Pre-Game Talk: End vs van: It may happen, but not anytime soon

[NedPlimpton]

Somehow feels like it has been a month since we last played.

 

[fuswald]

Don't cancel their season make em play and extend the season a week.

I would like hockey all year round

 

[Drivesaitl]

Don't cancel their season make em play and extend the season a week.

I would like hockey all year round

NHL cannot do that because the NBC has Tokyo Olympic coverage as a scheduling priority after the NHL playoffs. The NBC position is the NHL has a time frame to complete the season and playoffs. The only thing the NHL could do is make the first couple rounds best of 5's if they wanted to try to complete all games. I wouldn't do that.

 

[dssource]

That may be the most fair solution. Though they'd never do that since the Habs earned 15 of 18 points in their 9 games.

The revised standings would actually put Calgary in the playoffs right now and Ottawa 3 points back of Calgary. Though Montreal would still have tons of games to make up while everyone else schedule would lighten up significantly.

	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts
Toronto Maple Leafs	38	25	9	4	54
Winnipeg Jets	36	21	12	3	45
Edmonton Oilers	37	22	13	2	46
Montreal Canadiens	31	12	13	6	30
Calgary Flames	37	15	19	3	33
Ottawa Senators	39	14	23	2	30

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Thanks for doing this, I wasn't sure exactly how it would play out but figured it was similar to this. This is the only fair way to do it. Habs have 6 games to get 4 points. and back into that 4th spot. Everything else pretty much stays the same. Do it NHL. Stop the shenanigans.

 

[Aerchon]

I was very sympathetic at first and thought the games should be ppd.

However after listening to Elliott the medical staff of the team, nhl, and nhlpa all signed off on them coming back and besides them sitting for longer than any other team they are using the exact same protocol that every other team in their situation has.

After hearing the details I'm more inclined to think the Vancouver players are just being whiny and don't want to be embarrassed.

If... if the doctors say they are fit to play, which they have, suck it up buttercup and go earn your pay check.

Let's be honest. Vancouver has checked out and want the season to be over. That's what is driving the bus for them.

 

[Nunymare]

I was very sympathetic at first and thought the games should be ppd.

However after listening to Elliott the medical staff of the team, nhl, and nhlpa all signed off on them coming back and besides them sitting for longer than any other team they are using the exact same protocol that every other team in their situation has.

After hearing the details I'm more inclined to think the Vancouver players are just being whiny and don't want to be embarrassed.

If... if the doctors say they are fit to play, which they have, suck it up buttercup and go earn your pay check.

Let's be honest. Vancouver has checked out and want the season to be over. That's what is driving the bus for them.

I have been wondering the extent of consultation of the team being involved with the rescheduling in the past week, especially with the whole issue of the Oilers also being scheduled to play on the Cave memorial day. Something doesn't seem to add up, or there at least seems to be a disconnect between levels of the team.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Thanks for doing this, I wasn't sure exactly how it would play out but figured it was similar to this. This is the only fair way to do it. Habs have 6 games to get 4 points. and back into that 4th spot. Everything else pretty much stays the same. Do it NHL. Stop the shenanigans.

Theres no way the NHL would do this and no way they should. Those games and results already occurred, and those points are already in the standings. Teams play according to where they are in the standings. For instance last night Flames are jacked in the game against the Habs and the Habs are playing the game entirely as if they have margin to lose. They were not dialed in.

After the fact changing of already had results is really incomprehensible. No way the NHLPA would agree to something like that, or the NHL. Montreal matters more than Calgary, there is no way they will go with that decision or even should.

Now heres another thing. If this occurred as a precedent, and then next week the whole Senators team contracted Covid, do we take all those pts away too, take away 18 Oilers pts in that game. I phrase that because there is no way anybody here would be in agreeance with that, and it renders all those actual results moot. If the NHL does something this stupid its time to find some different entertainment.

Games played are games played and should be respected as such. Those are actual results. Removing those from the record alters the meaning of any contested games. Its a move that renders actual game results meaningless. Not a good precedent for sporting competition. If game results can simply be altered, on decision, after the fact, this erases competitive endeavor and replaces with bureaucrat decision.

In short if the NHL had so much contempt for GP as to render them as null events due to later decision, then what reason is there for fans to even follow a league that would do that? That would be a league rigging its own results. But wait, the NHL did that last season too in changing playin playoff format after the fact..

 

[flying v 604]

I feel for the Vancouver players. They didn't get COVID for any fault of their own, as it was apparently Gaudettes idiot girlfriend who caused the whole thing. Some of them probably went through the ringer with being sick and they might not be up to speed yet. But that is how the cookie crumbles this year unfortunately. The Oilers have been screwed over in scheduling pretty badly this year because of the Montreal and Vancouver issues.

As a Nucks fan I totally agree. If they have enough healthy bodies game should be played. It bugs me how our fans are crying foul when other team's have had the same thing happen. It only sucks because we already had a horrible schedule the first 19 games and this was supposed to be our easy spot and with how bad the Habs are it's a real we could have passed them. Might still.

 

[GreeningOil]

This just in! The Oilers and Canucks will have a golf tournament scheduled to decide the season series in late august. Winner gets lifetime supply of Molson Canadian. Henceforth known as the Canada Cup(of beer)

 

[Aerchon]

I have been wondering the extent of consultation of the team being involved with the rescheduling in the past week, especially with the whole issue of the Oilers also being scheduled to play on the Cave memorial day. Something doesn't seem to add up, or there at least seems to be a disconnect between levels of the team.

