GDT: #44 Blue Jackets@Ducks

[Nordique]

Of course "just win". That never changes. It's just harder. Study after study shows what happens to people when they're overworked or they don't get enough sleep, and athletes are no different. The game in Minnesota is a good example, we flew in in the wee hours of the morning, and played like crap. In the playoffs both teams deal with the same frequency, so that's different. (None of this is an argument against "Just Win".)

It's absolutely going to be a factor. Generally speaking everyone plays worse on the tail end of a back to back, especially on the road. The 3rd period could be rough. This game hand down scares me more than the other remaining 3. If there is any relief it's that there was no travel between these dates.

We have to keep it simple tonight, North/South, and hope that Bob brings his A game yet again.

 

[anteater90]

Keep it up boys. Now #8 in West #1 in your hearts. Tonight you are the greatest team in the world.

 

[Steeltown Jacket]

Wow, what a game.

I fell asleep at the end of the 2nd period when it was tied 1-1, and woke back up with 7 minutes left in the 3rd with the score tied 2-2. I missed the fluke Ducks goal and I'm glad I did, because I might have turned off the TV and called it a night. When Tyutin scored, I screamed and jumped out of bed and nearly scared my pup to death.

This is so much fun, but so darn stressful. I don't think I can handle much more of this.

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

It's absolutely going to be a factor. Generally speaking everyone plays worse on the tail end of a back to back, especially on the road. The 3rd period could be rough. This game hand down scares me more than the other remaining 3. If there is any relief it's that there was no travel between these dates.

We have to keep it simple tonight, North/South, and hope that Bob brings his A game yet again.

I've got to think that they're getting by strictly on adrenaline at this point; hopefully they've got enough to get them through the Sharks game and then get properly rested before the Dallas game.

 

[Nordique]

Keep it up boys. Now #8 in West #1 in your hearts. Tonight you are the greatest team in the world.

yep, regardless of how this season ends, I'm officially more excited about the team and the future than ever. We are winning the right way.

 

[Kev22]

I've never seen anything like this from the Jackets organization. No matter what happens this team just bounces back and finds ways to win. I was shaking my head after the unbelieveably fluky goal by Steckel, but these guys did not dwell on it and got the job done. Playoffs or not, these guys have brought the passion back to this fan base. This is a hell of a lot of fun.

 

[pete goegan]

Except they still win the tiebreaker against us. First tiebreaker is Regulation/Overtime Wins (ROW) ...Not head-to-head....Scott Howson (proposed the rule) may keep us out of the playoffs.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...ontinues-with-NHL-tiebreaker-c?urn=nhl,264241

Not winning games in regulation or overtime might keep them out, not the rule, everyone plays under the same scoring system. While I agree that there may be some irony in the rule having been proposed by our former GM, I completely agree with him that shootout wins should have less value than games won by actually playing hockey.

 

[Nordique]

Not winning games in regulation or overtime might keep them out, not the rule, everyone plays under the same scoring system. While I agree that there may be some irony in the rule having been proposed by our former GM, I completely agree with him that shootout wins should have less value than games won by actually playing hockey.

Yep, it's a sound rule imo. If DET finds a way to win out, they are in. Interestingly, we could still weasel in if we play well and Minny continues to slide.

 

[Kev22]

Not winning games in regulation or overtime might keep them out, not the rule, everyone plays under the same scoring system. While I agree that there may be some irony in the rule having been proposed by our former GM, I completely agree with him that shootout wins should have less value than games won by actually playing hockey.

I'm fine with this being a second tiebreaker, but I still think it's a complete travesty that head-to-head is not the first tiebreaker. Detroit could possibly get in the playoffs having lost 9 out of 10 to Columbus and all 9 from Calgary. Absolutely criminal. EFF YOU HOWSON.

 

[Bobcat110]

Not winning games in regulation or overtime might keep them out, not the rule, everyone plays under the same scoring system. While I agree that there may be some irony in the rule having been proposed by our former GM, I completely agree with him that shootout wins should have less value than games won by actually playing hockey.

I like the rule...just responding to another poster that head-to-head vs Detroit won't help us and irony of the rule being proposed by Howson.

If I were Chicago or Anaheim, I'd be cheering hard for Detroit to hold us off.

