Habs Could Be Playoff Bound

[Firthbird]

The National Hockey League is reportedly kicking around a number of playoff ideas as the fate of the 2019-20 season remains uncertain. One of those scenarios could be the expansion of this year’s postseason, should the opportunity present itself.

Sport-Express hockey writer Igor Eronko didn’t offer much beyond what’s paraphrased above, but he did note that a 24-team playoff might include a playout round. One would logically conclude that the point of a playout round is to create the desirable 16-team playoff while simultaneously offering up win-and-in slots to a number of teams that were hovering right around the playoff cutline when play stopped.

TL/DR - Montreal would face Pittsburgh

Mapping out a potential 24-team NHL postseason - TSN.ca

 

[CHfan1]

Playing games with no fans is better than canceling the season. I'm not saying the season is played with fans.

I agree, but even with just the players, coaches, trainers, etc. it will be more than 50.

Also if the NBA is looking at a best case of June with no fans. That will be the NHL’s timeline as well.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I agree, but even with just the players, coaches, trainers, etc. it will be more than 50.

Also if the NBA is looking at a best case of June with no fans. That will be the NHL’s timeline as well.

I work in an office with 75 people and we have no plans to shut down. It can be managed if we take precaution. Vaccine is not coming for more than a year from what I hear so we will have no choice but to manage it the more we know about it.

75 people scattered all over a large arena is easier to manage than 50 people at Tim Horton's

 

[CHfan1]

I work in an office with 75 people and we have no plans to shut down. It can be managed if we take precaution. Vaccine is not coming for more than a year from what I hear so we will have no choice but to manage it the more we know about it.

75 people scattered all over a large arena is easier to manage than 50 people at Tim Horton's

I agree it is.

But if the NBA is looking at June why do you think the NHL will play in April?

 

[Habs Halifax]

I agree it is.

But if the NBA is looking at June why do you think the NHL will play in April?

I think things will change as time moves forward. You might be right and both the NBA and NHL are canceled. I just see the next 2-3 weeks as a critical point in North America and every day from now till then will reveal a lot in terms of what direction the world takes.

At the end of the day, The world will need to manage it for at least a year until the vaccine is available. We won't be on lock down that long but hard to say if it last one month or two or more

 

[CHfan1]

I think things will change as time moves forward. You might be right and both the NBA and NHL are canceled. I just see the next 2-3 weeks as a critical point in North America and every day from now till then will reveal a lot in terms of what direction the world takes.

At the end of the day, The world will need to manage it for at least a year until the vaccine is available. We won't be on lock down that long but hard to say if it last one month or two or more

It’s going to get worse in North America over the next few weeks, especially places like New York.

It wasn’t managed in the States very well
at all.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It’s going to get worse in North America over the next few weeks, especially places like New York.

It wasn’t managed in the States very well
at all.

I expect more cases to be confirmed and more deaths. It seems unreasonable to expect otherwise cause we are at the early stages of the spread in North America. How much worse it gets is unpredictable

Haven't followed the States that much but hear some things. Harder for them cause of their population but man... if the States turns into Italy, yeah, it's a huge problem. Is it already too late? Hope not

 

[NobleSix]

Where do you draw the line between virus spread management and when the vaccine becomes available in more than a year's time? The world won't be shut down for a year so we will have to learn how to manage it in the meantime. What you see right now is the beginning of the shutdown to stop the spread. This is a moving target and yes, I firmly believe they will know a lot more in 2-3 weeks after people stop traveling and nobody is taking it lightly in that span.

If things get much worse in North America and it ends up like Italy, then we have a huge problem and it's much deeper than sports playing games or not playing. I like to think it won't get to that level cause we are managing it better than China or Europe

Yes, we will have to learn how to manage it in the meantime because any vaccine being ready and safe to use is at least a year away, likely more. With that said, sporting events are not a service that is essential to every day life. Like it or not, our lives are going to be drastically different for the next 6-18 months, and resuming sporting events should be at the bottom of the worlds concerns right now.