Elliott Friedman obviously could be wrong but he went into depth about their situation and used comparables to other teams.

Vancouver is in the same situation every other covid team was, have been ok'D by medical staff, have the green light from every part of the nhl and players association...

Now Vancouver has sat for a week longer than anyone else and it been speculated hit harder than most but if they are healthy and just a bit rusty get em playing.

The nhl is doing additional medical testing to be sure now I guess but from everything I've heard they should be playing.

 

[bone]

Theres no way the NHL would do this and no way they should. Those games and results already occurred, and those points are already in the standings. Teams play according to where they are in the standings. For instance last night Flames are jacked in the game against the Habs and the Habs are playing the game entirely as if they have margin to lose. They were not dialed in.

After the fact changing of already had results is really incomprehensible. No way the NHLPA would agree to something like that, or the NHL. Montreal matters more than Calgary, there is no way they will go with that decision or even should.

Now heres another thing. If this occurred as a precedent, and then next week the whole Senators team contracted Covid, do we take all those pts away too, take away 18 Oilers pts in that game. I phrase that because there is no way anybody here would be in agreeance with that, and it renders all those actual results moot. If the NHL does something this stupid its time to find some different entertainment.

Games played are games played and should be respected as such. Those are actual results. Removing those from the record alters the meaning of any contested games. Its a move that renders actual game results meaningless. Not a good precedent.

In short if the NHL had so much contempt for GP as to render them as null events due to later decision, then what reason is there for fans to even follow a league that would do that? That would be a league rigging its own results. But wait, the NHL did that last season too in changing playin playoff format after the fact..

Good points which brings us back to the point that the games probably need to be played. So how do they do that safely without further delaying playoffs. As I suggested earlier, we know who's likely in so get the games between where the playoff teams are against the non-playoff teams as soon as possible and let the extra non-playoff team games be played after May 9th. Odds are they are mathematically eliminated by then, so you can start scheduling the playoff games and perhaps a couple of them even happen while these end of season exhibition games happen. Sucks for TV since vieweship would be the pits, but there's flaws in all scenarios.

The biggest constraint is the Olympic deadline so make decisions that support that.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

If they have enough healthy bodies the game should be played. If not we shouldn't get f***ed with more 4 in 6 or back to back games.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Good points which brings us back to the point that the games probably need to be played. So how do they do that safely without further delaying playoffs. As I suggested earlier, we know who's likely in so get the games between where the playoff teams are against the non-playoff teams as soon as possible and let the extra non-playoff team games be played after May 9th. Odds are they are mathematically eliminated by then, so you can start scheduling the playoff games and perhaps a couple of them even happen while these end of season exhibition games happen. Sucks for TV since vieweship would be the pits, but there's flaws in all scenarios.

The biggest constraint is the Olympic deadline so make decisions that support that.

An alternative I guess is to give the Oilers the league average compiled pts vs the Canucks. Including OTL. So that if the average obtained pts against the Canucks is a coefficient of say 1.20 than 5 games equals 6 pts. Just assign the points. Its not fair either, but the closest to fair. I do think the Oilers would have obtained 7-8pts in these games, probably more if Nucks are compromised. But if all teams just get that per game coefficient added then its probably the fairest adjustment.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Fair, but it won't be then because they won't risk the Nucks health in a pregame warm up.

The Canucks had multiple practices after the positive case - they don't care. Why are they pretending to care now?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

If they have enough healthy bodies the game should be played. If not we shouldn't get f***ed with more 4 in 6 or back to back games.

I don't want them possibly spreading anything to our team.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

The Canucks had multiple practices after the positive case - they don't care. Why are they pretending to care now?

I don't know, because the specter of losing alot is actually staring them in the face. The NHL knew cancelling games was a reality in the Covid season, maybe just do that.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Regardless of what we state here we all know the NHL priority will be having all the games occur, so that can be aired, and have the viewership and advertising and rights revenues.

The NHL doesn't want to lose any of the revenue that comes from these games occurring. THAT being their sole priority.

 

[voxel]

Just let the Oilers play the Utica Comets for f**k sake.

 

[Sanchez]

Watch game is postponed at 5:30pm while Oilers are flying.

 

[K1984]

Somehow feels like it has been a month since we last played.

The stops and starts the last few weeks has me out of the loop as a fan, can't imagine how it's going for the players.

I don't want to use this as an excuse, but the team was rolling right before the Montreal game delays and then they've been playing like shit since.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I don't want them possibly spreading anything to our team.

they wouldn't since they've been cleared by doctors

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Watch game is postponed at 5:30pm while Oilers are flying.

I would be surprised it would be that early from this league.

 

[brentashton]

This makes it feel like the NHL is just making things up as it goes.

They have a clear set of protocols for stopping and restarting the league and games in event if one or many players and teams gets infected with COVID. They have protocols for how to manage groups and individual players in the event of exposure or contracting.They were signed off by both the owners and the PA before the start of competition.

So why now is Vancouver whining and trying to influence the league to further postpone their games? They have met all of the milestones within the set of agreed upon protocols to restart their games and season but now they don’t like that.

Gary, grow a set and tell them to get to work as per the agreement they are party to. f*** I hate PA, but of course I spent my entire career in management in a unionized work environment so I come by it naturally.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Kostko got a new mask.



Looks pretty sharp.



A few more. It's got that KHL look, but alot more detail. I really like it.

 

[brentashton]

Kostko got a new mask.



Looks pretty sharp.

Shoulda got a new frying pan instead.