This year's playoff
race, especially in the Western Conference, is the tightest it's been since the
lockout. With only two games left for most teams, no seed in the West from
first to tenth is secured and Washington and Florida could finish either third,
eighth or ninth in the East. This allows more and more teams to play meaningful
games long into the season which benefits both fans of these teams and the
league as whole. Or is it? While parity means a greater number of teams have a
shot at the playoffs, it also makes the NHL lose integrity as a league. The NHL
is the only one of the top four North American sports leagues that reward a
team for a loss in the form of the so-called "loser point".
The loser point was
instituted with the shootout the first year after the lockout. Before this, as
I'm sure everyone will remember, games had a system in which there could only
be a total of two points handed out to either team. If there was not a winner
after regulation and overtime, the game would end in a tie with each team
splitting the points. The shootout was created so that there would be a
decisive victor at the end of each game to "save" fans from a game
that ended in a draw. It was controversial move at the time and it remains so.
I mean, who wants to lose a team game because of an individual skills
competition? The NHL, recognizing this,
added an extra point to the mix by rewarding teams for making it past
regulation. This three point system changed the whole complexion of the
standings. With an extra point up for grabs, it eliminated the previous system
which had a pre-determined number of points available for teams to compete for.
This is what has created such parity in the league. Instead of every team vying
for a piece of the pie, the pie can grow with each game.
Now, I am not
suggesting a change back to the times with only two points given out for each
game. I am not sure there is a possible scenario in which that would work
without reverting back to ties - and the NHL won't do that in the foreseeable
future. My suggestion is that instead of rewarding teams for simply making it
past regulation, they reward teams for succeeding at the shootout - yet still
treat it as an inferior win. The solution: a 2-1-0 point system. Two points for
a regulation or overtime win, one point for a shootout win, and zero points for
any loss. This system would eliminate
the "loser" point, and benefit those teams that are able to win in
overtime or a shootout, rather than those teams who go into a suffocating
defense in the third period just to gain a point. In theory, teams would push
harder later in the games, and in overtime, to earn an extra point in the
standings and thus leading to fewer shootouts. Even if the game does go to a
shootout, the NHL saves face by making them worth only half of a regular win.
There is no flaw I
can find with this system; in fact I think it suits the current tie-break
formula much better than the current system. Below, I have adjusted the current
NHL standings to match my point system and reward the teams that have
celebrated the most amount of victories this season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
W L P
ROW
NY Rangers 51
30 100 47
Boston 48 33
88 40
Washington 41
40 78 37
Pittsburgh 50
31 91 41
Philadelphia 47
34 90 43
New Jersey 47
34 82 35
Ottawa 41 40
76 35
Tampa
Bay 37 44
71 34
____________________________
Buffalo 39 42
71 32
Winnipeg 37
44 70 33
Florida 37 44
68 31
Toronto 35 46
66 31
Carolina 33 50
65 32
NY Islanders 34
47 61 27
Montreal 30 51
55 25
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W L P
ROW
Vancouver 50
31 96 42
St. Louis 48 32
92 44
Dallas 42 39
77 35
Nashville 47 34
89 42
Detroit 48 33
87 39
Chicago 44 37
82 38
San Jose 42 39
75 33
Phoenix 40 40
74 34
____________________________
Los
Angeles 40 41
74 34
Colorado 41 40
73 32
Calgary 36 45
69 33
Anaheim 34
47 65 31
Edmonton 32
49 59 27
Minnesota 35
46 59 24
Columbus 28
53 52 24
Analysis
As you can see, this
provides for some interesting playoff implications. In the East, Florida
suddenly drops from third to eleventh (Wow!) and Tampa Bay, who is currently 8
points out with the current system, would be sitting in eighth place battling
with Buffalo and Winnipeg. At the bottom of the conference, there would be some
minor shifting with Toronto and Carolina swapping seeds. As expected, the West
is full of changes. Dallas, who currently sits in ninth place, eliminated from
the playoffs, jumps to the division lead with a 2 point cushion on San Jose
while Los Angeles and Colorado would still be battling for the last two playoff
positions. At the bottom, there is some minor shifting with Minnesota making
the largest plunge from twelfth to fourteenth. This may not seem like much, but
an Edmonton team who sits 7 points back of them with the current system would
now overtake them. Sorry Dallas, Tampa Bay, and fans of the other teams that
would still be alive if it wasn't for the dreaded loser point. Parity in the
league remains high with this system, and at the very least, it's some food for
thought.
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