have expected it to be more competitive. Really, the main reason for the lack of interest is it's two teams not many hockey fans care much about.

In a 32 team NHL how many OOT fans care for what number of teams? Its a very small amount for me and encompassing basically one team in the East, for some reason I kind of like the rangers just because the games we play against them are entertaining. The only non divisional club I have interest in is Dallas. Really all the teams I give a toss about fit on one hand.

The NHL with its divisional alignment hasn't really spread the interest too wide. The more teams they add the more the disinterest is. The number of teams went way past the ability to keep up on them even if one wanted to.

It wasn't always like this and everybody would watch all the games in 6 or 12 team NHL. Even when it was 21 teams. 32 just stretches the give a f*** to nothing. So that the modern era dynamic is fans just stop watching when their team is out. Thats a this millennium kind of phenomenon. Much much different than when there were two games a week on the tube, one on HNIC Saturday night and another on Wednesday night. When playoffs started you watched every game because all season you were starved for games. So that playoffs then felt like a buffet..

 

[94 Oil Drops]

The last time there was an all Canadian cup final was 1986 (Flames vs Canadiens) That's a full 8 years before I was born. While I don't exactly like a lot of the other Canadian teams that's an incredibly sad reality when you consider that we were the nation that invented the sport.

As others have said, Canadian teams have a serious disadvantage. I don't blame all the players for wanting to play in American cities but man... It sure makes a problem that will never be fixed. I won't be shocked if a Canadian team never wins again. The NHL is an American leauge now. It's really too bad but I guess there's more to life than hockey and at the end of the day it's not important. Gonna be really hard for me to watch games next year. We can go 82-0, McDavid can score 80 goals but the regular season doesn't matter. A certain team in Boston taught us that.

 

[harpoon]

I don’t understand all the talk about a Canadian team not winning.

1) As an NHL fan I cheer for a team, not a country. I don’t feel any better when ‘my team’ loses no matter who wins. In fact given the rabid nature of Canadian hockey fans, I feel somewhat better when nondescript US franchises win. That way at least I don’t have to listen to Leaf fans or Flames fans or Jets fans rubbing it in for the next ten years.

2) The overwhelming majority of NHL players are still Canadian. No NHL team will ever win the SC without Canadians. According to Quant Hockey there are 445 Canadians in the league. 298 Americans and 107 Swedes. I think Canada is still doing quite OK.

3) Since 1986, so 37 years ago, (mentioned above as the last time there was an ‘all Canadian’ final) these are the international results for Canada.

- World Championahip gold 9
- World Junior gold 18
-Olympic gold 3 (of 10)

I cheer for Canada when it’s actually Team Canada (ironically some fans on this board chided me for cheering for Canada in the recent WC). In the NHL, I cheer for the Oilers. It’s easy for me to separate the two in my mind.

 

[bellagiobob]

I don’t understand all the talk about a Canadian team not winning.

1) As an NHL fan I cheer for a team, not a country. I don’t feel any better when ‘my team’ loses no matter who wins. In fact given the rabid nature of Canadian hockey fans, I feel somewhat better when nondescript US franchises win. That way at least I don’t have to listen to Leaf fans or Flames fans or Jets fans rubbing it in for the next ten years.

2) The overwhelming majority of NHL players are still Canadian. No NHL team will ever win the SC without Canadians. According to Quant Hockey there are 445 Canadians in the league. 298 Americans and 107 Swedes. I think Canada is still doing quite OK.

3) Since 1986, so 37 years ago, (mentioned above as the last time there was an ‘all Canadian’ final) these are the international results for Canada.

- World Championahip gold 9
- World Junior gold 18
-Olympic gold 3 (of 10)

I cheer for Canada when it’s actually Team Canada (ironically some fans on this board chided me for cheering for Canada in the recent WC). In the NHL, I cheer for the Oilers. It’s easy for me to separate the two in my mind.

For me it's not lamenting that a Cdn team in general has not won (Like you, I prefer that no Cdn team wins the SC, with the exception of the Oilers), it's that it's harder for Cdn teams in general, which the Oilers are part of, to stay as competitive as the US teams, for all the reasons listed (weather, taxes. anonymity, etc)

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

For me it's not lamenting that a Cdn team in general has not won (Like you, I prefer that no Cdn team wins the SC, with the exception of the Oilers), it's that it's harder for Cdn teams in general, which the Oilers are part of, to stay as competitive as the US teams, for all the reasons listed (weather, taxes. anonymity, etc)

Tkachuk and Gaudreau fled the Flames, Hellybuick is about to leave the Jets... Will McDavid and Matthews stick around if they don't win a Cup?

 

[BlackDogg]

Tkachuk and Gaudreau fled the Flames, Hellybuick is about to leave the Jets... Will McDavid and Matthews stick around if they don't win a Cup?

