If there are no ties, why use points?

[Montrealer]

The latest rumour has the NHL awarding two points for any type of win (regular time, overtime, shootout) and no points for OTL/SOL, and of course no ties.

So...... do newspapers start using Wins/Loss/GBL (Games behind leader) instead, like they do in baseball and basketball? Why have points if they are just WinsX2?

Click to read more...

 

[Jobu]

The latest rumour has the NHL awarding two points for any type of win (regular time, overtime, shootout) and no points for OTL/SOL, and of course no ties.

So...... do newspapers start using Wins/Loss/GBL (Games behind leader) instead, like they do in baseball and basketball? Why have points if they are just WinsX2?

They probably would use GB.

 

[kmad]

All the statistics in all the record books are measured in points. Every newspaper, website and hockey database in the world has everything set up to measure points, not games back or winning percentage.

It's for sanity, continuity, and simplicity.

 

[tom_servo]

I would assume that they're keeping the OTL point, so that's one reason.

 

[Jobu]

All the statistics in all the record books are measured in points. Every newspaper, website and hockey database in the world has everything set up to measure points, not games back or winning percentage.

It's for sanity, continuity, and simplicity.

Records related to points were rendered meaningless with the OTL point.

 

[Captain Ron]

All the statistics in all the record books are measured in points. Every newspaper, website and hockey database in the world has everything set up to measure points, not games back or winning percentage.

It's for sanity, continuity, and simplicity.

But this is "A whole new game" though. All the old ways of doing things will be out the window.

 

[davemess]

Points are better than Games Behind.

 

[NHLFanSince2020]

Nothing has been ratified by either the league or the PA (http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=130229) so it's moot to discuss it at this point.

 

[Realm]

Nothing has been ratified by either the league or the PA (http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=130229) so it's moot to discuss it at this point.

Well there is also no CBA so should we not talk about hockey at all?

 

[NHLFanSince2020]

Well there is also no CBA so should we not talk about hockey at all?

Nope.
Refrain from all hockey talk immediately.
That is all.

 

[Tawnos]

Points are better than Games Behind.

How exactly? Points in a straight W-L situation are misleading. They'll tell you that the Thrashers are ahead of the Lightning even though the Lightning have won a greater percentage of their games and thus have a better record. (hypothetical situation of course)

 

[NHLFanSince2020]

How exactly? Points in a straight W-L situation are misleading. They'll tell you that the Thrashers are ahead of the Lightning even though the Lightning have won a greater percentage of their games and thus have a better record. (hypothetical situation of course)

I agree.

 

[davemess]

How exactly? Points in a straight W-L situation are misleading. They'll tell you that the Thrashers are ahead of the Lightning even though the Lightning have won a greater percentage of their games and thus have a better record. (hypothetical situation of course)

Just my opinion..... Points are much easier to use. You can get everything you have with Wins/Loss/GBL by simply posting Games Played and Points.

 

[Tawnos]

Just my opinion..... Points are much easier to use. You can get everything you have with Wins/Loss/GBL by simply posting Games Played and Points.

The point of standings are not for you to have to figure it out yourself. They're to make an "at-a-glance" table showing you which team has the best record.

 

[Benji Frank]

I would assume that they're keeping the OTL point, so that's one reason.

From what i understand, they're scrapping that too. In the new NHL, they want teams to play to win, not to play not to lose. At one point, I thought there were even rumours of 3 points for a reg. time win and only 2 for an OT win.... Without the opportunity of an OTL point, you won't see teams going into a shell in the last 60 minutes of a hockey game hoping to force OT!! The drawback here might be that teams will go into a shell and hope to win the shootout, should the league go that route.....

 

[norrisnick]

The point of standings are not for you to have to figure it out yourself. They're to make an "at-a-glance" table showing you which team has the best record.

And "at-a-glance" the team with the most points is ahead. Being on pace to be better doesn't matter if it never happens so why worry about it until it actually does?

 

[davemess]

They're to make an "at-a-glance" table showing you which team has the best record.

Thats not what a table is to me..... a table should provide all the required information with as few figures as is possible.

Just about every other league in every other sport in the world uses a point based system without people getting confused over who has the best record.

 

[Tawnos]

And "at-a-glance" the team with the most points is ahead. Being on pace to be better doesn't matter if it never happens so why worry about it until it actually does?

Because the pace is more pertinent than the actual number. Simply put, at the end of the year in terms of standings, does the team with the .515 win% beat the team with the .500 win%? Yes, as long as all wins count the same and all losses count the same and there are no ties. Therefore, why should the team with a .500 win% be ahead of the team with a .515 win% in the middle of the season?

 

[Tawnos]

Thats not what a table is to me..... a table should provide all the required information with as few figures as is possible.

Just about every other league in every other sport in the world uses a point based system without people getting confused over who has the best record.

This isn't a matter of confusion. It's a matter of logic.

Every other league in every other sport? Back that up. And please refrain from using any examples that include ties, or different sets of points for different kinds of wins... and refrain from using any sport that doesn't have a win-loss record (i.e. golf)

 

[HockeyCritter]

I would assume that they're keeping the OTL point, so that's one reason.

I hate the OTL point ----- the only sport with THREE columns to record a loss.

 

[AdmiralPred]

What is so bad about ties?

Should wins and losses be weighted creating 4 columns or more in the standings?

Would having several tiers of overtime take away from the essence of the sport? The basic premise that 5 skaters + 1 goalie play against 5 skaters + 1 goalie to try and win a contest?

 

[norrisnick]

Because the pace is more pertinent than the actual number. Simply put, at the end of the year in terms of standings, does the team with the .515 win% beat the team with the .500 win%? Yes, as long as all wins count the same and all losses count the same and there are no ties. Therefore, why should the team with a .500 win% be ahead of the team with a .515 win% in the middle of the season?

At the end of a season would the team with fewer points beat the team with more points? No, as long as all wins count the same and all losses count the same and there are no ties. Therefore, why should the team with fewer points be ahead of a team with more points in the middle of the season?

 

[p.l.f.]

imagine
a hard fought 0-0 tie

then it takes a a silly 3 on 3 ot goal to decide it
advantage to the team with hired gun snipers - ala colorado over nashville etc.

you have to have 1 pt if you lose in overtime - you earned it

just call it a tie for your record
not an overtime loss point - never understood that

 

[davemess]

Therefore, why should the team with a .500 win% be ahead of the team with a .515 win% in the middle of the season?

Because they have won more games at that point?

With a Points system teams start and zero and progress forward with every win.

With a Games behind system teams start at 100% and progress backwards with every loss.

 

[Captain Ron]

I absolutely hate ties. I would love if the NHL adopted an MLB rule. Keep playing until someone wins. I know this will probably never happen but they use it in the playoffs and who doesn't love seeing a goal in triple OT.I think it is one of the most exciting moments in sports.