NHL Playoffs - First Round

[Ivytalk]

As a lukewarm Flyers fan, I’m now all in for the Islanders.

[GannonFan]

I'm sure most NBA followers have the same feeling about the NHL playoffs. From the Venn diagram, there's not a lot of intersection there.

Right now showing a major difference though. NBA far too predictable. In the East the higher seeds won the four series 16-2 and in the West two lower seeds already out with 4-1 series and the higher seed leading the other two.

That's assuming you like a lot of upsets. Of the 8 bottom teams combined in each conference, 5 of them won opening round series. And it took a monumental choke job by Vegas or all of the bottom 4 seeds in the West would've won their matchups. When only 2 of the top 6 teams (top 3 from each conference) make it out of the first round you have to wonder why did they even play that regular season? And not only that, but you have Tampa Bay and Calgary, tops in each conference, get blown out in the playoffs - TB goes out in a 4-0 sweep and Calgary just a little better going out 4-1. The NHL has the opposite problem of the NBA - it's too unpredictable. There's a happy medium there somewhere.

[89Hen]

Right now showing a major difference though. NBA far too predictable. In the East the higher seeds won the four series 16-2 and in the West two lower seeds already out with 4-1 series and the higher seed leading the other two.

That's assuming you like a lot of upsets. Of the 8 bottom teams combined in each conference, 5 of them won opening round series. And it took a monumental choke job by Vegas or all of the bottom 4 seeds in the West would've won their matchups. When only 2 of the top 6 teams (top 3 from each conference) make it out of the first round you have to wonder why did they even play that regular season? And not only that, but you have Tampa Bay and Calgary, tops in each conference, get blown out in the playoffs - TB goes out in a 4-0 sweep and Calgary just a little better going out 4-1. The NHL has the opposite problem of the NBA - it's too unpredictable. There's a happy medium there somewhere.

Given a choice of the two, I'd take the NHL every day of the week. How exciting it must be to be a #7 or 8 seed in the NBA playoffs.

Last 10 Stanley Cup Champions and where they finished in their conference:

2018 Washington Capitals (3)
2017 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2015 Chicago Blackhawks (4)
2014 Los Angeles Kings (6)
2013 Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2012 Los Angeles Kings (8)
2011 Boston Bruins (3)
2010 Chicago Blackhawks (2)
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

I'd say that's pretty nicely distributed.

Last 10 NBA Champions and where they finished in their conference:

2018 Golden State Warriors (2)
2017 Golden State Warriors (1)
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
2015 Golden State Warriors (1)
2014 San Antonio Spurs (1)
2013 Miami Heat (1)
2012 Miami Heat (2)
2011 Dallas Mavericks (2)
2010 Los Angeles Lakers (1)
2009 Los Angeles Lakers (1)

Meh

[GannonFan]

That's assuming you like a lot of upsets. Of the 8 bottom teams combined in each conference, 5 of them won opening round series. And it took a monumental choke job by Vegas or all of the bottom 4 seeds in the West would've won their matchups. When only 2 of the top 6 teams (top 3 from each conference) make it out of the first round you have to wonder why did they even play that regular season? And not only that, but you have Tampa Bay and Calgary, tops in each conference, get blown out in the playoffs - TB goes out in a 4-0 sweep and Calgary just a little better going out 4-1. The NHL has the opposite problem of the NBA - it's too unpredictable. There's a happy medium there somewhere.

Given a choice of the two, I'd take the NHL every day of the week. How exciting it must be to be a #7 or 8 seed in the NBA playoffs.

Last 10 Stanley Cup Champions and where they finished in their conference:

2018 Washington Capitals (3)
2017 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2015 Chicago Blackhawks (4)
2014 Los Angeles Kings (6)
2013 Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2012 Los Angeles Kings (8)
2011 Boston Bruins (3)
2010 Chicago Blackhawks (2)
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

I'd say that's pretty nicely distributed.

Last 10 NBA Champions and where they finished in their conference:

2018 Golden State Warriors (2)
2017 Golden State Warriors (1)
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
2015 Golden State Warriors (1)
2014 San Antonio Spurs (1)
2013 Miami Heat (1)
2012 Miami Heat (2)
2011 Dallas Mavericks (2)
2010 Los Angeles Lakers (1)
2009 Los Angeles Lakers (1)

Meh

Like I said, regular season is meaningless in the NHL. Maybe they should just have a Fall/Winter playoff and then the playoff they have now? Or just a series of playoffs throughout the year? Right now they have what amounts to a 6 month or so exhibition season before the real games start.

Gotta admit, from the second round of the NBA playoffs on, there are great matchups.

