Tough life in the Metropolitan division

[MSSLYNX]

Horrible playoff formats.

It's like the league learned nothing from neither the Patrick Division nor Norris Division in the 80s. Always love that 1987-88 season where the Penguins had 29 more points than the Maple Leafs, yet the Leafs were the one that went to the playoffs. Good times.

Just the fact that the conference do not have same number of teams is idiotic. That one more team does make quite a difference.
Of course at some point one division will become the strongest but the nfl wildcard system although not perfect is better. Not sure how i would fix the nhl's system.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

The Central has become a better division, based on points.

The LAST place team in the Central would be the 8 seed in the East.

 

[MSSLYNX]

The Central has become a better division, based on points.

The LAST place team in the Central would be the 8 seed in the East.

Yes but with an unbalanced schedule if lets say the Pacific is way worse than the Atlantic it is not being fair.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Regulation records and standings based on points%:

1. Washington, 19-14-12
2. New Jersey, 16-12-14
3. Philadelphia, 18-15-10
4. Carolina, 15-16-13
5. NY Rangers, 14-16-13
6. NY Islanders, 15-18-11
7. Columbus, 14-18-14
8. Pittsburgh, 14-19-12

Columbus with 11 points after regulation, and Pittsburgh with 9. Washington has 9 too, but they're doing alright without those extra points.

Horrible playoff formats.

It's like the league learned nothing from neither the Patrick Division nor Norris Division in the 80s. Always love that 1987-88 season where the Penguins had 29 more points than the Maple Leafs, yet the Leafs were the one that went to the playoffs. Good times.

The Leafs were in the other conference. I'm sure some Patrick team could've traded division spots with Toronto back then if they wanted to, but that would've meant being in a conference with 4 time zones. Even though Pittsburgh wasn't in the top 8 in the East in 87-88, blame Hartford more than Toronto for taking a spot away from the Pens.

Or, could've had a league wide playoff, but they went to the 80's divisions that we know after having a league wide playoff for a couple years. The Islanders and Canadiens played the Oilers in early rounds. LA/NYR, LA/Bos, LA/NYI, LA/Tor happened. Vancouver and Buffalo happened. Flyers and Flames, after they moved to Calgary.

If eastern teams were willing to do that, I'm sure the league would do it. Good luck with that though.

Just the fact that the conference do not have same number of teams is idiotic. That one more team does make quite a difference.
Of course at some point one division will become the strongest but the nfl wildcard system although not perfect is better. Not sure how i would fix the nhl's system.

Since 7pm in Detroit and Columbus is the same 7pm in any eastern city, any eastern team could've taken their place in the West. None of them stepped up to take one for the good of the group, for the integrity of the league, for the spirit of competition, so you get unbalanced conferences.

 

[MSSLYNX]

Since 7pm in Detroit and Columbus is the same 7pm in any eastern city, any eastern team could've taken their place in the West. None of them stepped up to take one for the good of the group, for the integrity of the league, for the spirit of competition, so you get unbalanced conferences.

All you are saying makes perfect sense but not sure i get how eastern teams should have volunteered to go west (makes no business sense whatsoever) in a 31-team league.

I am all for parity.

Last year's Atlantic is a perfect example. Mtl gets the division but would have been 4th in the Metro. Plus 2 and 3 in the Atlantic get to play together as a bonus. Maybe a little change without talking tome zones could add logic to this situation.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

Hats off to the Caps. Every reason to possibly suck this year and there they are. Right at the top of the division again. Hats off.

They're probably benefiting from lowered expectations.

 

[Sam Spade]

(Pumping own tires) except for, y'know, the Flyers, who are 12-5-1 since December 1st.

I am starting to think the Flyers are going to make it, taking out either the Jackets or Devils.

So I have:

Pens
Caps
Flyers
Rangers
Devils (because of games in hand)

Isles D and tending is just not good enough, Canes just can't seem to get their act together, and something (injuries?) is up in Columbus. Jackets probably make it in but as of today I'm saying they fall out.

