Comments on: NHL’s realignment plan has been ‘tweaked’

By: hockeycoach1

hockeycoach1 — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:14:47 +0000

agree. the “same matchups every year” argument is debunked. It might have been that way in the 80s with only 21 teams, but you would get different matchups with 7 or 8 teams in each conference. I would love to see a reseeding after round 1 of the 8 winning teams in order to allow for the two best teams to meet in the final regardless of geography, but other than that it’s about the best they can do

By: bensawesomeness

bensawesomeness — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:41:14 +0000

i’m just uneasy about it.

By: sw19womble

sw19womble — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:50:40 +0000

Agreed. Certainly looks that way.
Coyotes to Seattle and two new teams in the East. (Kingston/Hamilton and Quebec)
Although a natural new rivalry for Red Wings with the GTA team….?

Those two conferences in the East still look a mess tho.

By: sw19womble

sw19womble — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:42:55 +0000

Yeah, but Oilers and Flames are only an hour difference.

Travelling to Detroit for a Western Conference game is idiotic.

And don’t even get me started on Winnipeg….

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:19:14 +0000

That’s assuming the same 4 teams make the playoffs in the same exact 4 seedings. That’s never going to happen

In the past 5 years if they did this format only Toronto, Edmonton, Carolina, NY Islanders, and Winnipeg/Atlanta would have missed the playoffs. Carolina missed the playoffs 3 years by a combined 7 points.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:14:38 +0000

I was just using it to show that it won’t change things as drastically as people think. I can pick a different year. 2011 you do this new divisional playoff format the same 8 teams get in in the East. Seeded differently obviously but same 8 teams. In the West the Kings would have been out in 2011 and the Stars in. But the Stars only finished 3 points behind LA anyways. So a slight change but not much. And to the guys question about sub .500 teams? None. The NHL doesn’t have many of those getting in anymore.

By: bensawesomeness

bensawesomeness — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:53:41 +0000

1-8 is a way better format than 1-4, plus then you’re going to play the same team allll the time. It’s kind of a pain and annoying to do it, especially if neither team improved/declined

By: comeonnowguys

comeonnowguys — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:19:26 +0000

Detroit isn’t happening. See, I can do it too… too? Tootoo. They’re not taking one of the best road draws out of the West. They’re not breaking up the only Original Six rivalry they have in the West.

In fact, this whole four-division, division-centric realignment already is a boost to Detroit (and to a lesser extent Chicago, St. Louis and Nashville), who won’t have as many 10pm road games, and won’t have them in the playoffs until at least the semis. That’s in part how they are trying to placate Detroit for being a good soldier.

Columbus fits better in the Southeast than you may think. Regardless, I’m in complete agreement with you on why Nashville isn’t going anywhere.

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:52:23 +0000

I get that this year is a shortened season but are we really looking at the playoff picture already? The quarter mark of a normal season is game 21. No reason to even bother yet. Maybe in another 12 games we can have a look-see.

Anyways I went back the past 5 seasons. The biggest difference was 5 points for a team being in compared to being out.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:23:02 +0000

Based off the current standings today…..none. In fact all 8 teams that are in the top 8 in the East right now would all be making the playoffs under this format. And actually Carolina wouldn’t have home ice because they play in a crap division the way they do now. In the West, the only difference would be Phoenix would be in and Dallas would not.

By: ndrick731

ndrick731 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:34:29 +0000

What a brilliant idea. How many sub 500 teams will make the playoffs.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:46:10 +0000

Yeah this is it right here. As a Wings fan I wouldn’t mind the East but they won’t do it. That’s why they came up with this idea. They weren’t moving Nashville ahead of Det. or CBJ but the Wings or Jackets don’t fit in the SE. Under this format the Wings still go the LA, Anaheim, Phoenix (if they are still there) once a year. Sure they are losing a game against them but they are gaining games against Boston, Pit, PHL which will help off set that. This isn’t the perfect system but it’s a nice start. Balanced schedule for everyone, less travel for the West both regular season and playoffs and still keeps rivalries intact.