[89Hen]

Like I said, regular season is meaningless in the NHL. Maybe they should just have a Fall/Winter playoff and then the playoff they have now? Or just a series of playoffs throughout the year? Right now they have what amounts to a 6 month or so exhibition season before the real games start.

Gotta admit, from the second round of the NBA playoffs on, there are great matchups.

Ask the Canadiens, Coyotes and Blackhawks how meaningless the regular season is, or for that matter the Canes, Blue Jackets, Avs... who worked their asses off down the stretch to make it.

You sound like one of the BCS apologizers that says increasing from two teams in the NC game renders the regular season meaningless.

As for NBA second round... would you wager on either #1 team losing in the conference semis? Would you wager on even two of the four #1 or 2's losing?

[GannonFan]

Like I said, regular season is meaningless in the NHL. Maybe they should just have a Fall/Winter playoff and then the playoff they have now? Or just a series of playoffs throughout the year? Right now they have what amounts to a 6 month or so exhibition season before the real games start.

Gotta admit, from the second round of the NBA playoffs on, there are great matchups.

Ask the Canadiens, Coyotes and Blackhawks how meaningless the regular season is, or for that matter the Canes, Blue Jackets, Avs... who worked their asses off down the stretch to make it.

You sound like one of the BCS apologizers that says increasing from two teams in the NC game renders the regular season meaningless.

As for NBA second round... would you wager on either #1 team losing in the conference semis? Would you wager on even two of the four #1 or 2's losing?

You do realize there's a chance the Warriors don't even make it out of the opening round, correct? And that Houston awaits them in the next round and Houston was probably a Chris Paul injury during the series away from beating GS? And yes, the Bucks could be beat by Boston in this round. And yes, the top seeds are Golden State, Denver (oh yeah, forgot, they're going to a game 7 right now in the opening round, they may not even get to the second round), Milwaukee and Toronto, and any of them can lose in the second round. The top 8 teams in the NBA are all pretty good.

[89Hen]

The top 8 teams in the NBA are all pretty good.

Sure they are.

Last 10 NBA Champions and where they finished in their conference:

2018 Golden State Warriors (2)
2017 Golden State Warriors (1)
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
2015 Golden State Warriors (1)
2014 San Antonio Spurs (1)
2013 Miami Heat (1)
2012 Miami Heat (2)
2011 Dallas Mavericks (2)
2010 Los Angeles Lakers (1)
2009 Los Angeles Lakers (1)

[GannonFan]

The top 8 teams in the NBA are all pretty good.

Sure they are.

Last 10 NBA Champions and where they finished in their conference:

2018 Golden State Warriors (2)
2017 Golden State Warriors (1)
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
2015 Golden State Warriors (1)
2014 San Antonio Spurs (1)
2013 Miami Heat (1)
2012 Miami Heat (2)
2011 Dallas Mavericks (2)
2010 Los Angeles Lakers (1)
2009 Los Angeles Lakers (1)

Good teams doing what they should do. You can't tell me it's a good thing that Tampa Bay and Calgary won all of one playoff game between them in their mutual first round departures.

Good article here on the parity crisis the NHL risks...

https://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2019/4/25/ ... s-capitals

You have to go back 18 years, to the 2000-01 season to find a Stanley Cup Finals which ended with the two best teams in the league playing each other.

The NBA may have stumbled on something magic with its 44 percent mark, which blends a mix of predictability and the unknown that makes the sport enticing. But this near-parity on paper could also oversell an unknown element, considering several recent title teams coasted during the regular season. One thing is certain: The NHL has a weird problem on its hands right now. When the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Playoffs are over the best team in the league will have won the cup just 11 percent of the time.

If you’re a fan who hangs everything on taking home the ultimate prize, regardless of what happens along the way — then this tells you that 89 percent of the time your emotion, passion, and love is misplaced. Almost all your energy is wasted. If you’re more concerned with the journey of sports, at the very least there’s an ever-present reality that what you’re watching night in, night out might not represent an accurate telling of a season’s story. This is the larger impact of the reality that the regular season barely means a thing, April is everything and that’s what brings us to the collapse of the Lightning, Flames, Predators, and Capitals. For 185 days, the Lightning were the best team in hockey. None of it mattered.

[89Hen]

Good teams doing what they should do. You can't tell me it's a good thing that Tampa Bay and Calgary won all of one playoff game between them in their mutual first round departures.

Good article here on the parity crisis the NHL risks...

Dumb article, and so is your first sentence.

2017 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2013 Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2010 Chicago Blackhawks (2)

Sometimes the best teams do win in the NHL. In the NBA the best teams ALWAYS win.

