The NHL Standings...Every point is important..

[VintageHky]

Interesting that the league point standings are close in both the Western and Eastern Confernces;should make for an exciting run for the playoffs.
As a Sabres fan I almost gave up on the team ;thinking that there's no way in hell, the way they have been playing they would make the playoffs,still reserved until the end as the only thing they are consitent on is being inconsitent.
Now my question ;Does the tight points race reflect on the quailty of teams,players playing in today's NHL and or is it good for the sport of Hockey to have teams counting on every game to get the points needed?Or would you want to see a team that ran away with a Confernce or divison? A team trying to make the playoffs,how would that team looked upon if they eventually won the Stanley Cup?


Note--I did want to insert a Poll but didn't know how...But any imput would be nice

 

[geerhed19]

It is an indication of the parity across the league that the Count was after, which is only amplified by having all these three point games. I think the league would be much better served by teams being able to build dynasties that have nearly every team in the hunt for the playoffs unitl the last game of the season.

 

[bidds55]

Having every team be relatively competitive, and having an extended playoff race is good for the league in every possible sense. It creates an atmosphere which for marginal hockey market teams leads to better attendance, better television ratings, greater fan interest. Over the long term, that should lead to a bigger fan base for the game in general.
I would love to have been around for the Habs' dynasties, but the reality is that in a 30 team league it is nearly impossible to duplicate that kind of success, and in a 30 team league, that kind of success for one franchise is counter-productive for the league as a whole.

 

[geerhed19]

Having every team be relatively competitive, and having an extended playoff race is good for the league in every possible sense. It creates an atmosphere which for marginal hockey market teams leads to better attendance, better television ratings, greater fan interest. Over the long term, that should lead to a bigger fan base for the game in general.
.

I will never understand why it needs to be about marginal hockey markets...it makes more sense to me to develop a fan base, attendance, and all those other things through good management and building of a decent franchise. There are markets that, even with this induced competitiveness and greater team success, cannot generate the things you mentioned.

 

[gretzky99]

i think a lot of it has to do with 3-point games. i think a regulation win should be worth more than a shootout win. the NHL should go to a 3-2-1 point system like soccer has (mind you, this is the only thing that the NHL should emulate soccer).
3 points for a regulation win
2 for overtime/shootout win
1 for overtime/shootout loss
0 for regulation loss

i think it will also increase scoring a bit because teams won't trap in the 2nd period trying to get into OT. plus the fans get to keep the shootout as no one likes to leave the arena after a tie.

 

[bidds55]

I will never understand why it needs to be about marginal hockey markets...it makes more sense to me to develop a fan base, attendance, and all those other things through good management and building of a decent franchise. There are markets that, even with this induced competitiveness and greater team success, cannot generate the things you mentioned.

This is Gary Bettman's NHL. When he put franchises in places like Tampa Bay, Miami, Atlanta and Phoenix, all within a few years of each other, he made it so that "it needs to be about marginal hockey markets".

I agree completely with your statement. It would have made a lot more sense to build markets slowly, with a high quality product. In my opinion the NHL should be at most a 24 team league right now. That said, in the current reality, the NHL needs marginal hockey markets to succeed, or at least not fail catastrophically. With a scoring system in place which allows more teams to have a chance at making the playoffs, deeper into the season, those marginal markets make at least a little bit more money (or lose a little less, as the case may be). That is what Gary Bettman wants.