By: jericoc

jericoc — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:45:06 +0000

This is as good as we’re going to get …

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:07:25 +0000

You are 100% on the expansion. I don’t like it but there is no doubt in my mind they will expand. I think they’ll be in Seattle, Toronto and Quebec in the next 3-5 years. Coyotes will be in one of the three and the other two will be expansion teams.

By: joeyashwi

joeyashwi — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:43:49 +0000

Obviously the NHL is looking to make it a 32 team league, 4 conferences of 8. No need to fret about the 16 teams vs. 14 teams inequality.
Playoffs are playoffs. If a team deserves to win, they will win. There is no such thing as an easier or harder road, playoff hockey is the best in all of sports and will continue to be so.
My main problem is rewarding teams with a shootout win the same points as a “real” win. I say make it 3 points for a regulation or OT win, 2 points for a shootout win, and 1 point for a shootout loss. This would help the teams that are truly winning their games be rewarded more and punish teams for not being able to outscore their opponent in regulation or OT. Also this would help eliminate passive, conservative play over the last 25 minutes of games, especially in the OT period. Bettman? Anyone? Discuss….

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:34:35 +0000

Exactly! So the Pens will play everyone in the other 3 conferences twice, once at home and once on the road. That doesn’t currently happen. I think the Coyotes, Stars and Avs benefit from seeing the Pens, Caps, Flyers, Bruins, Rangers in their buildings every year. Then you play the teams in your own conference 6 times a year. Three at home and three on the road. That’s the same number of divisional games that they play now just 2 (or 3 depending on what conf. you’re in) more teams than you currently have.

By: pastabelly

pastabelly — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:33:44 +0000

Did it make sense having the two Florida teams playing in the same division as Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Buffalo instead of being grouped with other southern teams like Carolina, Nashville and/or Dallas?
=========================================================================
It’s bad enough that Boston is separated from NY and included in a division with Ottawa and Toronto, which are nowhere near Boston. It adds insult to injury to include them in a dviision with Florida and Tampa Bay and most do not make long “road trips” for hockey games in the middle of the week. This isn’t baseball or even football.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:31:56 +0000

Detroit not Columbus. See I can do it too. Nashville isn’t happening. You aren’t going to move a Central Timezone team before either of the two Eastern Timezone teams. Plus Nashville has created rivalries with some of the Western teams so it doesn’t benefit them much in that regrad. You could move Columbus but Detroit, one of the best teams the last 20 years, with a good owner who is committed to winning and kept his mouth shut during all the lockouts when a cap never benefited him was promised to be moved the next time a team needed to go East. So you would be rewarding a team who has sucked for years by giving them a more favorable schedule. Also Detroit and Columbus don’t fit in the SE. Detroit should be in the NE but none of those teams will be swapped and CBJ belong in the Atlantic with the Pens but none of those teams are moving. So instead of seeing Detroit and Chicago at home 3 times a year they get to see Tampa, FLA or Carolina? I’m sure that would give them an attendance boom.

But even with all that a team for team swap doesn’t solve everything. Dallas is still stuck in the Pacific Division. San Jose has to fly to Detroit in round 1 or Vancouver to Chicago. Not all teams visit each other which benefits everyone. This also helps come playoff times for the local markets. Detroit doesn’t have 10:30 start times. LA doesn’t have 4:30pm start times.

By: larrybiv

larrybiv — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:05:49 +0000

It’s actually obvious to me that the 2 Florida teams are grouped with the Canadian teams and Boston because that is a major portion of visitors down south (and New Yorkers) which will help those teams sell out. Otherwise their fraked, with the possibility of Dallas and such.

By: xjokerz

xjokerz — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:22:51 +0000

Looks like crap if you’re a wings fan. Stuxk with the dirt of the nhl .And I like how little travel the Atlantic division has to deal with. Keep on keeping on NHL

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:26:38 +0000

How is the playoff format terrifingly bad?

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:23:54 +0000

Let me releave some of your worries everyone. Here is facts and research from the past 5 years.

