There are currently only 5 teams below .500

[Frank Drebin]

My deal is that the NHL point system keeps point total systems artificially close while making it very difficult for teams to close that supposedly close gap.

I don't think they're artificially close, but bad teams can rack up points easier than they used to.

It would be interesting to run some numbers on the actual point % differential between teams before and after the loser point. I think we'd be surprised at the results.

 

[Moregoalspls]

Over .500 is just business and its smart. It gives the illusion that some bubble teams are better than they are, catering to there market. And sometimes those bubble teams make it. Everything is about money.

 

[Rubi]

I don't think they're artificially close, but bad teams can rack up points easier than they used to.

It would be interesting to run some numbers on the actual point % differential between teams before and after the loser point. I think we'd be surprised at the results.

Last year I did an exercise at the end of the season where I assigned every regulation time win 3 points, every OT win 2 points, and every OT loss 1 point.
After all was said and done only one team that made it into the playoffs under the current pts system, didn't under mine. Not much changed. I was surprised.

 

[Yossarian54]

I think someone did an analysis on the by the numbers board a while back... In the OT/SO era, ~0.565 is actually about where the break-even point is, which is 92-93 points over a full season.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I think someone did an analysis on the by the numbers board a while back... In the OT/SO era, ~0.565 is actually about where the break-even point is, which is 92-93 points over a full season.

So its pretty much perception vs actual parity.

 

[Rubi]

Right now there are 10 teams in the league who are either 1 pt above .500, at .500, or 1 pt below .500

 

[Frank Drebin]

Last year I did an exercise at the end of the season where I assigned every regulation time win 3 points, every OT win 2 points, and every OT loss 1 point.
After all was said and done only one team that made it into the playoffs under the current pts system, didn't under mine. Not much changed. I was surprised.

I don't think much changes if you go back to the traditional point system, maybe good shootout teams get penalized and poor shootout teams get rewarded, but generally the top 16 teams make the playoffs no matter the point system.