2020 Stanley Cup -- Tainted or Legit?

[Nineteen67]

Ask New Jersey or Chicago if their cups are tainted

why would be tainted? One small thing happened during those years.

Completely upending the season and several other abnormal circumstances is a different story all together.

 

[Big Muddy]

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.

Interesting thought and you could be right about that. We'll see what happens in the fall, but its easy to imagine that things won't be better then than they are now or in the mid summer.

 

[Mess]

thats a guarantee on the main boards lol

Even more so if Toronto is named a Hub City.

Non Leaf fans will claim it gave an unfair advantage to play in their own building, knowing the ice and boards and the bounces and familiarity with dressing room, pregame rituals, being close to friends and family or any other thing they could dream up. etc.

Even without the fans, it will be seen as NHL giving the home team Leafs an advantage that other road teams don't receive even while living in a bubble for all.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Even more so if Toronto is named a Hub City.

Non Leaf fans will claim it gave an unfair advantage to play in their own building, knowing the ice and boards and the bounces and familiarity with dressing room, pregame rituals, being close to friends and family or any other thing they could dream up. etc.

Even without the fans, it will be seen as NHL giving the home team Leafs an advantage that other road teams don't receive even while living in a bubble for all.

I'm gonna wait until we at least win a round (playin or playoff) before I start to worry about what people will think when we win the cup.

Scratch that - I'm never going to worry about it.

 

[FlareKnight]

Well I'll say at least it gets an asterisk. Much like with anything it will somewhat fade over time, but it still is there. This whole year gets an asterisk on it for all that has happened. The season was frozen for as long as the offseason before any games will possibly start up. Teams that had absolutely no chance at making the playoffs are in the playoffs. I'm sorry the play-in round is just the new round of playoffs.

But so what? Yeah, these playoffs and the winner gets an asterisk beside them. Doesn't mean they don't still get to celebrate. Heck they get their championship remembered more than just about any other in NHL history because of it. Outside of Penguins fans who cares about their last Cup win? This one will be remembered by all fanbases for a long time.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Tainted unless we win then it is legit

 

[al secord]

If, by some miracle, we were to win, would you really feel that bad? I think the circumstances would make me enjoy it more.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

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.

There are abnormalities every year, every playoff the injuries are abnormalities. Abnormalities are not abnormal.
If a upset occurs its not normal hut every year upsets occur.
Top line center is out, its a abnormal occurrence that reduces competitiveness of a team.
If anything this playoff could likely have the least number of injured players upon start than any other year, not absolutely sure about that but it is likely. Players definitely are on the longest break being off since March 12th.
Mostly healthy teams. Bigger pool, seeding instead of bracket, we are healthy and we are going to hit the ground running with one of the best offenses in the league against one of the worst. Likely offensive teams hit stride faster. Hitting might be reduced due to lack of fan’s motivation for players. Whats not to like really. I like our chances of taking a cup here. We will need to win 19 games instead of 16 but that makes it all the mire legitimate.

 

[rojac]

To win the Stanley Cup you have to play a 4 round tournament and win it. There's a tournament this year. Win it.

So, were all the Stanley Cup wins before there were four rounds not legitimate? And if the NHL decided to cut the playoffs to eight teams starting next year, would those future Stanley Cups be illegitimate?

 

[7even]

So, were all the Stanley Cup wins before there were four rounds not legitimate? And if the NHL decided to cut the playoffs to eight teams starting next year, would those future Stanley Cups be illegitimate?

Haha, I posted the same thing the first time this thread was made. The Stanley Cup hasn't always been 7 games, nor 4 rounds, nor even a best of series -- I believe they actually did goal differential for a few years. So in my opinion you can't call this one tainted unless you throw those ones out too, which there is no reason to do.

The Cup as it's currently awarded is 4 rounds 7 game series. There is no deviation this year -- a play in determines seeding but nothing that comes after. Even then, the spirit of the Cup is win an elimination tournament. So go win the elimination tournament. What's there to question

 

[Stephen]

How can 5 rounds of playoffs be easier than 4 rounds of playoffs?

 

[Nineteen67]

How can 5 rounds of playoffs be easier than 4 rounds of playoffs?

