Is the Myth That the West Is Bigger, Meaner and Better Than the East Finally Dead?

[PuckSeparator]

There used to be a time not that long ago where many people thought that the west was much bigger, way more physical and just overall better compared to the East, but that myth doesn't seem to get propagated as much anymore.

With teams like Columbus and Washington in the East, the big-ness to go with skill is well represented in the East. On the other side of the spectrum, the Calgary Flames have a diminutive dynamo as their most important player, reminiscent of the circa 2010 Gionta-led Canadiens.

So has the East finally got the respect that it deserves and with wins by the Penguins and Capitals, the myth that eveerything is bigger and better in the West been put to rest?

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[DearDiary]

There's 31 teams in the league

 

[SniperHF]

I don't think it was a myth so much as it was true and now it's less true.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

The East has won the last 3 cups.

 

[PrototypeX85]

It wasn't a myth until a few years ago.

 

[rmthomson21]

There used to be a time not that long ago where many people thought that the west was much bigger, way more physical and just overall better compared to the East, but that myth doesn't seem to get propagated as much anymore.

With teams like Columbus and Washington in the East, the big-ness to go with skill is well represented in the East. On the other side of the spectrum, the Calgary Flames have a diminutive dynamo as their most important player, reminiscent of the circa 2010 Gionta-led Canadiens.

So has the East finally got the respect that it deserves and with wins by the Penguins and Capitals, the myth that eveerything is bigger and better in the West been put to rest?

Yeah, it was true for a long time. It's not really true now.

 

[member 151739]

If by myth you mean unequivocally true and now the pendulum has swung the other way, then yes.

 

[Alwalys]

Weird flex after 2 east powerhouses got swept. It's still pretty true but the game doesn't favor heavy play as much anymore. Rosters are in transition.

 

[SnizzNasty88]

It has been dead for a long time.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

When's the last time the west won the cup... Cool thanks

 

[saintunspecified]

East has many more talented players right now.

 

[TSA0402]

Lucic is bigger and meaner, how is that working out for him these days?

 

[Saitama]

It's almost as if the rosters aren't locked forever and things can change from year to year!

 

[Dr Robot]

As Doug Armstrong the blues GM says, its a copycat league. Teams will always copy whats succesful. For a long time it was big physical teams that could play a heavy cycle. Then more speed started entering the league and teams were having success with that. The west stayed big and physical for a long time because that's what they had to deal with for most of the season. As more teams transitioned to speed based attacks, so did the rest of the West. Also I don't see how a few specific teams winning a cup define the entire conference.

 

[Mattb124]

A team can be bigger and meaner and not win the cup.

How are the Flames doing so far this post season?

Did you have a cohesive point to make?

 

[lostinwarsaw]

A team can be bigger and meaner and not win the cup.

How are the Flames doing so far this post season?

Did you have a cohesive point to make?

Since when are the flames big and mean? There best player is the size of a peanut. Maybe Tkachuk but that’s about it.

 

[DaveG]

I mean bigger and meaner? Yeah that was definitely a thing for a bit.

but better? when was that ever REALLY a thing? Definitely not in the cap era, maybe pre-cap when teams like Detroit, Colorado, the Rangers, and Toronto were each spending the GDP of Pelau, but there was a huge difference in the quality of players the western spenders were getting compared to the eastern ones.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Just because it's not true any more, doesn't mean it was a myth in the past.

 

[one2gamble]

The East has won the last 3 cups.

Because the myth was true

 

[HanSolo]

I just want to know how many times we need to have this same exact discussion this season.

No one is saying this anymore and haven't in a long time.

 

[kudymen]

May have been like this in the past, might not be like this anymore. Reality evolving and shifting doesnt really make it myth.

 

[RickyHP]

A team can be bigger and meaner and not win the cup.

How are the Flames doing so far this post season?

Did you have a cohesive point to make?

flames? big? lol

 

[BlueDream]

The West was better when Chicago and LA were taking turns winning.

Question: why are so many fans of Eastern Conference teams so insecure about this?

Now they make tons of threads trying to remind us “the West suckz!!”

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Now that Tampa’s gone I have idea how you make that statement. The Bruins are the only team I fear more than SJ/NSH

 

[Viqsi]

With teams like Columbus and Washington in the East, the big-ness to go with skill is well represented in the East. On the other side of the spectrum, the Calgary Flames have a diminutive dynamo as their most important player, reminiscent of the circa 2010 Gionta-led Canadiens.

Since when are the flames big and mean? There best player is the size of a peanut. Maybe Tkachuk but that’s about it.

The two top scoring forwards on the Jackets are 5'11"/168lb Artemi Panarin and 5'8"/179lb Cam Atkinson.

Johnny Gaudreau's existence does not automatically make the Flames a "small team".