Parity makes for excitement. Parity spreads the excitement. The author quotes a twitter post that says sometimes you want to watch an eight seed go on a run (happens in the NHL, not the NBA), sometimes you want to watch an expansion team almost win (happens in the NHL, not in the NBA), but you also want to see the best team win once in a while (you see it in both).

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

The best team always wins in a playoff bracket with 7 game series.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[GannonFan]

Good teams doing what they should do. You can't tell me it's a good thing that Tampa Bay and Calgary won all of one playoff game between them in their mutual first round departures.

Good article here on the parity crisis the NHL risks...

Dumb article, and so is your first sentence.

2017 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2013 Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2010 Chicago Blackhawks (2)

Sometimes the best teams do win in the NHL. In the NBA the best teams ALWAYS win.

Parity makes for excitement. Parity spreads the excitement. The author quotes a twitter post that says sometimes you want to watch an eight seed go on a run (happens in the NHL, not the NBA), sometimes you want to watch an expansion team almost win (happens in the NHL, not in the NBA), but you also want to see the best team win once in a while (you see it in both).

Just because you're in denial doesn't make other viewpoints dumb. Parity doesn't always make for excitement. Losing Tampa and Calgary from the NHL playoffs (along with Washington and Nashville and Winnipeg) in the first round has robbed the playoffs of seeing teams who were great all year. The NCAA tournament sees this every now and then - look at the ratings of games that involve two worse seed teams that both upset better seeds in the round(s) before - the ratings almost always tank. There is something about seeing the best teams, to a point, play as the best teams. Otherwise, like the article mentioned, why even bother to watch the preceeding 6 months?

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

There is a reason some teams do well in the regular season and get hammered in the playoffs.

Calgary and Tampa both have good offenses but lack defense. Hence they are not the best teams and its why they are gone.

To he the best you have to beat the beast not just run up a good regular season record against shitty teams

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[UNI88]

Dumb article, and so is your first sentence.

2017 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
2013 Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2010 Chicago Blackhawks (2)

Sometimes the best teams do win in the NHL. In the NBA the best teams ALWAYS win.

Parity makes for excitement. Parity spreads the excitement. The author quotes a twitter post that says sometimes you want to watch an eight seed go on a run (happens in the NHL, not the NBA), sometimes you want to watch an expansion team almost win (happens in the NHL, not in the NBA), but you also want to see the best team win once in a while (you see it in both).

Just because you're in denial doesn't make other viewpoints dumb. Parity doesn't always make for excitement. Losing Tampa and Calgary from the NHL playoffs (along with Washington and Nashville and Winnipeg) in the first round has robbed the playoffs of seeing teams who were great all year. The NCAA tournament sees this every now and then - look at the ratings of games that involve two worse seed teams that both upset better seeds in the round(s) before - the ratings almost always tank. There is something about seeing the best teams, to a point, play as the best teams. Otherwise, like the article mentioned, why even bother to watch the preceeding 6 months?

Ganny you seem to be focusing on the 2019 playoffs but is it more of an aberration than the norm?

[89Hen]

Just because you're in denial doesn't make other viewpoints dumb. Parity doesn't always make for excitement. Losing Tampa and Calgary from the NHL playoffs (along with Washington and Nashville and Winnipeg) in the first round has robbed the playoffs of seeing teams who were great all year. The NCAA tournament sees this every now and then - look at the ratings of games that involve two worse seed teams that both upset better seeds in the round(s) before - the ratings almost always tank. There is something about seeing the best teams, to a point, play as the best teams. Otherwise, like the article mentioned, why even bother to watch the preceeding 6 months?

WHO is in denial?? NBA 1v4, 2v3, 1v4, 2v3 in the second round.

As for for the teams you named being "great" all year.... pretty clear you don't watch the NHL. I read plenty of reports half way through the season that predicted the Canes, Avs, Blues... would be a force by the end of the year.

To be honest... you're not an NHL fan, but it's not because the favorites don't win every year. I'm not an NBA fan, but it's not because the favorites do win every year. But don't try to pretend the stats I posted are wrong. The NHL has a mix of teams advance and win. The NBA does NOT.

[GannonFan]

Just because you're in denial doesn't make other viewpoints dumb. Parity doesn't always make for excitement. Losing Tampa and Calgary from the NHL playoffs (along with Washington and Nashville and Winnipeg) in the first round has robbed the playoffs of seeing teams who were great all year. The NCAA tournament sees this every now and then - look at the ratings of games that involve two worse seed teams that both upset better seeds in the round(s) before - the ratings almost always tank. There is something about seeing the best teams, to a point, play as the best teams. Otherwise, like the article mentioned, why even bother to watch the preceeding 6 months?