It's the start of the process yes, but these measures should have started to be implemented at least 2 weeks ago. The virus has already started to run rampant through our country. If we were testing the amount of people per day that we should be, our numbers would be way up. Again, it's already much worse than the numbers are meant to lead you to believe.

Also, you may believe that Canada is doing a better job than both Italy and China to contain the initial spread, but the USA certainly isnt, as we are directly tied with them as long as Canada refuses to shut down its borders. I'd argue that the US is in a worse position than both, and will be hit the hardest out of anybody because of their lack of national action. That will in turn effect us.

 

[The Great Weal]

Bring on the Sabres!

It would have to be like a best of 5 though right?

 

[Habs Halifax]

Yes, we will have to learn how to manage it in the meantime because any vaccine being ready and safe to use is at least a year away, likely more. With that said, sporting events are not a service that is essential to every day life. Like it or not, our lives are going to be drastically different for the next 6-18 months, and resuming sporting events should be at the bottom of the worlds concerns right now.

It's the start of the process yes, but these measures should have started to be implemented at least 2 weeks ago. The virus has already started to run rampant through our country. If we were testing the amount of people per day that we should be, our numbers would be way up. Again, it's already much worse than the numbers are meant to lead you to believe.

Also, you may believe that Canada is doing a better job than both Italy and China to contain the initial spread, but the USA certainly isnt, as we are directly tied with them as long as Canada refuses to shut down its borders. I'd argue that the US is in a worse position than both, and will be hit the hardest out of anybody because of their lack of national action. That will in turn effect us.

Play the games with no fans. People staying home have entertainment and the TV ratings skyrocket cause entertainment is limited. Not much difference from my work environment with 75 people and we don't have plans to shut down. Our plan is to keep distance and stay clean. Those not feeling well are forced to work from home.

We will know how the US goes in the next 2-3 weeks. It's a critical point in North America for sure

I'm sure the test kit shortage gets resolved in the next 2-3 weeks as well. Every single NHL player can get tested weekly to ensure they are safe... if the test kit shortage is resolved

 

[Habs Halifax]

It would have to be like a best of 5 though right?

It says best of 7 but I agree, first two rounds should be best of 5. Or they can even go best of 3 in the 1st round, best of 5 in the 2nd, and best of 7 once it gets down to final 16

 

[The Great Weal]

It says best of 7 but I agree, first two rounds should be best of 5. Or they can even go best of 3 in the 1st round, best of 5 in the 2nd, and best of 7 once it gets down to final 16

Best of 7 for that many matchups would take forever. I think it would make more sense to finish off the regular season once it is possible, keep the same number of teams and make it best of 5 depending on how long it ttakes. The next season would then start in January.

 

[NobleSix]

Play the games with no fans. People staying home have entertainment and the TV ratings skyrocket cause entertainment is limited. Not much difference from my work environment with 75 people and we don't have plans to shut down. Our plan is to keep distance and stay clean. Those not feeling well are forced to work from home.

We will know how the US goes in the next 2-3 weeks. It's a critical point in North America for sure

Play games without fans during the peak period of the virus spread? Okay. Let's assume we do that. What happens when one of the players contract the virus from their wife, kid, cousin, uncle, whatever (because in a league of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of essential personel, it's going to happen)? They are non-symptomatic for 4 days, or in some cases, totally non-symptomatic. How many hockey personel and players are they going to infect in that time frame? 3? 6? 10? How many people are those people going to infect within the league?

Or are we testing every single player and personel before every single game and practice? Okay. Well what happens when team's roster start to deplete because players are testing positive? Are we going to call up players from the minors who have not been quarantined? What happens if a team makes it to the theoretical Stanley Cup final and then half their team tests positive for the virus? Do you award the cup to the other team? Is that fair? Does the other team deserve it? No. Guess what, you'll have to reschedule it.

