186 replies to this topic

[Manoir]

I don't know about most hockey fans, but I personally don't like the whole playing against rivals every year in the 1st&2nd round of the playoffs. I could see it getting pretty boring playing STL and CHI every year in the playoffs. Also, this means that rivals like Det/CHI will never play each other beyond the 2nd round. I perosnally would keep whatever geographically-based schedule they have come up with and have no divisions/conferences and top 16 make the playoffs. You would get unique playoff matches and rivals could wind up playing each other in the finals. You could potentially have Det and CHI playing each other in the finals-I think that enhances the rivalry a lot more than playing in the opening rounds each year.

[GMRwings1983]

I don't know about most hockey fans, but I personally don't like the whole playing against rivals every year in the 1st&2nd round of the playoffs. I could see it getting pretty boring playing STL and CHI every year in the playoffs. Also, this means that rivals like Det/CHI will never play each other beyond the 2nd round. I perosnally would keep whatever geographically-based schedule they have come up with and have no divisions/conferences and top 16 make the playoffs. You would get unique playoff matches and rivals could wind up playing each other in the finals. You could potentially have Det and CHI playing each other in the finals-I think that enhances the rivalry a lot more than playing in the opening rounds each year.

Yeah, I guess that part is disappointing. A Wings/Hawks SCF would be awesome. But how often would that happen anyway? It's a stretch.

[Barrie]

Which rivalries did Bettman squash in the past?

Yea I'm not a Bettman fan, but he actually created new rivalries, leaving the old ones intact, when he broke the league up into 6 divisions.

[Ozzie30]

Which rivalries did Bettman squash in the past?

Our original 6 rivalries are nothing like they used to be. We have a good thing going with the Avs, sharks, and ducks, and now we'll only see any of these teams twice a year - trade the new for old, fine, but stop forcing the rivalries. Other than the hawks, we don't have s*** in this division which puts us in the same boat as before, but gives us less conference rivals. I get the arguments that forced the restructure, but this is poor execution.

[Red Wings Addict]

We'll be more excited when he gives us another Stanley Cup.

Yeah really. Get on the ball Kenny.

Also, this means that rivals like Det/CHI will never play each other beyond the 2nd round.

Yeah that part sucks. Kind of like how Washington and Pittsburgh played each other in the 2nd round.

[auxlepli]

This is a great solution to geography conundrum. I like it a lot. The BOG hosed the two Florida teams though. I wonder who the other two teams are who opposed this.

[Ozzie30]

Yea I'm not a Bettman fan, but he actually created new rivalries, leaving the old ones intact, when he broke the league up into 6 divisions.

Lol. Whats the last great Wings/ Rangers game you can remember? Wings / Toronto? They always play each other hard, but its nothing like it used to be. Its hard to build hate for a team when you only see them once a year (if the planets align right). I think a fair statement would be bettman created new rivalries and the old ones limped along despite his interference.

[Manoir]

Yeah, I guess that part is disappointing. A Wings/Hawks SCF would be awesome. But how often would that happen anyway? It's a stretch.

It is. However, when you add all the other rivalries throughout the league the probability of a traditional rival Finals matchup increases.I don't know, playing rivals every year in the playoffs kind of lessens the impact IMO. It should be big deal if teams like MTL-TOR meet in the playoffs, not something that should become routine.

[Vladiator]

So does anyone know for a fact how the third round seeding will happen? If it's regular season points it'll mean we can play against for example SJ / Van in the Cup finals, which would be pretty nice. If it's west vs. west and east vs. east I'll be a lot less excited.

But yeah I guess I have to agree this is a good change overall for us, with my timezone I welcome any change that means less late games.

Thinking reseeding after the second round based on points makes the most sense. The Western teams got kind of the shaft on this plan since all of those teams will be playing in two time zones instead of one in their respective division/conferences, while all of the Eastern teams stay in the same time zone (you have to consider that to be part of geographical logistics though). It's only fair that the Eastern teams could potentially face an Eastern/Western time zone 3rd round series.

For those of you that thought the Wings were just going to get shifted into East in the two conference format, based on Bettman's promise, that just wasn't going to happen based on how the vote would have come out on that (the stars just couldn't align on that due to the movement of teams since that promise). Too many teams in the Western rely on the extra revenue when the Wings come into town and I'm sure the Eastern team owners were salivating about the potential of having the Wings in their building at least once a season.

For the Wings, this realignment is the lesser of two evils that would have happened regarding how the Board of Governors would have voted. I like the home and home against every other team. My hopes of being in the same division as the Leafs and Pens have been scratched for now, but with the future Florida, Phoenix and Columbus in question, that could change.

[Crashnburnluder]

Of course Kenny is happy we have to get through Chicago to make the Conference Finals every year lol... This is all while, La, Vancouver, Anaheim, San Jose all beat the snot out of each other and only one makes it out, and in the east. Philly, Washington, Pitt, NYR, and NJ all dot he same while only one makes it out. The other conference is kinda the same shoes. Tampa and Boston and a little bit of Buffalo Montreal, mixed with bad teams in Ott. Florida and Toronto.

On a pure chance to win the cup we are in a GREAT position on excitement during the NHL season, well that kinda is lacking.