WHO is in denial?? NBA 1v4, 2v3, 1v4, 2v3 in the second round.

As for for the teams you named being "great" all year.... pretty clear you don't watch the NHL. I read plenty of reports half way through the season that predicted the Canes, Avs, Blues... would be a force by the end of the year.

To be honest... you're not an NHL fan, but it's not because the favorites don't win every year. I'm not an NBA fan, but it's not because the favorites do win every year. But don't try to pretend the stats I posted are wrong. The NHL has a mix of teams advance and win. The NBA does NOT.

The NHL is parity run amok. The stats back it up. Come the playoffs, anybody can win and they do. It's a crapshoot. If that's your cup of tea, and you're fine with the preceeding 6 months amount to nothing, then have at it.

[89Hen]

WHO is in denial?? NBA 1v4, 2v3, 1v4, 2v3 in the second round.

As for for the teams you named being "great" all year.... pretty clear you don't watch the NHL. I read plenty of reports half way through the season that predicted the Canes, Avs, Blues... would be a force by the end of the year.

To be honest... you're not an NHL fan, but it's not because the favorites don't win every year. I'm not an NBA fan, but it's not because the favorites do win every year. But don't try to pretend the stats I posted are wrong. The NHL has a mix of teams advance and win. The NBA does NOT.

The NHL is parity run amok. The stats back it up. Come the playoffs, anybody can win and they do. It's a crapshoot. If that's your cup of tea, and you're fine with the preceeding 6 months amount to nothing, then have at it.

You don't like it, we get it. The preceding* 6 months are VERY meaningful, just not in the way that YOU think they should be. The race to make the playoffs came down to the wire, so there were many meaningful games leading up to the end of the season. Like I mentioned before, your stance is just like the BCS folks that wanted to keep the NC to just two teams because the regular season would be "meaningless". In reality when you have more teams in the NHL fighting for a playoff spot knowing that if they can just get in they'd have a legit chance... that's more meaningful games.

The truth is, often there's not much separating the teams in the playoffs. There were a whopping 5 points separating the Caps and Canes in the standings (only two regulation wins). So Canes > Caps is not that big an upset. There were NINETEEN games separating the Bucks/Pistons and 11 separating the Bucks/Celtics. So if the Celtics beat the Bucks this round, that would be a MUCH larger upset and I guess you'll have to change your tune pretty quickly.

I guess you hate the NFL and think their regular season is also meaningless. 6Super Bowl champs were WC teams (4 since 2000) and 4 more SB runners-up.

[Ivytalk]

The NHL is parity run amok. The stats back it up. Come the playoffs, anybody can win and they do. It's a crapshoot. If that's your cup of tea, and you're fine with the preceeding 6 months amount to nothing, then have at it.

You don't like it, we get it. The preceding* 6 months are VERY meaningful, just not in the way that YOU think they should be. The race to make the playoffs came down to the wire, so there were many meaningful games leading up to the end of the season. Like I mentioned before, your stance is just like the BCS folks that wanted to keep the NC to just two teams because the regular season would be "meaningless". In reality when you have more teams in the NHL fighting for a playoff spot knowing that if they can just get in they'd have a legit chance... that's more meaningful games.

The truth is, often there's not much separating the teams in the playoffs. There were a whopping 5 points separating the Caps and Canes in the standings (only two regulation wins). So Canes > Caps is not that big an upset. There were NINETEEN games separating the Bucks/Pistons and 11 separating the Bucks/Celtics. So if the Celtics beat the Bucks this round, that would be a MUCH larger upset and I guess you'll have to change your tune pretty quickly.

I guess you hate the NFL and think their regular season is also meaningless. 6Super Bowl champs were WC teams (4 since 2000) and 4 more SB runners-up.

Bicker, bicker, bicker.

Is GoHens like this?

[89Hen]

You don't like it, we get it. The preceding* 6 months are VERY meaningful, just not in the way that YOU think they should be. The race to make the playoffs came down to the wire, so there were many meaningful games leading up to the end of the season. Like I mentioned before, your stance is just like the BCS folks that wanted to keep the NC to just two teams because the regular season would be "meaningless". In reality when you have more teams in the NHL fighting for a playoff spot knowing that if they can just get in they'd have a legit chance... that's more meaningful games.

The truth is, often there's not much separating the teams in the playoffs. There were a whopping 5 points separating the Caps and Canes in the standings (only two regulation wins). So Canes > Caps is not that big an upset. There were NINETEEN games separating the Bucks/Pistons and 11 separating the Bucks/Celtics. So if the Celtics beat the Bucks this round, that would be a MUCH larger upset and I guess you'll have to change your tune pretty quickly.