There are just way too many variables that will ultimately lead to another closure of the league if you resume play any time within the next couple of months. The only way the NHL is going to resume play is if they are certain they wont have to shut it down again, and that's directly from Dreger and LeBrun.

Resuming the season is a complete fantasy at this point.

 

[Frozenice]

Where do you draw the line between virus spread management and when the vaccine becomes available in more than a year's time? The world won't be shut down for a year so we will have to learn how to manage it in the meantime. What you see right now is the beginning of the shutdown to stop the spread. This is a moving target and yes, I firmly believe they will know a lot more in 2-3 weeks after people stop traveling and nobody is taking it lightly in that span.

If things get much worse in North America and it ends up like Italy, then we have a huge problem and it's much deeper than sports playing games or not playing. I like to think it won't get to that level cause we are managing it better than China or Europe

It’s called ‘flattening the curve’. It’s crisis management, not overwhelming the health system with a huge influx of very sick people. The plan is to slow the number of people infected to a manageable number.

80% of the population will only experience mild symptoms. The elderly and people with preexisting health conditions will be the hardest hit, by far.

 

[The Great Weal]

The National Hockey League is reportedly kicking around a number of playoff ideas as the fate of the 2019-20 season remains uncertain. One of those scenarios could be the expansion of this year’s postseason, should the opportunity present itself.

Sport-Express hockey writer Igor Eronko didn’t offer much beyond what’s paraphrased above, but he did note that a 24-team playoff might include a playout round. One would logically conclude that the point of a playout round is to create the desirable 16-team playoff while simultaneously offering up win-and-in slots to a number of teams that were hovering right around the playoff cutline when play stopped.

TL/DR - Montreal would face Pittsburgh

Mapping out a potential 24-team NHL postseason - TSN.ca

What would happen with the lottery in this case? Do the teams that didn't make the playoffs increase their lottery odds? I would be so f***ing pissed off if that was the case. We are the lowest ranked team out of these 24 teams so we barely missed the chance at the lottery, and it would be for nothing if we get killed against the Pens. It also gives Bergevin another excuse that his team made the playoffs, but just got unlucky against the Pens and Molson will back him up.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Play games without fans during the peak period of the virus spread? Okay. Let's assume we do that. What happens when one of the players contract the virus from their wife, kid, cousin, uncle, whatever (because in a league of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of essential personel, it's going to happen)? They are non-symptomatic for 4 days, or in some cases, totally non-symptomatic. How many hockey personel and players are they going to infect in that time frame? 3? 6? 10? How many people are those people going to infect within the league?

Or are we testing every single player and personel before every single game and practice? Okay. Well what happens when team's roster start to deplete because players are testing positive? Are we going to call up players from the minors who have not been quarantined? What happens if a team makes it to the theoretical Stanley Cup final and then half their team tests positive for the virus? Do you award the cup to the other team? Is that fair? Does the other team deserve it? No. Guess what, you'll have to reschedule it.

There are just way too many variables that will ultimately lead to another closure of the league if you resume play any time within the next couple of months. The only way the NHL is going to resume play is if they are certain they wont have to shut it down again, and that's directly from Dreger and LeBrun.

Resuming the season is a complete fantasy at this point.

NHL will test players every hour if that makes it possible to pull this off. The revenue and publicity opportunities are HUGE. They would be the only major sport on TV in North America.

They should do some kind of NCAA style bracket with all 31 teams involved, two cities host (one east, one west, to eliminate travel).

 

[Habs Halifax]

Play games without fans during the peak period of the virus spread? Okay. Let's assume we do that. What happens when one of the players contract the virus from their wife, kid, cousin, uncle, whatever (because in a league of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of essential personel, it's going to happen)? They are non-symptomatic for 4 days, or in some cases, totally non-symptomatic. How many hockey personel and players are they going to infect in that time frame? 3? 6? 10? How many people are those people going to infect within the league?

