Western Standings, Apr 3

[gaijin]

All teams have 2-3 games to go.

The least interesting story is the Northwest Division, as Vancouver has easily clinched their division, and is battling St. Louis for the best record in the West. Colorado is the only other team from the Northwest with a shot at the playoffs, but they're currently sitting in 10th place, 2 points out of the playoffs, and one less game in hand than the 3 teams ahead of them. Not impossible, but not probable at this point. Looks like VAN will be the sole representative from the Northwest Division this year.

In the Central, with the exception of Columbus, all teams have locked in a playoff berth, but the exact positioning remains of interest. Right now, Chicago and Nashville have the same points, but Nashville has one game in hand and is only one point behind Detroit. Without a doubt, these teams will be #4, 5, and 6, which makes for some interesting first-round matchups. There could be a DET-NSH series in either city, or possibly a DET-CHI matchup (likely in Detroit). The team that finishes #6 (currently Chicago) will play the winner of the Pacific Division (currently LA). Personally, I would like to see DET and NSH, and CHI and LA beat each other up in the first round. Better for us.

The Pacific is still very much in contention. Right now LA has a 2-pt advantage (good enough for the Division lead and 3rd place in the Conference), but PHX is just 2 pts behind them with a game in hand. SJ trails PHX by a point, and DAL (currently sitting 9th) trails SJ by a point. If LA does win the Pacific, they are likely to face CHI (or perhaps even NSH). Quick-Rinne matchup, anyone?

For us, we are comfortably the 1st or 2nd seed. Pride put aside, finishing 1st or 2nd really won't make much of a difference in the first round, as we are almost equally likely to draw Phoenix or San Jose either way. I'd almost rather VAN have to deal with the pressure of being the #1 seed. Almost.

With only a few games left for everyone, those last couple playoff spots are still undetermined. I love it.

As of right now:
VAN vs. SJ
STL vs. PHX
LA vs. CHI
DET vs. NSH

[Winning Unlimited]

The second seed is almost better than the first. Suppose no upsets, seeds 1, 2, 3, and 4 advance. The number 2 seed plays the 3 seed. The 3 seed is worse than the 4 seed. I'd rather play LA than Nashville.

Stephen Schmanske, a Professor in California, suggested to me that teams should be able to pick their opponents. So, whoever finishes #1 can pick among 7 teams to play. Whoever finishes #2 can pick among 5 teams, and so on. If a team comes into the playoffs hot at #8, or have a great goalie, a team can pick to play someone else.

[cprice12]

It's a great time to have NHL Center Ice.

[ohio BLUES]

It seems kinda sucky that Chicago gets a first-round reward for being 4th in their division by getting to face the worst division-winner. A similar thing is happening in the East, where New Jersey escapes the Philly-Pittsburgh buzzsaw and gets to play Florida.

I'm thinking that if the NHL proceeds next year on the same playoff format and divisions, the division winners shouldn't be guaranteed the first three spots in the conference, but rather just one of the top four spots in the conference, so that they can have first-round home-ice. Looking at this year, that would mean:

Pacific Division winner would end up with the fourth seed, and the second-place team from the Central finishes with the three seed. As of this moment, that would make the matchups:

VAN-SJ
STL-PHX
DET-CHI
LA-NSH

In the East, that bumps Florida to the fourth seed and forestalls PIT-PHI a bit:

NYR-WSH
BOS-OTT
PIT-NJ
FLA-PHI

The bottom line is that weak division winners should not be buoyed by the playoff system at the expense of good teams in strong divisions.

Unless, of course, it means Detroit loses in a smoldering heap of suck.

[kodos]

I think the whole idea of division winners is ridiculous. Keep the divisions to help with travel and rivalries... but they should just drop the entire concept of rewarding division winners.

If an entire division misses the playoffs, then they just do. Oh well.

[kodos]

The second seed is almost better than the first. Suppose no upsets, seeds 1, 2, 3, and 4 advance. The number 2 seed plays the 3 seed. The 3 seed is worse than the 4 seed. I'd rather play LA than Nashville.

Stephen Schmanske, a Professor in California, suggested to me that teams should be able to pick their opponents. So, whoever finishes #1 can pick among 7 teams to play. Whoever finishes #2 can pick among 5 teams, and so on. If a team comes into the playoffs hot at #8, or have a great goalie, a team can pick to play someone else.

I've always thought that would be a cool way to do it. Because not only does it reward regular season winners, by giving them more control... it also makes for such compelling story lines...

The teams that get picked instantly have a chip on their shoulder... "They think they can beat us? US? Those arrogant bastards have made the worse choice of their careers!"