 

[135ace]

New Jersey

42

22

12

8

52

19

3

4

12-6-3

10-6-5

133

130

+3

4-3-3

Lost 6

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

They are still making the playoffs however.

It's a tight race that's for sure. The only saving grace about the last 6 has been that Columbus has struggled mightily and we have a bunch of games in hand. We also haven't played that badly... 2 games we deserved to lose (vs Caps and Philly), 2 we really should have won, but stupid mistakes and bad coaching sunk us (vs NYI and Dallas) and then we have the other 2 where the refs absolutely screwed us (vs Buff and STL).

 

[Rich Nixon]

The shootout has always been a minor travesty, but it's more pronounced with a division that is this tight. I don't think the Jackets are better than the Penguins and Flyers, and I am not so sure the Devils are either.

I mean, there's a pretty clear divide between the teams in 2nd/3rd/4th and the teams in 5th/6th/7th...the former 3 teams (NJ/CBJ/NYR) have been in 22 shootouts combined, the latter 3 (PIT/PHI/NYI) have combined for 10. The lower seeds have played 1 more game combined and have 2 more ROW.

So the standings don't really tell us much at this point, except that the Capitals are the best team in the division. Everyone else is at square 1. I honestly think it'll be Penguins and Flyers settling into 2 and 3, with Rangers and Jackets eating the East's two WC spots.

 

[KingsFan7824]

All you are saying makes perfect sense but not sure i get how eastern teams should have volunteered to go west (makes no business sense whatsoever) in a 31-team league.

I am all for parity.

Last year's Atlantic is a perfect example. Mtl gets the division but would have been 4th in the Metro. Plus 2 and 3 in the Atlantic get to play together as a bonus. Maybe a little change without talking tome zones could add logic to this situation.

The league realigned before Vegas showed up. Before anyone was seriously talking about a team in Vegas. The original realignment plan had Detroit and Columbus remaining in an 8 team Central division, as long as the playoffs were top 4 like the 80's, but then people started talking about the 5th place team vs a 4th place team for playoff spots, and that's how the East ended up with more teams. They couldn't figure out who to screw over between Detroit or Columbus in leaving them in the West, so here we are. No other team would take their place, even thought Det and Clb had to put up with their alignment for over a decade, but nobody did. Nor should they have.

My out of the box thought is that there's no reason the East needs to be anything but a straight 1-8. The East is easy. There are no travel or time zone issues. The West is a different story, and in my thinking, should be able to have a different alignment and playoff format from the East if they so choose. One size must fit all though, and the West was a mess in the previous alignment, and so the East gets to suffer this time until the next round of change. And for those Central division fans that hope for a 1-8 playoff format so that all the great teams in the Central can make the playoffs, talk to your favorite team's front office. They pushed pretty hard for the new setup.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

All i know is, any Metro team making the playoffs is going to be dangerous in the playoffs, because the ones who make it are forced to get hot and stay hot down the stretch.

Tampa will have their hands full with any WC team, especially if they coast down the stretch because there's no playoff race in the Atlantic.

Tampa is going clinch early I imagine. Funny how 3 of the top 4 Eastern Conference teams are all Atlantic.

 

[MSSLYNX]

Tampa is going clinch early I imagine. Funny how 3 of the top 4 Eastern Conference teams are all Atlantic.

As funny as the last 5 from the Conference from the Atlantic, the only 5 teams who are away from the pack. My joke will not change tomorrow, yours might since Bos-Tor are in same ballpark as Col-NJ.

Wildcard will have 2 metros. Maybe i read you wrong.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

As funny as the last 5 from the Conference from the Atlantic, the only 5 teams who are away from the pack. My joke will not change tomorrow, yours might since Bos-Tor are in same ballpark as Col-NJ.

Wildcard will have 2 metros. Maybe i read you wrong.

Saying the Atlantic is a joke is false when ppl ignore 3 of the top 4 are from them, that is my point. Proper way is to say it is the bottom 5 of the Atlantic are bad. Or is it the metro is just mediocre, other then the Caps. The Rangers and Pens are 6 pts behind Boston and the Bruins have 2 and 4 games in hand and the ROW tie breaker should fall to them if they win those games in hand.They already have it over everyone except the Caps and are tied with the Pens in the ROW.

