Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I would have preferred:


Montreal
Toronto
Ottawa
NY R
NY I
Buffalo
Boston

----
Washington
Carolina
Florida
Tampa
Pitt
Phi
NJ

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

The only problem I have is the playoff format. I'm not a fan of having teams with fewer points getting in while teams with more points don't, and I feel like that's going to happen. I say if there's basically no more east and west, and the league has no problem with an east team playing a west team in round 3 of the playoffs, just put the top 16 teams in a bracket (1v16, 2v15, etc) and reseed each round until there's a champion. I feel like it can't get any more fair than that.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Have you seen whose first in your division? :lol:lol:lol:lol:lol

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Yeah I guess garbage was the wrong term to use. I mean you're right, FLA is on top of the division and TB made them look even more playoff inept than they already did last year. What I meant was nobody really seems to care about those teams (FLA in particular) even though they are good, and it's boring to watch. ATL was dreadful. And after being so overly saturated with these teams it's a nice change. I get much more excited for Flyers and Pens games than I do Panthers and Bolts games.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Has this been discussed in here? I'm sure it has, sorry if it's a duplicate post.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/sp...imes&seid=auto

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

What you said is right on. I guess for the 8 team conferences it will be some teams you play 5 and others 6 and it will be on a rotating basis. So the Wings for instance will face the Hawks 5 times one year and 6 another depending.
Me too
It's the old Norris Division really. It's the Norris plus the Wild, Jackets and Preds.
It's not about money. Eastern teams will actually spend more on travel, although Western teams (well the ones in the middle of the states) will travel less. It's about a more balanced schedule and to level the playing field. I mean Eastern teams will travel less no matter what just cause of location but Western teams shouldn't have to jump 3 time zones because of their location.
They used to do 1-16. Why we had a Philly/Isles Final in 80. I understand this argument but you had that in the 3 division system in a way with home ice advanaage. Less now but 2002 the Canes were the 16th team in the playoffs but got the 3rd seed in the East. There are pluses and minuses to both setups really.

I'm of course a huge fan of this. Trips west are cut in half. I like the rivalry with the Sharks and I like playing the Canucks but I hate going out there twice. Playoff time is even better. That was my biggest complaint. Travel sucked for the players while teams like Buffalo and TO are 4-5 hour drive away and they've got it easy. But for me 8:30 would be the LATEST start time in the playoffs. I really hope that they still do stick to the a West/East Conference Finals though. I mean I like the tradition of the Campbell Bowl and Wales Trophy. How would you award those? Second while it would be kinda cool to have it re-seeded 1-4 it's not good for the NHL ratings wise to have two East teams face off or two West teams face off. Probably more so West. As someone said Sharks/Stars Final? Ratings juggernaut there huh?

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I didn't know all of the specifics in the last few years of his life. Yikes.

Sounds like he needed a good friend.

NY Rangers didn't do much to help, if anything aided the prescription pills. His family members and "friends" did the same thing.

I didn't know the thing about two other "enforcers" killing themselves. Tough call. It is a lot like boxing.

Trading dollars for your life I guess.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I hadn't read that yet. Thank you for sharing. Some crazy stuff in there. I never knew that side of him...I guess most didn't though.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

So what are we thinking in terms of names of the conferences? I know it won't be Adams..Smythe and so on because your stupid fans...I mean average fans don't get it. I mean could go back to Pacific, Central and whatever or do they go Gretzky, Howe, Orr...etc like that? I mean if FLA and TBL weren't with TO and the rest it would be NE but that doesn't really fit for them.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

This is a powerful article. Thanks for posting. :thumbsup

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Gretzky
Howe
Orr
OMGCG

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I'd love to see the Bruins division named after Orr just to see how pissed everyone in Montreal would be.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Looks like Barnaby got dropped by ESPN after his DWI arrest. Idiot.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Yeah. Hit his wife or something not long ago didn't he?

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Of course still on realignment, the one argument I saw on TSN was you want the best 4 teams in the final 4. That doesn't always happen now. A #1 seed can get beat by #8. Their argument was 1985 when the Oilers, Flames and Jets were 3 of top 5 teams overall during the regular season and you knew that two of them would be gone by the 3rd round. The Norris sucked that year so I think TSN was being Canadian biased with that one. There are more good teams now so while you might get a 5th team in one conf. not making it I personally don't think the whole "best 4" argument coming from people is a good one.

