How is a back to back SCF fair?

[DowJones]

I guess it is fair because it is equal for both teams.

Personally I love it since I can watch both games live instead of in the morning after.

 

[GKJ]

Stop complaining - it's what the players wanted so they could be out of the bubble quicker...

It’s what everyone wanted so that they don’t have finals games going up against an NFL Sunday. Viewership tanking on perhaps the day/night the cup is won is not good business.

 

[Garavar]

I actually think it's FAIRER to have b2b in playoffs since both teams are equally tired.

During the regular season some teams play more back to back than others or a b2b against a fresh team which result in more losses. Lower seeding or missed playoffs.

 

[ShaneinTpa]

It is fair, because both teams have the same conditions.

As for whether it is a good idea?

They want to save money and improve ratings.

What they save is probably not enough for an argument. I do believe the ratings thing is a factor. They don't want to go up against the NFL Sunday.

This goes hand in hand with my argument in a previous closed thread that speaks to the networks and league managing within games to keep them close. On Monday night, Tampa was handily defeating Dallas 3-0. Had the score gone to 4-0 everyone not in Canada, Dallas and Tampa would have switched to something else, say like Monday Night Football. Then the penalties started to pile up against Tampa, ALL of which were in the Dallas end. The game ended up 3-2

Game 5 being played Sunday night would have IMO done as well for revenue as playing it back to back. Not everyone who has no horse in this race is going to give up both a Friday night and Saturday night of their weekends to watch.

Game 5 should have been Monday.

 

[Coach Parker]

Very few people are watching and the players want to go home. Pretty simple really.

 

[StreetHawk]

It’s what everyone wanted so that they don’t have finals games going up against an NFL Sunday. Viewership tanking on perhaps the day/night the cup is won is not good business.

Game 6 is on Monday, which happens to coincide with what is likely to be the biggest game in the NFL which is between KC and Bal. But, if they opted to not play Fri/Sat and push game 5 to Monday, that would still be a hit to viewership. So, if TB wins the Cup on Monday, it probably gets buried behind the MNF game results.

Given the timing of the season, it wasn't going to be great for the NHL when it came to these last couple of games.

 

[GKJ]

Game 6 is on Monday, which happens to coincide with what is likely to be the biggest game in the NFL which is between KC and Bal. But, if they opted to not play Fri/Sat and push game 5 to Monday, that would still be a hit to viewership. So, if TB wins the Cup on Monday, it probably gets buried behind the MNF game results.

Given the timing of the season, it wasn't going to be great for the NHL when it came to these last couple of games.

NBC has the Sunday Night Football package though, they’re not going to counterprogram themselves. Ideally it would be 2 days off but they haven’t done that the entire playoffs.

 

[StreetHawk]

NBC has the Sunday Night Football package though, they’re not going to counterprogram themselves. Ideally it would be 2 days off but they haven’t done that the entire playoffs.

That’s why the nhl’s option was either the back to back like they did or they skip one of Friday or Saturday And push game 5 to Monday.
Ideally now I’m sure the nhl hopes for game 7 so that their Stanley cup champion can at least be bigger news in the USA than if Tb wins on Monday and competing with the MNF game result

 

[JianYang]

It sounds like you're asking how it's fair for the fan to be forced to watch a theoretically inferior product? I suppose it's a fair point, but my concern is how it would theoretically be a much bigger challenge for the older players to keep their legs in the b2b.

Having said that, older guys like pavelski, and Perry had their fingerprints all over this game, so if they can perform under these conditions, perhaps the product quality wasn't as affected by the back to to back as we may have expected?

 

[notDatsyuk]

It's not fair. Obviously the team that didn't play the night before has a huge advantage.

I think the only real advantage is to the fans who don't have to pick between hockey and football on Sunday. (I don't care - I find NFL football terribly boring. Today I've watched hurling and baseball.)

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

I have to check but I believe both teams will have to engage in back-to-back.

Yeah but is it fair that both teams are in the same hotel, within the same distance of the arena that they have both been playing in for weeks, were both able to eat and sleep for the same amount of time, no air travel etc etc?

Wait, that sounds pretty fair.

 

[Fenway]

The NHL and NBC had to devise a schedule that worked around Sunday Night Football and also the Trump/Biden debate on September 29th.

The NBA also blinked on the 29th.

Now we have a Game 6 on 2 days rest and every Game 6 in SCF history has a team that can win the Cup - A Game 7 only happens if that team loses.

 

[BiolaRunner]

It's not fair. Obviously the team that didn't play the night before has a huge advantage.

I think the only real advantage is to the fans who don't have to pick between hockey and football on Sunday. (I don't care - I find NFL football terribly boring. Today I've watched hurling and baseball.)

Sounds like Jamason had too much Jameson

 

[notDatsyuk]

Sounds like Jamason had too much Jameson

Cute.

Hurling is the Irish national sport.

Called "the fastest game on grass", it has similarities to hockey, and is a lot of fun. Check it out:

 

[lawrence]

Very few people are watching and the players want to go home. Pretty simple really.

noooooo the players are not forces to play these playoffs. Nhl has made this clear.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

People are so entitled... good lord