West is not best

Cynick

Know-Nothing
Dec 24, 2008
3,727
453
Toronto
I wonder if Dallas and Colorado would have more points if they got to play Ottawa, Buffalo, and Detroit 4 times each year.

Sick of this narrative. Those are 24 easy points for any Atlantic team.

The season series between Dallas and Ottawa is: 1-1.
The season series between Colorado and Ottawa is: 1-1.

Maybe those 24 points aren't so easy after all. Unless you're Boston.
 

TomasHertlsRooster

Don’t say eye test when you mean points
May 14, 2012
33,360
25,417
Fremont, CA
Assuming Chicago at least makes it to overtime in one of their remaining 4 games, every team in the Central will finish the season with at least 80 points. The Atlantic has 3 that can't make 80, and 1 of them won't make it to 70 points.

The worst goal diff in the Central is -24. Every other division has at least one team that is -50 in goal diff, with 2 divisions having 2 teams.

Tampa only had 7 wins in 14 games against the Central (7-4-3), and went 11-4-1 against the Pacific. They went 20-4-0 against the Atlantic, and 21-3-0 against the Metro.

I think it's safe to say that the Central is still the best division, from top to bottom. We beat each other up, and don't just let one team have all the points. That's how we explain the lower point totals.

I think the Central is definitely the most balanced division, but their best teams are not as good as the best teams in the other 3 divisions.
 

Kamiccolo

Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.
Aug 30, 2011
26,828
16,944
Undisclosed research facility
I think its exactly the opposite. Critics usually say X team isn't as good as you think it is because they regularly play against weaker competition. Fans don't brag about their team by saying their team if good but they would be better if they played in a different division or conference. Its only critics that say that because they're searching for arguments to prove X team isn't very good.

It can be both tbh...

"Division x is a bloodbath"
 

IWantSakicAsMyGM

Registered User
Oct 13, 2011
9,718
3,934
Colorado
I think the Central is definitely the most balanced division, but their best teams are not as good as the best teams in the other 3 divisions.

Depends on how you judge them. They didn't put up as many regular season points, but I don't think anyone is really looking forward to a 7 game series against the Jets, Preds or Blues. I'm actually happy the Avs are probably going to play Calgary.
 
Jan 3, 2012
27,085
983
This has to be the first time I've ever seen anyone say "I hate this team, but they should be in the playoffs"
 

OvermanKingGainer

#BennettFreed #CurseofTheSpulll #FreeOliver
Feb 3, 2015
16,133
7,107
2022 Cup to Calgary
Tampa
Record Pts Pace
Vs East41-7-0140
Vs West18-8-4109
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Calgary
RecordPts Pace
Vs East21-7-4118
Vs West28-16-3103
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Boston
RecordPts Pace
Vs East28-18-498
Vs West19-5-5122
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Interesting that the top three teams in the league have such wild swings in their VS conference records.
 
Last edited:

AKL

Danila Yurov Fan Club President
Sponsor
Dec 10, 2012
39,500
17,967
I guess when you have enough teams picking top 5 or so every year they're bound to get good eventually
 

TomasHertlsRooster

Don’t say eye test when you mean points
May 14, 2012
33,360
25,417
Fremont, CA
Depends on how you judge them. They didn't put up as many regular season points, but I don't think anyone is really looking forward to a 7 game series against the Jets, Preds or Blues. I'm actually happy the Avs are probably going to play Calgary.

I actually think the Blues and Stars are the two most dangerous teams in that conference and I don’t see any of them as Cup Contenders.
 

tntkid

Fire Maurice & Chevy
Nov 27, 2011
9,504
9,856
Winnipeg, Manitoba
The West is just having a weak year and saving it all for the playoffs.
:thumbu:

hD3D196FD
 

Dbrownss

Registered User
Jan 5, 2014
31,359
8,734
As a Montreal fan I'm not gonna whine about it. We'd get creamed in the first round anyways. Better off getting another good player in the draft.
It would be good to see the non playoff teams that busted their butts all season get rewarded with a lottery pick. Montreal was one hell of a surprise this year.
 

Danrs112

Registered User
Oct 19, 2017
946
1,230
I know it sucks if your team misses because of it but what can you do? Go with 1-16 in the playoffs? That would be dumb until travel times can be cut in half.