Also I had said I wanted it still to really be a Western Conference or Eastern Conference Final I think it will be. You can sell more t-shirts that way. It would probably say Campbell Bowl winners or something but more sales baby. Also the whole divisional playoff will get them tshirts there too.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Not sure if I'm quite understanding this correctly, but I think by subdividing the conferences further like this, the odds of having the best teams come through actually decreases. Especially because each conference is now guaranteed 1 team in the final 4. Look at last season. Van vs. SJ in the WCF. It would be tough to argue that those 2 teams weren't the best in the West, yet now they play in the same division and only one could make it to the semi-finals. It also gives teams at the top of a very weak conference an advantage to get to the semi-finals over teams in very strong ones. So, I'm not a huge fan of the new playoff system.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

No you're right with the Canucks and Sharks the best teams in the West last year and wouldn't have faced off in round 3 under this format. But I can go to years where it wasn't the best teams that made it. The Canes weren't one of the best teams in the East in 09. They earned it to get there but Pens/Bruins were better. Same in 2010 with the Habs and 2006 with the Oilers. They earned their ways there but weren't the best teams the way the Sharks and Nucks clearly were. Well Canucks anyways I can't say if the Wings were there that they were "worse" than the Sharks.

I've seen the Wings lose early to crap teams. Seen them get the 4th seed because they didn't win the central and in round 2 with the Blues gone they were the best team record wise still remaining in the playoffs but got the Avs in round 2 and started on the road. That didn't seem right either. And I mentioned early about the Canes in 02 being the 16th team in the playoffs but got home ice in round 1 and with the 1st and 2nd teams out got it in rounds 2 and 3 as well. So I won't be one to sit here and say it's unfair to my team when I've seen the old system be "unfair" to them as well.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Yeah, I mean, with any system there are going to be some...inequalities.

But I think the fact that the two "Eastern" conferences have 1 fewer team gives them a significant statistical advantage in their odds to reach the playoffs.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Rioting in the streets.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I do see that it being a slight advantage in terms of just numbers but again that's the nature of things with 30 teams. Bettman even said this leaves room for flexibility. IE when PHX doesn't sell we can move them East or if they happen to end up in the middle of the States like Kansas City, we can move CBJ or Detroit into that conference with Boston and them.

And I wanna say I like a 1-8 playoff but being selfish I hate it on my team. The travel is a big deal. SJ series alone the Wings were on a plane for about 25 hours total in one round. And for the fans the 10pm or later games suck. I can't do that anymore with a kid at home and a job where I have to get up at 6. It really sucked staying up only to have them lose. lol Plus the rivalries will be ratcheted it up a bit when you are not only fighting for playoff spots with these teams but then meet them in the playoffs.So while this is far from perfect I think it's the best they can do right now.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Two for Tootoo... Right call?

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

^^ Here's the link to Sheriff Shanny in case anyone wants to view: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=605024

I'm well aware of the speed of the game and how hard it can sometimes be to minimize contact or avoid a collision altogether, but from my vantage point (which, as a viewer is not always perfect), Tootoo could have at least minimized contact on that play. I'm ok with the supplemental discipline handed out on this one.

And, like I said before, I LOVED Miller's response. I would've done the exact same thing coming off a concussion that happened because of a similar play. Way to see him stand up for himself, and for the rest of the team to do the same.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

:lol But I would still BUY you a drink perhaps. Does that count?

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

:thumbsup:thumbsup I can't believe some people were criticizing the Sabres for this after what happened with Lucic. What the hell did people expect them to do?

I think the two game suspension is fair. I know some Sabres fans wanted much more than this, but I'm completely fine with two. Looking back though, if this deserved two, then I don't see how the Lucic didn't deserve two as well

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

That was the thing Shanny was gonna have a problem with. You give Tootoo anything people are gonna be like what about Lucic. However, imo, Tootoo's was a little worse. I mean he launched himself at Miller, and I think going for his head. Lucic was still on purpose though don't get me wrong.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Meh I'm not sure I agree with the suspension. Tootoo didn't really have anywhere to go in that situation.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I agree he couldn't have changed direction, but could he have minimized contact (i.e. slowed down)? I'm thinking he may have been able to.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I dunno it seemed to me like it was just a tough goaltender interference. If the lucic incident hadn't just happened there isn't even a disciplinary hearing let alone a suspension imo.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Toews is a God. IMO, him and Crosby are the two best players in the NHL, everyone else is a step below those two.

And yes, I think he is getting on Crosby's level.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Tim Thomas is the best player in the world.