Or are we testing every single player and personel before every single game and practice? Okay. Well what happens when team's roster start to deplete because players are testing positive? Are we going to call up players from the minors who have not been quarantined? What happens if a team makes it to the theoretical Stanley Cup final and then half their team tests positive for the virus? Do you award the cup to the other team? Is that fair? Does the other team deserve it? No. Guess what, you'll have to reschedule it.

There are just way too many variables that will ultimately lead to another closure of the league if you resume play any time within the next couple of months. The only way the NHL is going to resume play is if they are certain they wont have to shut it down again, and that's directly from Dreger and LeBrun.

Resuming the season is a complete fantasy at this point.

You think everything is shut down for more than a year while we wait for a vaccine? At some point the world is going to have to mange it with more education and precaution... that point in time is undetermined but it won't be a year or more.

You think next season gets canceled too? Understand my point? My point is we need to start thinking about how we live with this while the vaccine is being made. This will become more clear as time moves forward. Right now, there is too much panic and not enough information

 

[Habs Halifax]

It’s called ‘flattening the curve’. It’s crisis management, not overwhelming the health system with a huge influx of very sick people. The plan is to slow the number of people infected to a manageable number.

80% of the population will only experience mild symptoms. The elderly and people with preexisting health conditions will be the hardest hit, by far.

I understand that. But what do you think happens after they get this under control a bit more? The business world including sports will have to learn how to manage it before the vaccine is made which will take more than a year. Even after we stop the spread, we are still at risk once schools, businesses, and sports get back to normal. The focus will turn to management on how we deal with it while the Vaccine is made.

Expecting the business world to shut down for more than a year while we wait for a vaccine? Think about that

 

[NobleSix]

You think everything is shut down for more than a year while we wait for a vaccine? At some point the world is going to have to mange it with more education and precaution... that point in time is undetermined but it won't be a year or more.

You think next season gets canceled too? Understand my point? My point is we need to start thinking about how we live with this while the vaccine is being made. This will become more clear as time moves forward. Right now, there is too much panic and not enough information

There's a big difference between opening up the league during the peak of the infection, and opening up the league during the fallout of the infection. The peak of this infection is likely in late May/ early June. After the peak, then sure, talk about resuming sports leagues. The start of next season will not be during the peak of the infection, so no, I don't think next season is cancelled.

You are advocating resuming league play during the peak because we must learn how to cope and live with the virus. I'm saying that league play is NOT essential to coping with life during the peak of the virus. Operating a sports league is not viable during the peak of the virus.

Again, i'm talking about the PEAK of the infection. Not the entire duration.

 

[Habs Halifax]

There's a big difference between opening up the league during the peak of the infection, and opening up the league during the fallout of the infection. The peak of this infection is likely in late May/ early June. After the peak, then sure, talk about resuming sports leagues. The start of next season will not be during the peak of the infection, so no, I don't think next season is cancelled.

You are advocating resuming league play during the peak because we must learn how to cope and live with the virus. I'm saying that league play is NOT essential to coping with life during the peak of the virus. Operating a sports league is not viable during the peak of the virus.

Again, i'm talking about the PEAK of the infection. Not the entire duration.

No difference between me working at my office of 75 people right now today vs players playing games with no fans in 2-3 weeks time from now. Actually, there are more risk with me working today in my current situation due to the unknowns

The 2-3 week shutdown is to stop the spread. You seem to think that things get to normal this summer sometime with no vaccine? The risks of it spreading more are still there bud so yeah, I will repeat... the business world (including sports) will learn to live with it while we manage the risks

I'd agree with you if you think that they will have games with fans. Not what I am saying though

 

[Frozenice]

I understand that. But what do you think happens after they get this under control a bit more? The business world including sports will have to learn how to manage it before the vaccine is made which will take more than a year. Even after we stop the spread, we are still at risk once schools, businesses, and sports get back to normal. The focus will turn to management on how we deal with it while the Vaccine is made.