You could make the 2nd wild card spot in each conference decided by points ignoring conference.

1st highest gets to play in their own conference and next has to play in conference opposite of #1. Just like they do now in case both wc teams from same division.

Currently would just mean Montreal in on Western Conf as 2nd WC and Avs are out.

Not advocating for it... just tossing it out there.
 

hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,757
1,256
Canada
This has to be the first time I've ever seen anyone say "I hate this team, but they should be in the playoffs"
Ironically I'm a Leaf's fan and hate the Habs, but you can't dispute that any team with fewer points should make the playoffs over a team with more points. The playoff format is flawed, it reminds me of the 87 Blue Jays, they had the 2nd best record in MLB and missed the playoffs. Something needs to be done to stop weaker teams getting in over stronger teams. Also 1st round 2nd and 3rd place teams shouldn't play each other, how is that logical?
 

Thenameless

Registered User
Apr 29, 2014
3,854
1,788
It would be good to see the non playoff teams that busted their butts all season get rewarded with a lottery pick. Montreal was one hell of a surprise this year.

Yes, unfortunately, middle of the pack on the slightly lower side is one of the worst places to be in professional team sports. You have almost no chance in the first round against the best team or just miss the playoffs, and you never end up with the game changing draft picks.
 

Gnova

CowboysR^2
Sep 6, 2011
9,371
3,370
Jetland
You could make the 2nd wild card spot in each conference decided by points ignoring conference.

1st highest gets to play in their own conference and next has to play in conference opposite of #1. Just like they do now in case both wc teams from same division.

Currently would just mean Montreal in on Western Conf as 2nd WC and Avs are out.

Not advocating for it... just tossing it out there.

So the prize Calgary would get for finishing first in the west is to play a EST series in the first round?

In the western conference it is awful that the winner may have to play another team.in the west.
 

Capitals40

Registered User
Nov 14, 2014
4,071
1,518
Summerville, SC
NHL Network has not said which Conference is the best..which means the East is the best. Their war drums beating for the West have stopped..2 years too late but they finally stopped.
 

M88K

irreverent
May 24, 2014
9,062
7,009
West Record vs East
229-247
Avg of 15.2 wins per team (West)
Avg of 15.4 wins per team (East)

Razor thin margin.

Broken down by Division
East team record against the Central
104-116

East Team Record against the Pacific(LA 2-11-3 vs Atlantic, Van 4-11-1 vs Metro)
143-113

The east appears Significantly better because they have more bad teams to beat up.
 

Bounces R Way

Registered User
Nov 18, 2013
33,475
52,663
Weegartown
Do people really get conference insecurity? Like, there's seriously no way that's a real thing. Especially in the era of the loser point.

Headline: Group of sports teams marginally better than another group of sports teams, finally reaffirming the paradigm of what is largely inconsequential and arbitrary competition. Small group of people take unjust pride in other's accomplishment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobbydigital

Hatter of the Beach

I’m the real hero
Jun 26, 2017
3,197
3,683
Parkland Estates, Florida
Lol at people mentioning the Atlantics weak teams but forgetting that Phoenix’s AHL team is in a playoff spot.

If the Kings, Ducks, Oilers, or Nucks were in the Atlantic they’d likely all be worse record wise than everyone but Ottawa.

The East has the best contenders and has had them for 3 years now. The West had an expansion team run through their best in the playoffs last year. I am not being facetious when I say I legitimately believe that the GK would have lost to Pittsburgh, Tampa, Boston, Toronto and probably Columbus last year. I just dont see a scenario where they’d beat any of them. West was best for a long time but the East is objectively better by the West now, and it’s not really close. They win more head to heads and have many more top teams.
 

illpucks

Registered User
May 26, 2011
20,525
4,971
I'm not a habs fan, in fact I hate them, but you have to feel bad that teams in the west like Colorado with 85 points and Dallas with 89 points are in a playoff spot and Montreal with 92 points isn't. What has happened in the last few years? The West used to brag they were the best, well that is over.
Speed over the gritty NHL. Teams like the Kings use to win cups. Now it's about speed speed and speed. The West was always slow and that didn't matter because in the playoffs it was about grit but that's not really how it is now. It's about speed before anything else and you can thank the 2015-2016 Penguins for that. They started this high speed NHL.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->