Around the NHL: Part XXI

[NYSPORTS]

I hate West Coast games. I don't even like playing teams in the West.

You could do things to try to force rivalries, but that's dumb. And again, f*** games on the West Coast

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almost impossible these days. It worked for the NFL when players didn’t change teams so often and each team had their own identity. Gone are the days of the 49ers vs Giants year after year with contrasting styles. Now the NFL is like a video game in which everybody basically plays the same style with players changing uniforms as often as they sometimes change agents.

 

[Leonardo87]

I hate West Coast games. I don't even like playing teams in the West.

I'd take a schedule where you just play your own conference plus one game each against teams from the other conference. And alternate home and away each season. Rivalries are with the teams you play all the time. The Washington rivalry really heated up when we played them in the playoffs every year, and then with realignment. Unless you can play a team 5-6 times per season or repeatedly in the playoffs, those rivalries rarely develop, or rarely last.

You could do things to try to force rivalries, but that's dumb. And again, f*** games on the West Coast.

I don’t mind the late times when it comes to the regular season, can usually watch the Rangers live and then the western games live. I usually don’t go to bed around 1am anyway so it’s all good.

 

[Tawnos]

The Rangers have faced the Capitals one (1) time since they moved away from the 1-8 playoffs.

That's not a bad point. It's been 5 years since we saw them last in the playoffs.

 

[Leetch3]

That's not a bad point. It's been 5 years since we saw them last in the playoffs.

the devils have played tb exclusively in the playoffs the last 7 years

 

[Thirty One]

That's not a bad point. It's been 5 years since we saw them last in the playoffs.

Since they went to the bracketed format, the Rangers have had 10 playoff series against 7 different opponents. So the idea that the format puts them against the same opponent over and over is deemed to be FICTION.

 

[Thirty One]

the devils have played tb exclusively in the playoffs the last 7 years

The Islanders have only faced 1 team beyond the first round in the last 25 years.

 

[Tawnos]

Since they went to the bracketed format, the Rangers have had 10 playoff series against 7 different opponents. So the idea that the format puts them against the same opponent over and over is deemed to be FICTION.

Yeah. The Washington thing wasn't really a result of the playoff format. It was more that it was just the way it turned out than anything.

 

[bobbop]

Brackets are great.

Honestly, I'm torn between the complaint about seeing the same teams *too* often and the basic fairness argument of playing the teams whose schedules you share first in the playoffs. The former would work best in a 1-8 bracket, which would really require re-seeding. The latter works best in a straight divisional format, for which bracketing is just the way it ends up.

Part of what the league grapples with is that the rivalry argument plays out differently in different cities. In Arizona, the preference is would strongly support 1-16 thinking. Random visits from all teams outweigh rivalries here by a large margin. True in a lot of places. That’s the reason the league schedule was changed a few years ago to move away from the heavier emphasis on division play

 

[Thirty One]

Part of what the league grapples with is that the rivalry argument plays out differently in different cities. In Arizona, the preference is would strongly support 1-16 thinking. Random visits from all teams outweigh rivalries here by a large margin. True in a lot of places. That’s the reason the league schedule was changed a few years ago to move away from the heavier emphasis on division play

Why does Arizona have an opinion about the playoffs at all?

 

[bobbop]

Why does Arizona have an opinion about the playoffs at all?

First of all, they are one of the top 24 teams.

But you missed my point. Arizona (and many other teams, especially in the west) prefer a more random schedule with less emphasis on rivalries. This carries over to the playoffs. Helps attendance over the long haul.

 

[Thirty One]

First of all, they are one of the top 24 teams.

But you missed my point. Arizona (and many other teams, especially in the west) prefer a more random schedule with less emphasis on rivalries. This carries over to the playoffs. Helps attendance over the long haul.

Yes, I skimmed your post and tried to make an obvious joke. Busted.

 

[Tawnos]

Part of what the league grapples with is that the rivalry argument plays out differently in different cities. In Arizona, the preference is would strongly support 1-16 thinking. Random visits from all teams outweigh rivalries here by a large margin. True in a lot of places. That’s the reason the league schedule was changed a few years ago to move away from the heavier emphasis on division play

I feel like this is only true because Arizona has been consistently bad. They’d be much better served having several years in a row of playoff matches versus Colorado than random different ones every year.

 

[Leetch3]

 

[Blue Blooded]

I don’t mind the late times when it comes to the regular season, can usually watch the Rangers live and then the western games live. I usually don’t go to bed around 1am anyway so it’s all good.

I think it's less about start times and more about the pseudo-pointlessness of such games as the teams playing aren't even in direct competition with each other. Even playing a top western team at MSG feels very meh.

As I said, I would go even further than @nyr2k2 and eliminate regular season interconference play altogether. I would also remove divisions since I hate the concept of teams with different schedules competing for the same playoff spots. Two conferences, disjunct schedules, 1-8 playoffs, let's go.

 

[cheech70]

This Covid is a shit show...looking forward to some Hockey. I like all the underdogs in the East sans Le Habs in the playin round.

 

[bobbop]

I think it's less about start times and more about the pseudo-pointlessness of such games as the teams playing aren't even in direct competition with each other. Even playing a top western team at MSG feels very meh.

As I said, I would go even further than @nyr2k2 and eliminate regular season interconference play altogether. I would also remove divisions since I hate the concept of teams with different schedules competing for the same playoff spots. Two conferences, disjunct schedules, 1-8 playoffs, let's go.

That would be a nonstarter with the teams in the western conference.

 

[bobbop]

I feel like this is only true because Arizona has been consistently bad. They’d be much better served having several years in a row of playoff matches versus Colorado than random different ones every year.

They have to start by making the playoffs. This is the first time in six years they will be in.

 

[bobbop]

Nick Kypreos is reporting that Carolina (and Tampa) is one of the two teams that voted against the revised playoffs.

Breaks my heart to hear that.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

NBA extremely close to annoucing a late July start, all games will be played in Disney World.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/nba-in-talks-to-restart-2020-season-at-disney-world/

 

[Hire Sather]

Carolina voting no is hilarious stuff

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Carolina couldn't beat the Rangers in a series if their life depended on it

And figures that group of losers in Tampa is the other team that voted no

 

[Leonardo87]

Carolina couldn't beat the Rangers in a series if their life depended on it

And figures that group of losers in Tampa is the other team that voted no

Tampa doesn’t want to get swept again, I guess? Lol.

 

[Thirty One]

Tampa doesn’t want to get swept again, I guess? Lol.

Don’t think there was an option that doesn’t allow them to be swept.

 

[Leonardo87]

Don’t think there was an option that doesn’t allow them to be swept.

 

[haveandare]

Haven’t really been keeping up - the idea is we’d play Carolina to get in? 1 and done, 3 game series or full 7?