If Leafs win, everyone will say it was tainted. If anybody else wins, everyone will say it was legit.
2020 Stanley Cup -- Tainted or Legit?
- Thread starter Brown Dog
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Gary Nylund
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- Oct 10, 2013
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Well yeah, that goes without saying.
Depends who wins it.
If a team that was already in a playoff spot wins it that's one thing, but if a team like Chicago, or Montreal or somebody else that got gifted an opportunity wins it then it will be seen as tainted because that team wouldn't have been in otherwise
If a team that was already in a playoff spot wins it that's one thing, but if a team like Chicago, or Montreal or somebody else that got gifted an opportunity wins it then it will be seen as tainted because that team wouldn't have been in otherwise
Leafidelity
Best Sport/Worst League
No question it's tainted. A Stanley Cup playoffs is played immediately after an 82 game season, not a months long layoff.
Half these players won't even reach their peak performance level before they're eliminated.
Half these players won't even reach their peak performance level before they're eliminated.
Gary Nylund
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Not this time it isn't.
I don't think this is even close to being true. It'll take a few games for sure but I'd say that by the 2nd round at the latest, everyone will be in peak form. This won't be the 3rd week of the season where players don't quite care the way they do late in the season when battling for the playoffs, they will be motivated from the get go.
Many people say the best hockey ever played was the 1987 Canada Cup which started in August. The Soviets trained 365 days a year and by the time the 3 game final started (about 2 weeks after the tournament started), Team Canada was right there with them.
It's actually possible that these playoffs will be even more entertaining, more memorable and played at a higher level then they've ever been played at before for the simple reason that the players won't be as tired and banged up as they usually are for the playoffs. This season (and life in general this year) has been a huge clusterf*** but if these playoffs actually happen without covid19 playing a major role, they might turn out to be something extra special and anyone who watches the games won't even think of calling the cup win tainted.
I'm still hoping the NHL comes to their senses and doesn't bother with this charade. It can only harm the brand as far as I'm concerned. The American media hates the NHL and there's a distinct possibility that they will concoct a controversy centered around the NHL.
Gary Nylund
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IT's all about the money so if there's any way they can make it happen, it will happen.
If covid19 plays a big role then yes, it could end up being a PR disaster. However the NBA is going down the same path so they won't be able to center anything around the NHL.
If they can pull it off without covid19 being a big issue, then it's well worth doing and could even be awesome!
Don't care, I just want them to win one in my lifetime. Not the ideal circumstances one will have to admit but I'd still take it any day.
It's tainted if a team wins the cup that isn't currently in the top 16. It's like when the Red Sox won the world series the first year of the wild card, many purists felt they really didn't deserve it because for 100 years you had to win your division to make the playoffs and they didn't. If the 24th team wins it would be an embarrassment to the league.
Gary Nylund
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+1
That's a fair point. I also don't see this happening, well below 1% chance IMO. Unless of course covid19 starts tearing through all the top teams but if that happens, they'll probably halt the proceedings anyway.
Mess
Global Moderator
I understand the point, but the problem is league parity and with a dozen games to go a lot could have changed in the standings.
I use our Leafs as an example, who had 81 points after 70 games and were #8 in the Eastern Conference who would be the last team to qualify for the playoffs of top 16 (8 per conference), yet Columbus our opponent also has 81 points in 70 games with the same point% .579 and ranked #9, the NYR who are #11 in the conference have 79 points after 70 games only 2 points back with 12 games left of both Leafs and CBJ.
The only thing separating #8 Toronto and #9 Columbus is the tie breaker of ROW (regulation/OT wins). If CBJ held the tie-breaker and they were ranked #8 and our Leafs #9 would a Leafs win be considered tainted?
With your hard cut-off of top 16 as on today Columbus and NYR who are either tied for the last spot in the East would be tainted if they won.
That was the problem that the NHL was faced with, so this 24 team format as opposed to the former 16.. So the play-in round gets them to 16 playoff teams and attempts to compensate for those missing 12-14 games of the season.
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- Dec 12, 2017
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There was one media source that disrespect the NHL but they are an after thought outside of live sports.
