41 replies to this topic

[alienanxiety]

For all of Bettman's desire to have NHL teams playing at parity in the post-cap world, and for all the 3 point games this year that helped inflate point totals around the league, the NHL is still very imbalanced. All we have to do is look at these playoffs. In the West the top 2 seeds have made it where they are suppose to have, the semi finals, while in the east you have two teams left in Philly ad Montreal that are so awful they would have been 12 and 13 seeds in the West. While some might say that having them make it this far shows parity (personally I think it shows PARODY), but all it proves to me is that the East is terrible. There is a awful imbalance between the two conferences. In fact, 4 of the 8 eastern playoff teams would have finished behind Colorado for the 8th seed. how crazy is that? It only further pushes the idea that playoffs should be seeded 1-16, regardless of conference. Would have been a very different playoffs this year:

Washington/Calgary
San Jose/St. Louis
Chicago/Boston
Phoenix/Ottawa
Vancouver/Colorado
New Jersey/Buffalo
Detroit/Nashville
Pittsburgh/Los Angeles

notice that the two eastern conference finalists are not even in the playoffs! no wonder this league isn't taken seriously sometimes.

Edited by alienanxiety, 15 May 2010 - 10:09 AM.

[PROBIE4PREZ]

pretty much a guarentee the cup is coming to the West .. and both teams ... actually all 4 team make me want to vomit in my mouth

[ben_usmc]

considering the 7/8 seeds in the east are in the finals doesn't that prove there's parity. But you are right about where these teams would finish in the west, because it's kind of buls*** how pathetic the east is compared to the west.

[alienanxiety]

considering the 7/8 seeds in the east are in the finals doesn't that prove there's parity. But you are right about where these teams would finish in the west, because it's kind of buls*** how pathetic the east is compared to the west.

right I am saying there is NOT parity. It's way too imbalanced. I'd be pissed if I was a fan of one of the 3 western teams that finished with higher point totals than the stanley cup semi-finalists.

[hardcoretom21]

Have you guys noticed....At least one team from the past 2 Winter Classic games have made it to the final (Pittsburgh and Detroit), and now Philly can reach the final as well??

[ben_usmc]

right I am saying there is NOT parity. It's way too imbalanced. I'd be pissed if I was a fan of one of the 3 western teams that finished with higher point totals than the stanley cup semi-finalists.

but that's between eastern and western. I think parity is true within each conference, the west/east really didn't have any give me wins. It's just comparing conferences that the lack of parity is around. It does piss me off knowing how tough the west has it compared to what Pitt. and Was. should have had. Imagine if we got to play in the East we could roll in all thef****** SC we would have.

[Doc Holliday]

I'm curious how there is no parity and how easy the conference is for teams like Pittsburgh and Washington when they were both ousted by an 8th seed.

These playoffs show that just about any seed can make it out of their conference.

[Swayze]

If Washington had to fly all the way to Calgary in the first round, they'd have a s***-fit. Let it stay the way it is, if you're not good enough to make your conference, you're not good enough to win the cup.

[vangvace]

lol, NFL goes through the same s*** with their playoffs as does just about every other league in NA.

[Red Storm]

I'm curious how there is no parity and how easy the conference is for teams like Pittsburgh and Washington when they were both ousted by an 8th seed.

These playoffs show that just about any seed can make it out of their conference.

But doesn't it have to do with the whole meaningless 80 game season where there's hardly any real rivalry going on anymore. So if your a team like Montreal who had a mediocre season but just barely gets in to the playoffs and then manage to knock off the number one seed like Washington; that by the way Montreal had good success against during the season - then your laughing with no pressure cuz no one exspected you to do anything. Can you imagine their ownership as each playoff win has them laughing all the way to the bank. So in sum finishing first amounts to what home ice, not much of an advantage condidering what's gone on in these playoffs . At minumum something has to be changed in the playoff structure so that excellence in the regular season is given proper recognition.

[Doc Holliday]

But doesn't it have to do with the whole meaningless 80 game season where there's hardly any real rivalry going on anymore. So if your a team like Montreal who had a mediocre season but just barely gets in to the playoffs and then manage to knock off the number one seed like Washington; that by the way Montreal had good success against during the season - then your laughing with no pressure cuz no one exspected you to do anything. Can you imagine their ownership as each playoff win has them laughing all the way to the bank. So in sum finishing first amounts to what home ice, not much of an advantage condidering what's gone on in these playoffs . At minumum something has to be changed in the playoff structure so that excellence in the regular season is given proper recognition.