I can't see it

 

[Tarus]

Tkachuk and Gaudreau fled the Flames, Hellybuick is about to leave the Jets... Will McDavid and Matthews stick around if they don't win a Cup?

Tkachuk and Gaudreau fled the flames because the ownership hired a dinosaur of a coach that alienated everyone, even the GM ditched the team because they wouldn't let him fire the guy.

Helly is demanding a trade from a dysfunctional team with no future and a declining and toxic core that's been spinning it's wheels as a cup non-threat for a decade.

Mathews/Mcdavid might ditch their current teams in the coming years, but it'll be for their own reasons if it happens. It won't be because of some perceived precedent being set by other poorly run organizations in Canada.

 

[Soundwave]

Tkachuk and Gaudreau fled the Flames, Hellybuick is about to leave the Jets... Will McDavid and Matthews stick around if they don't win a Cup?

The main thing I think the Oilers have going for them is 1) McDavid (nor his GF) are American, that's a pretty big difference 2) the Oilers have a Draisaitl level talent for him to play with here, not too many teams can offer that.

But they shouldn't rest on their laurels because of that. They need to be busy improving the team.

 

[walktheboulavard]

Tkachuk and Gaudreau fled the Flames, Hellybuick is about to leave the Jets... Will McDavid and Matthews stick around if they don't win a Cup?

One of these is not like the other. *cough CANADIAN *cough

*edit: this would have hit harder if Tkachuk actually won the cup and justified all these players wanting to jump ship. But he didn't. So they did all this for what? change of scenery? ( not a bad consolation price tbh)

 

[Drivesaitl]

I still despise Tkachuk. One of the most ironic things was him chiding Eichel for not keeping his head up going up ice and getting injured and very next game it happens to Tkachuk, not keeping his head up going up ice. Maybe he should have shut his face. Not that he would. Really I loved that hit on Tkachuk. Replayed it several times.

Lot of pundits out there mentioning that the Panthers were the worst finals team since the last time Florida was in the final. Not much of a team to begin with but they had nobody going either. Barkov, Ekblad etc looked horrible. Surprised anybody shook Gudass hand. I would have screamed at him. lol. Well not really, just mocking.

 

[bellagiobob]

Finally some SN viewership numbers. Woof. I can see why they haven’t been publishing them.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

One of these is not like the other. *cough CANADIAN *cough

*edit: this would have hit harder if Tkachuk actually won the cup and justified all these players wanting to jump ship. But he didn't. So they did all this for what? change of scenery? ( not a bad consolation price tbh)

He who shall not be mentioned from '06 was Canadian and he didn't want to stick around. I don't think "He's Canadian" is enough these days when there are greener pastures down south.

 

[Sra1974]

He who shall not be mentioned from '06 was Canadian and he didn't want to stick around. I don't think "He's Canadian" is enough these days when there are greener pastures down south.

The NHL is the only major sport where the stars can go and hide in obscure markets and reap the rewards of getting revenue from the rabid fan base up north. It’s a totally perverse situation but basically our tickets prices, and everything we do in this league as Oilers fans (or the fan if any Canadian team) contributes directly to providing the necessary revenue for players to make millions in cities that barely care they are there. Think about that too long and it makes your question support for the league.

The major stars in MLB, NBA and NFL can’t hide in any marketplace, outside of I guess the larger cities help with anonymity a little bit.

I also think he who shall not be named never had any intention of staying here from the start. He lived in a two story house in Terwillegar Towne with a detached garage, there’s just no way that signalled to me he had any interest or thought of staying. He used the Oilers as a means to an end and there’s no way he thought a cup final was in the future. He thought the team would suck, he would gut out a year and then pick his landing spot.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The NHL is the only major sport where the stars can go and hide in obscure markets and reap the rewards of getting revenue from the rabid fan base up north. It’s a totally perverse situation but basically our tickets prices, and everything we do in this league as Oilers fans (or the fan if any Canadian team) contributes directly to providing the necessary revenue for players to make millions in cities that barely care they are there. Think about that too long and it makes your question support for the league.

The major stars in MLB, NBA and NFL can’t hide in any marketplace, outside of I guess the larger cities help with anonymity a little bit.

I also think he who shall not be named never had any intention of staying here from the start. He lived in a two story house in Terwillegar Towne with a detached garage, there’s just no way that signalled to me he had any interest or thought of staying. He used the Oilers as a means to an end and there’s no way he thought a cup final was in the future. He thought the team would suck, he would gut out a year and then pick his landing spot.

Yeah he probably never wanted to be here. There's only two reasons why players willingly choose Canadian teams over American ones: Money and being a fan of the team as a kid.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[BlackDogg]

 

[Ritchie Valens]

And Elvis is my dad.