CONFERENCE A

2007-08
Pittsburgh/Philadelphia
New Jersey/Rangers
Washington misses playoffs by 1 point
Carolina misses playofs by 3 points

2008-09
Washington/Philadelphia
New Jersey/Pittsburgh
Carolina misses playoffs by 2 points
Rangers misses playoffs by 4 points

2009-10
Washington/Philadelphia
New Jersey/Pittsburgh
Rangers miss playoffs by 1 point

2010-11
Washington/Rangers
Philadelphia/New Jersey
Carolina misses playoffs by 2 points

2011-12
Rangers/New Jersey
Pittsburgh/Philadelphia

Carolina misses playoffs 3 times by total of 7 points
4 of the 5 years the division playoff race is settled the final day of the season
All 5 years playoff senarios are finalized on final day of season.
Only Islanders and Carolina never made the playoffs. Only Carolina had made the playoffs 1 year during that stretch
————————————————————————————————————————————–
CONFERENCE B

2007-08
Montreal/Buffalo
Ottawa/Boston
Florida misses playoffs by 5 points

2008-09
Boston/Buffalo
Montreal/Florida

2009-10
Buffalo/Montreal
Ottawa/Boston

2010-11
Boston/Buffalo
Tampa Bay/Montreal

2011-12
Boston/Buffalo
Florida/Ottawa
Tampa Bay misses playoffs by 5 points

All playoff senarios are finalzed on the final day of the season 4 of 5 season
Only Toronto missed the playoffs, which they did every year anyways.
————————————————————————————————————————————-
CONFERENCE C

2007-08
Detroit/Nashville
Minnesota/Dallas
Chicago misses playoffs by 3 points

2008-09
Detroit/Columbus
Chicago/St. Louis
Minnesota misses playoffs by 3 points
Dallas misses playoffs by 4 points

2009-10
Chicago/St. Louis
Detroit/Nashville
Dallas misses playoffs by 2 points

2010-11
Detroit/Dallas
Nashville/Chicago

2011-12
St. Louis/Chicago
Detroit/Nashville

Detroit/Nashville would have met in the playoffs 4 of the 5 years in the first round
Only Winnipeg (used Atlanta’s record for their years in Atlanta) never makes the playoffs. Never did.
Every year the standing are not finalzed until the final day of the regular season.
————————————————————————————————————————————-
CONFERENCE D

2007-08
San Jose/Calgary
Anaheim/Colorado

2008-09
San Jose/Anaheim
Vancouver/Calgary

2009-10
San Jose/Los Angeles
Phoenix/Vancouver

2010-11
Vancouver/Phoenix
San Jose/Anaheim
Los Angeles misses playoffs by 1 point
Calgary misses playoffs by 5 points

2011-12
Vancouver/Los Angeles
Phoenix/San Jose
Calgary misses playoffs by 5 points

Only Edmonton never makes the playoffs, never did.
4 of the 5 seasons the playoffs is not finalized until final day of season

————————————————————————————————————————-

2007-08
Washington (only had made the playoffs by 2 points) had made the playoffs, Buffalo 4 points less would be in.
All 8 Western Conference teams that made the playoffs were in the playoffs

2008-09
Carolina and Rangers had made the playoffs that year but would be out. Florida (tied Montreal points wise and record but lose tie breakers) and Buffalo missed playoffs by 2 points would be in.
All 8 Western Conference teams that made the playoffs were in the playoffs.

2009-10
All 8 Eastern Conference teams that made the playoffs were in the playoffs.
Colorado would be in the playoffs (miss by 5 points), St. Louis would be out made by 5 points)

2010-11
All 8 Eastern Conference teams that made the playoffs were in the playoffs
Lost Angeles made the playoffs by 3 points would be out of playoffs, Dallas missed by 2 point would be in.

2011-12
Washington made the playoffs by 3 points would be out, Buffalo missed by 3 points would be in.
All 8 Western Conference teams that made the playoffs would be in the playoffs

It’s not like we are talking about teams that are making the playoffs now that would have missed by 10 points the way it is now. The biggest differential is 5 points in any given year the past 5 years.