Perhaps those teams catch the Leafs. Bruins are looking at taking over the Caps or Jets if everything goes well and be top 5 in the league, they are 6th right now. Columbus are 2 behind the Bruins and played 5 more games, maybe that was the joke. Devils are closer in perspective. Caps are the only team in the Metro that may make noise. It is far fetched but the Bruins are 10 behind Tampa with 3 games in hand and they play each other 2 more times. With Hedman out 4 to 6 weeks it should be interesting. The Metro should have 5 teams in that is a given, unless something crazy happens.

 

[Square Hammer*]

As funny as the last 5 from the Conference from the Atlantic, the only 5 teams who are away from the pack. My joke will not change tomorrow, yours might since Bos-Tor are in same ballpark as Col-NJ.

Wildcard will have 2 metros. Maybe i read you wrong.

The same Columbus that’s two points behind the Bruins despite playing five more games?

 

[Rebels57]

NJ is going to end up missing.

You heard it here first.

 

[Rebels57]

Tampa is going clinch early I imagine. Funny how 3 of the top 4 Eastern Conference teams are all Atlantic.

Helps that they get to beat up on the garbage teams in the Atlantic.

 

[MSSLYNX]

The same Columbus that’s two points behind the Bruins despite playing five more games?

You cant see these tier1: wash- tb, tier 2 6 metro and 2 atlantic and tier 3: 5 atlantic.
Thats what i am seeing. Predicting 5 metro in playoffs since i am a genius.
Cherry pick one team over any other tier 2 for all i care.

 

[Square Hammer*]

Helps that they get to beat up on the garbage teams in the Atlantic.

Don’t they only get one more game each vs those teams than the Metro division?

 

[KingsFan7824]

The difference in points% from last year to this year.

NJ, +.192
Phi, +.022
Car, +.015
NYI, -.028
NYR, -.052
Was, .-065
Clb, .-082
Pit, -.133

TB, +.166
Bos, +.092
Tor, +.010
Det, +.006
Fla, -.006
Buf, -.124
Ott, -.134
Mtl, -.151

Imperfect, and nothing earth shattering, but an interesting snapshot.

The massive rise of NJ in the Metro. All the bottom teams from the Metro last year have increased their % so far, while the top of the division last year have decreased, but they had further to fall after putting up so many points last year. Pittsburgh being way off the mark.

People figured TB to be good, so their improvement isn't a surprise. Detroit and Florida are marginally better/worse, but they weren't good last year either. The bottom has fallen out from Buffalo, which already finished last last year. As down as Pittsburgh has been, the Atlantic has 2 teams in the same position, but Ottawa and Montreal don't seem like a threat to turn it around.

 

[drw02]

Meh. Central > Metro

 

[Bladerunner]

Meh. Central > Metro

Not by much, and an added 8th Central team would most likely be weak so you'd have Metro = Central, the top two divisions.

 

[Bladerunner]

NYI beating NYR and Philly over NJD really tightened up the Metro that much more. 1 pt separates the last five in the Metro battling for both WC spots.

NJ isn't in bad shape although they've been in a bit of a slump. They're a second best +10 (Pts-GP) in the Metro.
It's so close that a key injury to the top three in the Metro could have any of them battling for a WC spot.

Except for who will have round 1 home ice between Bs, Leafs, the Atlantic was settled before US Thanksgiving

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Meh. Central > Metro

Central has a lot of solid teams, but none that are truly great. I'd be surprised if a central team won the cup.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

You know the Pens are back when they seem to have no problem coming back against pretty good teams lately. That's the Pens i know. Suddenly they look energized.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

You know the Pens are back when they seem to have no problem coming back against pretty good teams lately. That's the Pens i know. Suddenly they look energized.

Yea the pens have done a 180 over the past two weeks. I've gone from thinking they might not have it this year to expecting to finish 2nd in the metro and gearing up for another run. The cup hangover was real and brutal this year.