I guess you hate the NFL and think their regular season is also meaningless. 6Super Bowl champs were WC teams (4 since 2000) and 4 more SB runners-up.

Bicker, bicker, bicker.

Is GoHens like this?

Yeah, pretty much but it's three years on the same subjects (Tubby vs Keeler, etc...)

[GannonFan]

The NHL is parity run amok. The stats back it up. Come the playoffs, anybody can win and they do. It's a crapshoot. If that's your cup of tea, and you're fine with the preceeding 6 months amount to nothing, then have at it.

You don't like it, we get it. The preceding* 6 months are VERY meaningful, just not in the way that YOU think they should be. The race to make the playoffs came down to the wire, so there were many meaningful games leading up to the end of the season. Like I mentioned before, your stance is just like the BCS folks that wanted to keep the NC to just two teams because the regular season would be "meaningless". In reality when you have more teams in the NHL fighting for a playoff spot knowing that if they can just get in they'd have a legit chance... that's more meaningful games.

The truth is, often there's not much separating the teams in the playoffs. There were a whopping 5 points separating the Caps and Canes in the standings (only two regulation wins). So Canes > Caps is not that big an upset. There were NINETEEN games separating the Bucks/Pistons and 11 separating the Bucks/Celtics. So if the Celtics beat the Bucks this round, that would be a MUCH larger upset and I guess you'll have to change your tune pretty quickly.

I guess you hate the NFL and think their regular season is also meaningless. 6Super Bowl champs were WC teams (4 since 2000) and 4 more SB runners-up.

NFL recognizes the hazards of full fledged parity, hence why they have the bye week for the top 2 seeds in each conference - that makes the regular season very meaningful. NHL is due for a playoff restructuring. Bye weeks wouldn't work, though, tough being off that long.

[UNI88]

You don't like it, we get it. The preceding* 6 months are VERY meaningful, just not in the way that YOU think they should be. The race to make the playoffs came down to the wire, so there were many meaningful games leading up to the end of the season. Like I mentioned before, your stance is just like the BCS folks that wanted to keep the NC to just two teams because the regular season would be "meaningless". In reality when you have more teams in the NHL fighting for a playoff spot knowing that if they can just get in they'd have a legit chance... that's more meaningful games.

The truth is, often there's not much separating the teams in the playoffs. There were a whopping 5 points separating the Caps and Canes in the standings (only two regulation wins). So Canes > Caps is not that big an upset. There were NINETEEN games separating the Bucks/Pistons and 11 separating the Bucks/Celtics. So if the Celtics beat the Bucks this round, that would be a MUCH larger upset and I guess you'll have to change your tune pretty quickly.

I guess you hate the NFL and think their regular season is also meaningless. 6Super Bowl champs were WC teams (4 since 2000) and 4 more SB runners-up.

Bicker, bicker, bicker.

Is GoHens like this?

Lovers spat.

It is interesting watching Ganny argue about sports. On the poly board he's very logical but when it comes to sports he tries to be logical but his emotional attachments have significant influence.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[GannonFan]

Bicker, bicker, bicker.

Is GoHens like this?

Lovers spat.

It is interesting watching Ganny argue about sports. On the poly board he's very logical but when it comes to sports he tries to be logical but his emotional attachments have significant influence.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

That's your bias getting in the way, you're just anti-Philly. Surprised you didn't bring up Santa Claus.

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

It is sad watching him getting taken apart like this.

[UNI88]

Lovers spat.

It is interesting watching Ganny argue about sports. On the poly board he's very logical but when it comes to sports he tries to be logical but his emotional attachments have significant influence.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

That's your bias getting in the way, you're just anti-Philly. Surprised you didn't bring up Santa Claus.

Not true. I like Philly and can relate to Philly fans (I embrace my loud & obnoxious side). I've been a Flyers fan since Keenan and Hextall, they're my #2 team after the Blackhawks. I root for the Eagles in most matchups. I don't care about MLB in general so the Phils don't matter and I think Jimmy Buckets is a prima donna so my apathy for the sixers has nothing to do with Philly or its fans.

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[89Hen]

NHL is due for a playoff restructuring.

On that we can agree. I don't know a single person that likes the divisional aspect of the current format. You can win your division and face a tougher opponent than #3 in the other division faces.

[89Hen]

It is sad watching him getting taken apart like this.

Yeah, he's kind of a hero of mine on the poli board, so I almost feel bad for destroying him like this.