Word salad for the win.

[vangvace]

But doesn't it have to do with the whole meaningless 80 game season where there's hardly any real rivalry going on anymore. So if your a team like Montreal who had a mediocre season but just barely gets in to the playoffs and then manage to knock off the number one seed like Washington; that by the way Montreal had good success against during the season - then your laughing with no pressure cuz no one exspected you to do anything. Can you imagine their ownership as each playoff win has them laughing all the way to the bank. So in sum finishing first amounts to what home ice, not much of an advantage condidering what's gone on in these playoffs . At minumum something has to be changed in the playoff structure so that excellence in the regular season is given proper recognition.

So... less teams in the playoffs? That way only the exceptional survive?

fwiw, I miss when the first round was a divisional opponent for rivalry purposes.

[zettie85]

Don't talk unless the West sweeps the East in the finals. Montreal and Philly are playing good enough hockey to beat the Hawks or the Sharks. Don't take that away from them because they just made into the playoffs in the East. Montreal took out 2 very good teams and I wouldn't be surprised to see them beat the West if they can get past Philly. Same goes for Philly. They are getting through with goaltending from career back ups. They are playing good don't take that away from them.

[martyrme19]

I mean, I completely disagree with this post. Trying to accomplish parity has nothing to do with east coast vs west coast. I mean, that makes no logical sense. Accomplishing parity is a means of having smaller market teams compete with bigger market teams and also so you dont have a small handfull of teams always winning (Det, Col, Dal, NJ etc...).

The fact that the eastern conference has *seemingly* been the weaker conference of late is probably only a coincidence. Especially when you consider the fact that the east coast teams have a stronger fan base that would logically result in more profit for the teams resulting in more success.

I think parity has been accomplished. Every year you see upsets. And NOT just in the east coast. As wings fans, we should be quite knowledgeable about this. Anaheim, Edmonton, Calgary, Los Angelas, San Jose (Irbe era). I mean, c'mon....you NEVER see this in the NBA. It's awesome!

This year in the west SJ, Chi, Van were all behind in their series at some point. And the Eastern race has just been fantastic.

Also - to compare conferences, it would be cool if someone could provide a stat for season W-L records for East Vs West games. That would be a lot more useful to this conversation.

[Echolalia]

What, exactly, is your definition of parity? Last time I checked the 16th seeded Habs were on their way to the ECF after beating the Presidents trophy winners and Stanley Cup Champions.

[Shoreline]

The f***? An 8th seed just upset two teams, a 1st place team and last year's cup champs, and there's no parity? The Sharks get amongst the top seeds again and actually win a series and there's no parity? Why is it when the Wings don't win, these hilarious topics concerning how bad the salary cap is, and how parity is failing, come up?

[Lidstromboli]

but the west beats the east a lot during the regular season! WEST WEST WEST!!!

[Zetts]

Also - to compare conferences, it would be cool if someone could provide a stat for season W-L records for East Vs West games. That would be a lot more useful to this conversation.

Ask and you shall receive:

East vs West
New Jersey 7-9-2
Pittsburgh 9-7-2
Philadelphia 8-7-3
New York Rangers 7-10-1
New York Islanders 10-6-2
Buffalo 10-5-3
Ottawa 9-8-1
Boston 7-7-4
Montreal 7-9-2
Toronto 5-12-1
Washington 10-5-3
Atlanta 8-7-3
Carolina 5-12-1
Tampa Bay 6-7-5
Florida 7-7-4

Cumulative: 115-118-37


West vs East
Chicago 11-5-2
Detroit 9-6-3
Nashville 12-4-2
St. Louis 9-7-2
Columbus 8-7-3
Vancouver 13-5-0
Colorado 12-5-1
Calgary 11-5-2
Minnesota 10-4-4
Edmonton 7-9-2
San Jose 12-4-2
Phoenix 11-6-1
LA 14-4-0
Anaheim 9-7-2
Dallas 7-9-2

Cumulative: 155-87-28

Edited by Zetts, 15 May 2010 - 04:56 PM.

[hardcoretom21]

I wish everyday the Wings played in the east...******* western road trips man... Although Chicago, Columbus and St-Louis are in the same boat