What is hockey's equivalent of a 20 point lead in the NBA?

[MarkusKetterer]

Puck drop against the Sabres

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I mean people like you are probably what drive other NBA fans transitioning into NHL away from that. Yeah I'm genuinely getting into hockey watching. Also, if you think I troll, I bet you haven't seen most other topics posted here.

We’re rather cynical here. But don’t take any offense to it. Troll threads get made a lot on here, so it’s only natural to wonder.

I’d say an equivalent would be a 3 goal lead. It’s not insurmountable, but it seems like a big lead. Whereas I’ve seen a two goal lead vanish in just under a minute in hockey.

 

[HisIceness]

3 goal lead.

 

[Fantomas]

Probably about 2.5 goals lead.

That's the absolute worst lead to have. 2.5 goals.

 

[cupface52]

It's hard to compare because in basketball, you trade possessions, while in hockey you don't.

Not scoring a goal for an entire period happens pretty much every single game. How often do teams combine for less than 20 points in a quarter?

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

4 goal lead

 

[Bondurant]

I mean people like you are probably what drive other NBA fans transitioning into NHL away from that. Yeah I'm genuinely getting into hockey watching. Also, if you think I troll, I bet you haven't seen most other topics posted here.

Calling out someone that has posted here for almost 20 years and challenging their knowledge of the forum while you are posting about Steve Dangle's kid playing in the NHL lends credence to suspicions.

 

[thrillhous]

There is no equivalent. In basketball you are guaranteed to score points, the question is how many vs how many the other team gets in that period of time. Whereas in hockey there is no guarantee you will ever get a goal, even if you dominate a game. Goaltenders are a huge difference and what makes it fundamentally different.

 

[Hellraising Senator]

Calling out someone that has posted here for almost 20 years and challenging their knowledge of the forum while you are posting about Steve Dangle's kid playing in the NHL lends credence to suspicions.

This is an awful take on his response. But ok.

To OP original question, 3 goals. If you bet pre game, on bball and your team goes up 20. It's cashed. In hockey team goes up 3. It's cashed. On bet365 that is

 

[Sykur]

I've thought of this often, because I watch both sports.

The formula I came up with is 1 basket in basketball (ie: 1-3 points) == 1 goal in hockey, and then each 7 additional points on top of that is another goal. So it would be:

1 pt = 1 goal
8 pts = 2 goals
15 pts = 3 goals
22 pts = 4 goals
29 pts = 5 goals

And so on. When the US Dream Team beat Angola in 1992 by a score of 116-48, that was the equivalent of Canada beating a scrub hockey country 11-1 (which has happened on occasion).

To answer the OP's question: A 20 point lead in basketball is equivalent to a 3 goal lead in hockey, but a 22 point lead in basketball is equivalent to a 4 goal lead. So it's close to being almost insurmountable, but miracle comebacks have happened.

The infamous Miracle on Manchester in 1982, where the LA Kings came back from down 5-0 to beat Gretzky's Oilers 6-5 in OT, with all 5 goals coming in the third period, would be like an NBA team coming back from a 30 point deficit in the 4th quarter -- just an insane run, everyone hitting their groove at once, maybe one guy nailing like 6 threes in a row, their opponents use all their TOs to cool them off but nothing works, and they tie the game on the last basket to send it to OT, and then win it in OT by one or two baskets.

I mean that's incredibly improbable. But it is possible.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Puck drop against the Sabres

 

[Machinehead]

It's impossible to compare hockey to a sport with that many scoring events

 

[IdontSpitOnTheIce]

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