Expecting the business world to shut down for more than a year while we wait for a vaccine? Think about that

Hockey is entertainment and doesn’t have a material effect on the economy, either for the good or the bad. If there isn’t hockey, the money the fans would of spent will just go elsewhere, it doesn’t disappear.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Hockey is entertainment and doesn’t have a material effect on the economy, either for the good or the bad. If there isn’t hockey, the money the fans would of spent will just go elsewhere, it doesn’t disappear.

Sure, I agree sports is not more important than life. However, you saying all sports will be shut down for more than a year cause we have to wait for a vaccine? I'm not so sure you understand my "learn to live with the risks" narrative... Even if we stop the spread with this latest shutdown, I doubt that the shutdown last for a year or more. At some point, we will learn how to manage the risks better.

Playing games with no fans will be something they consider but we at first must wait to see how the spread happens North America in the next 2-3 weeks. We will know a lot more as time moves forward so nobody should be acting like experts so early

 

[NobleSix]

No difference between me working at my office of 75 people right now today vs players playing games with no fans in 2-3 weeks time from now. Actually, there are more risk with me working today in my current situation due to the unknowns

The 2-3 week shutdown is to stop the spread. You seem to think that things get to normal this summer sometime with no vaccine? The risks of it spreading more are still there bud so yeah, I will repeat... the business world (including sports) will learn to live with it while we manage the risks

I'd agree with you if you think that they will have games with fans. Not what I am saying though

You aren't following the discussion, and the points i'm presenting.

Nowhere did I say it would be back to normal this summer. If you want to continue this discussion, stop putting words in my mouth. You've done this in every one of your posts that you've responded with, and its beginning to get tiresome having to address these false points you claim i'm making. Take the time to read what i'm saying, process it, and respond. If not, i'm ending this discussion right now.

 

[Habs Halifax]

You aren't following the discussion, and the points i'm presenting.

Nowhere did I say it would be back to normal this summer. If you want to continue this discussion, stop putting words in my mouth. You've done this in every one of your posts that you've responded with, and its beginning to get tiresome having to address these false points you claim i'm making. Take the time to read what i'm saying, process it, and respond. If not, i'm ending this discussion right now.

I can accuse you of the same narrative but I didn't. Nowhere did I say they would play games during the peak. And we don't know how long the peak last. 2-3 weeks time, we will know a lot more and then we decide the next steps.

Pretty sure the NHL and NHLPA takes the same approach. If things gets worse in North America (like Italy) within the 2-3 week period, then yeah, they might decide to cancel the season prior to April

 

[CHfan1]

No difference between me working at my office of 75 people right now today vs players playing games with no fans in 2-3 weeks time from now. Actually, there are more risk with me working today in my current situation due to the unknowns

The 2-3 week shutdown is to stop the spread. You seem to think that things get to normal this summer sometime with no vaccine? The risks of it spreading more are still there bud so yeah, I will repeat... the business world (including sports) will learn to live with it while we manage the risks

I'd agree with you if you think that they will have games with fans. Not what I am saying though

That announcement dashed any lingering hope of a quick resumption to the season, with confirmed COVID-19 cases increasing by 33 per cent worldwide over the last four days.

It also marks a significant loosening on the NHL’s initial plan when the season was paused last Thursday, which instructed players to stay in their NHL city to self-quarantine.

Monday’s memo was in response to a directive from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Sunday that recommended the cancelation of any gathering of more than 50 people over the next eight weeks.

The NHL said its objective would be to provide “high-level guidance on the potential of opening a training camp roughly 45 days into the 60-day period covered by the CDC’s directive.”

That means the earliest the NHL could hope to open training camps would be the last week of April if May 11 is the first possible day that play could resume

NHL allowing players to head home in the wake of CDC recommendation - TSN.ca