When you pick your opponent it just makes everything more dramatic. It gives everyone more to talk about.

It would also make 1st overall way more important. If some goalie is playing out of his mind, you could not select to play him in the 2nd round. You could instead pick the team that just got beat to hell in the first round and is missing two of their best players.

[ohio BLUES]

The second seed is almost better than the first. Suppose no upsets, seeds 1, 2, 3, and 4 advance. The number 2 seed plays the 3 seed. The 3 seed is worse than the 4 seed. I'd rather play LA than Nashville.

Stephen Schmanske, a Professor in California, suggested to me that teams should be able to pick their opponents. So, whoever finishes #1 can pick among 7 teams to play. Whoever finishes #2 can pick among 5 teams, and so on. If a team comes into the playoffs hot at #8, or have a great goalie, a team can pick to play someone else.

I've always thought that would be a cool way to do it. Because not only does it reward regular season winners, by giving them more control... it also makes for such compelling story lines...

The teams that get picked instantly have a chip on their shoulder... "They think they can beat us? US? Those arrogant bastards have made the worse choice of their careers!"

When you pick your opponent it just makes everything more dramatic. It gives everyone more to talk about.

It would also make 1st overall way more important. If some goalie is playing out of his mind, you could not select to play him in the 2nd round. You could instead pick the team that just got beat to hell in the first round and is missing two of their best players.

It's intriguing to think about... would Vancouver pick Chicago, just to say they beat them again? San Jose, if they make it, would be the easiest matchup for the Canucks, but I think they would like to give a giant "(Frank) you" to the Blackhawks if they had the chance.

[cprice12]

If the new divisions had been approved, this wouldn't be an issue.

We'd have divisional playoffs, 1v4, 2v3 in every division.

That's the way it used to be...and that's the way it should be.

[sseagle]

If the new divisions had been approved, this wouldn't be an issue.

We'd have divisional playoffs, 1v4, 2v3 in every division.

That's the way it used to be...and that's the way it should be.

Not this year we wouldn'ta

[cprice12]

If the new divisions had been approved, this wouldn't be an issue.

We'd have divisional playoffs, 1v4, 2v3 in every division.

That's the way it used to be...and that's the way it should be.

Not this year we wouldn'ta

Right...I was talking next year.

[philco_3]

If the new divisions had been approved, this wouldn't be an issue.

We'd have divisional playoffs, 1v4, 2v3 in every division.

That's the way it used to be...and that's the way it should be.

Not this year we wouldn'ta

Right...I was talking next year.

[sseagle]

If the new divisions had been approved, this wouldn't be an issue.

We'd have divisional playoffs, 1v4, 2v3 in every division.

That's the way it used to be...and that's the way it should be.

Not this year we wouldn'ta

Right...I was talking next year.

We shall kicketh thine asses henceforth and hitherto and so forth and so on.

[sparty09]

Preds win and they're now in 4th. Anaheim can help the Blues out a lot by stealing one in Vancouver, but it's 2-2 in the 2nd. I'm not too confident about that one.

[WaukeeBlues]

I'm just glad to be keeping out of that Central Division logjam in the middle there. I would not want to face Nashville, Detroit OR the Hawks in the first round. I'd rather see them battle each other in rivalry fashion and kick each other's teeth in than us having to do it. Granted one team gets out of it but still.

Prospects for the President's Trophy got more remote tonight as well as Rangers win 5-3 to take the inside track. Not that that means a whole lot but still symbolic at any rate.

[STLADOGG]

Preds win and they're now in 4th. Anaheim can help the Blues out a lot by stealing one in Vancouver, but it's 2-2 in the 2nd. I'm not too confident about that one.

4-2 Mighty Ducks(still in 2nd)..how bout that eh?

[sseagle]

I'm just glad to be keeping out of that Central Division logjam in the middle there. I would not want to face Nashville, Detroit OR the Hawks in the first round. I'd rather see them battle each other in rivalry fashion and kick each other's teeth in than us having to do it. Granted one team gets out of it but still.

Prospects for the President's Trophy got more remote tonight as well as Rangers win 5-3 to take the inside track. Not that that means a whole lot but still symbolic at any rate.

There is no reason to be winning cursed trophies that our guys would undoubtedly touch and curse the whole damnable season. Let's win a cup!

[STLADOGG]

Preds win and they're now in 4th. Anaheim can help the Blues out a lot by stealing one in Vancouver, but it's 2-2 in the 2nd. I'm not too confident about that one.

4-2 Mighty Ducks(still in 2nd)..how bout that eh?

4-4 now
Mighty Useless Ducks...

[sparty09]

Ducks lose in the SO. I knew there wasn't any reason to trust them.