 

[pete goegan]

I'm fine with this being a second tiebreaker, but I still think it's a complete travesty that head-to-head is not the first tiebreaker. Detroit could possibly get in the playoffs having lost 9 out of 10 to Columbus and all 9 from Calgary. Absolutely criminal. EFF YOU HOWSON.

I agree that head to head should be the first tie breaker, how better to separate two teams with the same number of points than how they performed against each other? As for Howson, he only proposed the change, he neither mandated it be put in place nor unilaterally declared that it become the first tie breaker. There are always teams that lose the season series to lesser teams in the standing, yet make the playoffs due to better overall records. It's not uncommon, at all.

There has to be a better solution to eliminating tie games than the shootout. Until there is, though, less value for a non-hockey win has to remain as a tie breaker at some level. How much weight to give them and where they should rank as a tie breaker needs to be reexamined, perhaps. The best way to avoid the problem, then, is to win more games before it comes down to the skill competition. Detroit did and it's give them an advantage that can only be overcome by accumulating more points. Lets do that and leave the questions about tie breakers to some other fanbase!

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Yep, it's a sound rule imo. If DET finds a way to win out, they are in. Interestingly, we could still weasel in if we play well and Minny continues to slide.

It's funny how it's not rally becoming any clearer despite games passing. To me, it still looks like five teams for three spots. I'm not doing the calculations that arrive at percentages, though - those look at schedule and stuff, I'm just looking at points and games played. Just looking there it appears STL is in the strongest position of the five, while the case could be mad for DAL, DET or CBJ with the weakest.

 

[Kev22]

There has to be a better solution to eliminating tie games than the shootout. Until there is, though, less value for a non-hockey win has to remain as a tie breaker at some level. How much weight to give them and where they should rank as a tie breaker needs to be reexamined, perhaps. The best way to avoid the problem, then, is to win more games before it comes down to the skill competition. Detroit did and it's give them an advantage that can only be overcome by accumulating more points. Lets do that and leave the questions about tie breakers to some other fanbase!

Do it the way basketball does. Keep playing five minute overtime periods until you have a winner. Make the first two overtimes 4 on 4 and then 3 on 3 for any remaining overtimes. Maybe it might be a good idea to let the players decide how they want to come up with a winner in every game. Change the point system. Make regulation and overtime wins worth 2 points and shootout wins only one point, this would do away with three point games (You lose, sorry you get no points). Or here's a novel thought, bring back the tie game. Play two overtimes and then if you don't have a winner, both teams get a point. The league has probably made this more difficult than it needs to be.

I agree that the order of tiebreakers needs to be re-examined. In a league where teams play each other at least four times, I think it's perfectly logical to make head-to-head the #1 tiebreaker.

 

[Inquiring Minds]

She had a smile on her face when she heard me yell.

Quoted for effect

 

[Nordique]

It's funny how it's not rally becoming any clearer despite games passing. To me, it still looks like five teams for three spots. I'm not doing the calculations that arrive at percentages, though - those look at schedule and stuff, I'm just looking at points and games played. Just looking there it appears STL is in the strongest position of the five, while the case could be mad for DAL, DET or CBJ with the weakest.

Its seperating a bit, but not the CBJ and DET, we are locked nearly dead even at this point.

Sports Club Stats breaks the western 6-8 spots down like this ATM. These are odds to finish in the top 8:

STL 97.8%
MIN 97.7%
CBJ 40.4%
DET 40.3%
DAL 22.7%
PHO 2.9%

 

[major major]

So, same strategy as the past few games?

Look like **** for most of the game, have Bob do what he can for 58 minutes, then spectacularly win the game in OT/SO?

I'm only commenting on this point because someone else thought you predicted it correctly, but I didn't think so. I saw that the Jackets carried the play for most of last night. Bob didn't have to be spectacular, because we limited their chances pretty well. But we did win spectacularly in OT, you got that right.

 

[NotWendell]

Is it chickentit?

Nope. A much shorter C word.

 

[Nordique]

I'm only commenting on this point because someone else thought you predicted it correctly, but I didn't think so. I saw that the Jackets carried the play for most of last night. Bob didn't have to be spectacular, because we limited their chances pretty well. But we did win spectacularly in OT, you got that right.

We were the better team imo. 3 goals posts, and then that circus blooper goal for Anaheim...it took a gritty effort, 60 minutes, to overcome some bad breaks (and horrible officiating I might add). Fasth was very good last night.