Still, the nhl trying to go head to head with the NFL ,college football and MLB will be an extremely tough hurdle to overcome.
Gary Nylund
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If CLB wins, your point is valid. If CHI (or god forbid, MTL) wins, then no. That's not gonna happen though so no worries.
Mess
Global Moderator
That is the biggest issue.
If one team all of a sudden has a player test positive and then takes himself and a few of his own teammates out and the series are going on as if nothing has changed except a bunch of players sitting in 14 day quarantine and a team perhaps missing its stars and playing its AHL team replacements. If that were to happen it would be a PR disaster and the entire playoffs would be tainted.
If Covid-19 is not a factor, and despite the odd long break and weird circumstances as long as its the same even playing surface for all it would be considered legit. IMO
Mess
Global Moderator
There is an exception to every rule and basically its CHI and MON the 2 teams that are ranked #12 in each conference and need to be included in this simply because you need an even # of teams to have tournament format.
#5 Pittsburgh Penguins (40-23-6, 86 points & .623) vs. the #12 Montreal Canadiens (31-31-9, 71 points & .500)
&
#5 Edmonton Oilers (37-25-9, 83 points & .585) vs. the #12 Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8, 72 points & .514)
If both those teams are eliminated in the play-in round the problem goes away in terms of tainted for the NHL.
I don't understand why people see such sanctity in the current playoff format. Especially since everyone thinks it sucks and what it changed anyway.
This league used to have 16 of 22 teams make the playoffs just back in the 80's.
Hell, the finals itself used to be a complete joke, because the Western conference used to be all the expansion teams who were basically operating as a farm system for the eastern conference and got swepped almost every year. These are the conditions that Bobby Orr scored his flying goal under, and I don't remember anyone ever saying that is tainted or deserves an asterisk.
I don't understand why anyone would think a break before the playoffs makes it meaningless. I need that explained to me.
This league used to have 16 of 22 teams make the playoffs just back in the 80's.
Hell, the finals itself used to be a complete joke, because the Western conference used to be all the expansion teams who were basically operating as a farm system for the eastern conference and got swepped almost every year. These are the conditions that Bobby Orr scored his flying goal under, and I don't remember anyone ever saying that is tainted or deserves an asterisk.
I don't understand why anyone would think a break before the playoffs makes it meaningless. I need that explained to me.
- Dec 12, 2017
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The fact the question is posed means there is some form of abnormality and the degree and shear number of abnormalities under this scenario makes it impossible to think it’s anything other than asterisk year.
I watch a hockey game every night it’s on and have for years but I’m beginning to lose interest in this and would prefer they wait and have a legit season.
I watch a hockey game every night it’s on and have for years but I’m beginning to lose interest in this and would prefer they wait and have a legit season.
Big Muddy
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If a team has a couple star players test positive and have to quarantine during a crucial series, I think people will always wonder what could have been. Can't ignore this I'd think.
The draft is a little odd this year. They might need a 2nd lottery.
Big Muddy
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That's for sure. I think the NHL absolutely needs the playoff revenue and TV contract money (if that's in play). Its all about the money.
Next year should be interesting. Not sure how good things will be in the U.S. this fall.
Skin Tape Session
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Around here it will depend on who wins it. I hope we win as the ammunition we will have is it was actually harder to win it this year as there were more than four rounds.
Auston Matthews could score 70 goals next year and have a 120 points but someone he won't be a top ten center on the mains and they will say drai>>Matthews .(Matthews is better by a lot)
I hope we win cause it will be so sweet to watch the world burn
Auston Matthews could score 70 goals next year and have a 120 points but someone he won't be a top ten center on the mains and they will say drai>>Matthews .(Matthews is better by a lot)
I hope we win cause it will be so sweet to watch the world burn
BertCorbeau
F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
There's no way they are starting a normal travelling schedule in the fall.
Which is the reason why I find it a bit silly that people want to cancel these playoffs and move on to next season.
My hot take is that tournaments in hub cities is all we will get until the fall of '21.
MLB might prove me wrong, but I'd bet money their plan falls on its face.
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