They don’t have 5 rounds of playoffs. They have a play in round, which is one of several reasons this is an asterisk year.

 

[Golden_Jet]

No matter what it’s going to be asterisked, just because of this years circumstances

 

[Golden_Jet]

So, were all the Stanley Cup wins before there were four rounds not legitimate? And if the NHL decided to cut the playoffs to eight teams starting next year, would those future Stanley Cups be illegitimate?

They were legit, just 2 or 3 times easier to win.

 

[Stephen]

They don’t have 5 rounds of playoffs. They have a play in round, which is one of several reasons this is an asterisk year.

It's a head to head best of match-up, aka a playoff round. Don't be such a sucker for semantics.

 

[Golden_Jet]

It's a head to head best of match-up, aka a playoff round. Don't be such a sucker for semantics.

Playoff teams don’t get a chance at winning draft lottery

 

[Stephen]

Playoff teams don’t get a chance at winning draft lottery

The play-in round is a completely fabricated format, so to look for some equivalency via the draft or how they choose to brand things has no meaning.

In a typical year, a team needs to win 16 games to win the Stanley Cup. If hockey resumes this summer, the eventual winner needs to win 19 games. It's basic math.

 

[robertmac43]

Look around Europe and see the joy of the football teams and fans that have been winning their leagues.

Nothing tainted about those celebrations and nothing tainted for the NHL team that lifts the next Stanley Cup.

 

[slozo]

It's hard to say - on the face of it, it's not tainted, and everyone has a level playing field, as much as the NHL can do it. But - and it's a big BUT - if how they decide to police players testing positive for this supposed virus is in any way taking away or removing any players from the team, especially star talent, removing them from a team while forcing the team to continue to play . . . then it's a huge asterisk.

Either way, I really don't want there to be an asterisk.
I don't want my favourite team's competition to have their best player removed because of some test .. . that would be terrible, and wouldn't feel right, to win a series that way (even worse if we lost, lol). And obviously, I don't want my team's best player removed.

So yeah - it's fingers crossed. But I will answer no, for the time being.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

They don’t have 5 rounds of playoffs. They have a play in round, which is one of several reasons this is an asterisk year.

Did you skip math class much or whaaaa ha. What are these several reasons. There are no issues but you seem to have calculated there are several. I have to see this. What are they?

 

[Wafflewhipper]

The play-in round is a completely fabricated format, so to look for some equivalency via the draft or how they choose to brand things has no meaning.

In a typical year, a team needs to win 16 games to win the Stanley Cup. If hockey resumes this summer, the eventual winner needs to win 19 games. It's basic math.

Actually the top 4 in each conference don’t but i know you knew that. Any team in the qualifying round having to win 19 games only enhances their entitlement to completely pump their tires if they can pull it off for me.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

I suppose it's legit after the play-in round assuming no team who had next to no chance of making the playoffs still doesn't make it.

Not to mention players getting to return from injuries that otherwise wouldn't have.

And no home ice advantage.

And several different match-ups that wouldn't have happened.

And.....and.....I'll watch it and enjoy it because I love NHL hockey, but there's asterisk's all over the place because the world is pretty messed up right now.

It should be unique at the very least, and that probably will get it an asterisk and hopefully in a positive way (but not positive for COVID, fingers crossed)

 

[NinjaKick]

this problem isn't exclusive. all teams have to deal with the virus. It's a fair playing field imo.
Therefor I vote Legit!

 

[Leafidelity]

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.

Yeah sorry I just don't see it. The first couple months of hockey to start a season is usually incredibly sloppy and only really tightens up about a month+ into the schedule. They simply won't be playing enough games to get to that point until half the teams are eliminated.

We'll be watching sloppy high offense hockey. Nobody will have their systems, fitness and timing down after 5 games. Motivation has nothing to do with it

 

[Nineteen67]

It's a head to head best of match-up, aka a playoff round. Don't be such a sucker for semantics.

Ok, then you’ve added another reason that this tainted, when some teams have to play an extra round.
Again because it’s up for debate, that in itself means it’s an asterisk Cup

Count the things that are different and tell me how it cant be anything but abnormal. .