[CanadaBoy]

Florida and Tampa Bay got jipped!

I wonder why the NHL didn't go with

Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Washington, Philly, Pittsburgh, New Jersey

Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, New York, New York

[Red Wings Addict]

The Florida teams get some kind of monetary compensation for their travel? I guess there's that. Maybe they'll also get more favorable calls from refs.

[auxlepli]

Red Wings brass happy ...
http://www.mlive.com...py_excited.html

[CanadaBoy]

Of course Kenny is happy we have to get through Chicago to make the Conference Finals every year lol... This is all while, La, Vancouver, Anaheim, San Jose all beat the snot out of each other and only one makes it out, and in the east. Philly, Washington, Pitt, NYR, and NJ all dot he same while only one makes it out. The other conference is kinda the same shoes. Tampa and Boston and a little bit of Buffalo Montreal, mixed with bad teams in Ott. Florida and Toronto.

On a pure chance to win the cup we are in a GREAT position on excitement during the NHL season, well that kinda is lacking.

[GMRwings1983]

The Florida teams get some kind of monetary compensation for their travel? I guess there's that. Maybe they'll also get more favorable calls from refs.

Those teams are lucky they haven't relocated yet.

[Ozzie30]

Florida and Tampa Bay got jipped!

I wonder why the NHL didn't go with

Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Washington, Philly, Pittsburgh, New Jersey

Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, New York, New York

You could throw Detroit in the northeast and Columbus in the southeast and it would be perfect to me.

[Buppy]

...
Eastern conferences have a 7% better chance of making the playoffs? EFF THAT BS.

It's not random selection, so it's not really 7% better chance. Larger pool size just means a better chance of the larger conference having more good teams. It's about as likely that the 5th-place team in one of the 7-team conferences will be better than the 4th in one of the 8-team.

I'm kind of torn. I liked divisional playoffs and the rivalries created, and I like playing the first two rounds close to home (or at least no further than Dallas/Winnipeg). But this method creates such a large chance of someone getting screwed.

Much better if they just went with the 4 conference winners + 12 wildcards.

[stevie for president]

I hate the argument about teams getting screwed out of the playoffs. You're goal year in and year out should be to win the stanley cup (i.e. be #1 out of 30). If you can't manage being #5/8 than you don't deserve a shot to be #1/30. I know playoffs are different animal and upsets happen, but under the current system #9 in the west could (and actually might) have more points than #7 in the east and they aren't in the playoffs. Its the same concept. If you can't be #9/15 you shouldn't have the right to compete for the Stanley Cup! Dallas's 95 points last season would've been good enough for 8th in the east. St. Louis's 90 in 2010 would've put them in 7th in the east. Florida's 93 in 2009 would've made them #6 in the west. How is that any different?

Edited by stevie for president, 05 December 2011 - 11:40 PM.

[Behind Enemy Lines in CO]

So for fun I did a quick and dirty comparison of the 2010-2011 season's final standings and re-grouped the teams into the new conference format to see how the playoffs would have developed last year.

Conference 1
Vancouver 117 pts
San Jose 105
Anaheim 99
Phoenix 99
Los Angeles 98
Calgary 94
Colorado 68
Edmonton 62

So - first round has Vancouver vs Phoenix (because Anaheim & Phoenix had the same points I was not sure who would be higher so just went with this) and San Jose would play Anaheim.

2nd round would probably be Vancouver vs San Jose.

Conference 2
Detroit 104 pts
Nashville 99
Chicago 97
Dallas 95
St. Louis 87
Minnesota 86
Columbus 81
Winnipeg 80

So - first round has Detroit vs Dallas and Nashville vs Chicago.

2nd round would probably be Detroit vs Chicago.

Conference 3
Boston 103 pts
Tampa Bay 103
Montreal 96
Buffalo 96
Toronto 85
Ottawa 74
Florida 72

So - first round has Boston vs Buffalo and Tampa Bay vs Montreal. (Again I did not know the tie breaker system so just placed the teams as is).

2nd round would probably be Boston vs Tampa Bay.

Conference 4
Washington 107 pts
Philadelphia 106
Pittsburgh 106
NY Rangers 93
Carolina 91
New Jersey 81
NY Islanders

So - first round has Washington vs NY Rangers and Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh. (Again I do not know the tie breaker system so just placed the teams as is.)

2nd round would probably be Washington vs Philadelphia.

Now comes the reseed:

Conference 1
Vancouver 117 pts

Conference 2
Detroit 104 pts

Conference 3
Boston 103 pts

Conference 4
Philadelphia 106 pts


If you reseed based upon points, then you would have Vancouver vs Boston and Philadelphia vs Detroit for the semi-finals.

Finals could have been Boston vs Detroit!


Interesting to note the following:

Conferences 3 & 4 (mainly eastern teams) appear in the playoffs with no change from the current format.

Conferences 1 & 2 (mainly western teams) are the same EXCEPT Los Angeles (conference 1) does not make the playoffs in the new format, while Dallas (conference 2) did not make the playoffs in the old format but does under the new format.

Discuss.

Edited by Behind Enemy Lines in CO, 05 December 2011 - 11:52 PM.

[Red Wings Addict]

Why is it that they have to have 4 different conferences and not 2 conferences with 2 divisions each?