The playoffs in the NHL are the only NHL hockey I watch
by wearendhockey (2019-04-21 09:41:57)

In reply to: I think that's hockey now  posted by Hunt


anymore. With more than half your teams in the postseason, the regular season becomes a 6 month long seeding process, at best. When NHL teams are playing the third road game of a 3 game trip, the level of compete is intentionally toned down. The last time I went to an NHL game I watched the Islanders play the Bluejackets on such an occasion. They got beat 7-0 and did not skate a single shift at better than 75% effort.

At least NCAA hockey invites a reasonable number of teams to the postseason party. Additionally, the loser point has not crept into the game, although I see that at some time in the future in the college game too.







Not I but I understand why other people do that ...
by BIGSKYND  (2019-04-22 18:04:30)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I'm hooked enough on the game that I have to do my share of regular season - plus that's how I get playoff access. And a lot of what you see reg season depends on the existence of a rivalry, need to get into playoff position, etc. Just for example the Bruins and the Bolts played a great game this past March. I don't know when you went to that Isles game but that might have been a predictable "maintenance night".


February of 2017.
by wearendhockey  (2019-04-22 20:42:39)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

It was clearly a "maintenance night." But I bought the ticket to see the Isles play when they were going to be in Ohio on a day I could go, not looking at the surrounding schedule. But I know that's what you get in the NHL, and in the NBA as well, so buyer beware. I do believe that if the schedule was 72 games long and only 12 teams made the playoffs, the regular season would be far more entertaining and teams could afford to take no games off.


Football has an advantage....
by BIGSKYND  (2019-04-23 11:30:21)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

when you play only 16 or 12, every game matters. Baseball limits who gets in at the end but there's an awful lot of dog food on the table out of 162 games for anybody. During the NHL season I see my share of turkeys but I also see some damn good games every year. The one you picked was probably labeled 3 months in advance - in addition to the slot, Isles-CBJ doesn't wake up the echoes.