————————————————————————————————————————————–

Therefore it is a mith Carolina can’t complete with the Rangers/Flyers/Devils.
It doesn’t matter the amount of teams in either conference. No conference had the same 4 teams
make the playoffs.

By: swedeg

swedeg — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:27:14 +0000

Any plan that keeps Minnesota in a division with West Coast teams is unacceptable. We fill the building up every night, you can’t keep crapping on us by sending us West and having all those games start when we can’t see them. We should be with St. Louis, Chicago, and maybe Winnipeg. If you’re going to put a team in a less than perfect division, punish those teams who don’t fill their buildings.

By: sammicurr1986

sammicurr1986 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:04:16 +0000

Why are there 16 teams in the west,and 14 in the east?The bottom line is this,Detroit and Columbus are eastern time zone teams,move them there,and end this mess.When u expand finally,put the 2 teams in the west.It looks like Seattle is a front runner with them building a new arena and adding the Sacramento Kings from the NBA there as well.Then either Kansas City(who wants a team really bad and almost got the Penguins),or Houston,or somewhere else then,and your problem is solved.This is what the league should look like next year,and please people,I don’t wanna hear you can’t break up the Detroit/Chicago rivalry,or Penguins/Flyers rivalry either,it’s absurd,not buying it.The Penguins are closer to Detroit than they are to any team in their current division right now.Owner Mike Illitch was promised to be the next team to move east and they will,end of story.For people who don’t want them there,then they’re just plain scared of have another New Jersey Devils style of a team in that conference,which the Devils play the western conference style of hockey anyway.Change the names of the divisons to whatever and this is what they should look like in 2013-14,this is the fairest way to do it,even though I still say just move Detroit to the east,and just have 15 and 15 in each conference just MLB is going to do next year.just add Detroit to the Northeast Division.Then when if you add 2 more expansion teams,especially in the west,you move Columbus to the east to even it out,or move Columbus the same time when you move Detroit,and instead of having 14 in the east,you have 16 and 14 in the west.Here’s the fairest way to do this,and eliminate eastern and western conferences.Play in your division in the playoffs with 1 playing 4 and 2 playing 3,the winners meet and then when you have 4 teams left,re-seed with 1 playing 4 and 2 playing 3,and the winners meet in the finals.During the regular season also you play everyone in the other divisions each one time home and away.And the one thing you can never have in the finals in 2 teams in the same division playing each other.Here’s what I think is fair for now:

Division 1
Detroit Red WIngs
Chicago Blackhawks
Toronto Maple Leafs
Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Senators

Division 2
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
New Jersey Devils

Division 3
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Columbus Blue Jackets
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes

Division 4
St. Louis Blues
Nashville Predators
Dallas Stars
Tampa Bay Lightning
Florida Panthers

Division 5
Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Canucks

Division 6
San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Ducks
Colorado Avalanche
Phoenix Coyotes

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:46:18 +0000

It’s clear that 14 will be 16 soon with expansion

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:43:37 +0000

Florida isn’t leaving Sunrise anytime soon.

By: phillyphanatic77

phillyphanatic77 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:46:03 +0000

There has to be a simpler way than breaking up into four “conferences”. I can’t believe they’re even considering changing the playoff format. The NHL playoffs are one of the most exciting tournaments in all of sports! They don’t need to be changed. I get that certain teams have rough travel schedules but this realignment of the entire league is unnecessary. I hate it! Haven’t you guys done enough to the fans? Don’t allow it Gary.

By: rca26

rca26 — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:04:05 +0000

Washington, Columbus, Carolina, Nashville, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Florida = 7 Southern teams = Southern Conference without an Atlantic team, with no team crossing more than 1 time zone.

By: lesleyvissersfacelift

lesleyvissersfacelift — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 01:59:46 +0000

**matchups ** but obviously this format still would not address the issue of a 5th seed in a deep conference missing out when they have a better record than a 3rd or 4th in a weak conference.

By: Woody Bass

Woody Bass — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 01:51:50 +0000

Reblogged this on Woody Bass.