How in the world can Carolina be in a different conference/division than the two Florida teams? That wouldn't make any sense but I guess they care more about keeping rivalries together than about travel.
How in the world can Carolina be in a different conference/division than the two Florida teams? That wouldn't make any sense but I guess they care more about keeping rivalries together than about travel.
Until you can physically move the teams, west'll be screwed no matter what.
I propose three conferences.
In seriousness that proposition, would leave 16 teams in west and 14 in east. Nononono. Keep them like in that image but move like Red wings and CBJ to east.
that wont work either. i say reallign the two East Divisions to roughly equalize there travel miles (fuck you pittsburgh division, you dont get to be 1/6th the travel miles of the rest of the league). but when it comes to playoffs:
the top team from each division makes the playoffs. after that. the top 12 teams after them based on points.
seed them 1-16. watch teams like Boston and Washington finally understand what its like to watch a playoff game end at 1 am on a regular basis, then people might understand why Detroit wants to be in the East so bad.
Fuck that, the Blow Jackets can stay in the West :P
As far as I am concerned, no one is ever going to be happy with realignment, especially if some teams don't get moved. Putting Phoenix in Seattle would solve some travel problems for most teams aside from Columbus, Nashville and Detroit. Alternatively, schedule western games to start earlier for teams coming from the further east side of the division. Rather then games starting at 7 PM PST for the Wings, Preds and BJ's, they should start at 5 PM PST. You can't logically put 16 teams in one conference just because of their location, and then have another 14 teams in the other, the smaller conference will have a much easier time with teams making the playoffs as only 1 team from the larger grouping would be getting in (9 teams instead of 8 per conference). The other issue is one smaller conference means you will be seeing the same teams more often then usual, while the opposite is true for the larger conference.
Abolish conferences and divisions. Play every team once home and away. 58 game season. This will still be kinda shit for the western based teams, but it's definitely more fair overall for the league as a whole. You play everybody, not just teams near you. Fans are guaranteed to have every major star come to their team's city once a year, barring injury.
Even this would have its pitfalls. Like Ren said, no matter what they do or don't do, people are going to think it's crap.
This is why the NFL has it so easy. 32 teams. 16 games a season. 6 games set aside for divisional matchups, 2 set aside for intra-conference teams ranked the same in their division the year before. 8 games for the rotating divisional matchups.
30 is just so awkward, but it seems to be the 'standard' because 3 of the major leagues use it. You could add 2 teams to an already talent-thin league, but realistically, they should just drop it to 28. Could play against each team 3 times in a season and have a rotating system where you play certain teams twice home and once away one year, then switch the next.
There are so many things they could (should) do. Before any realignment happens, though, I want clear, definitive rules in place for goaltender interference. And have the plays be reviewable because half the time, it's their own defenseman who is pushing someone into them.
That would be great along with allowing real rivals to have the opportunity to play each other in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since the great fuck up of 93. I like the idea of less games as it would make each game significantly more important and playing each team once home & away would be very fair.
someone forgot to tell stl tey ave to protect te rookie goalie.
---------- Post added 2013-02-13 at 09:00 PM ----------
Poor Allen...Datsyuk just went dirty on him.
so ive gotta ask.
if Jimmy Howard is so dang good on teh shootout.
wy the hell does he suck so much ass on breakaways?
Viktor Fasth is almost as good as he was when he left Sweden. Swedish goalies, eh?
Going to be seeing the Leafs/Sens game. We lose Frattin/Reimer/Lupul they lose Karlsson/Spezza; I'm okay with the trade.
I find it funny how Sens are trying to block Leaf fans from attending games there. They sure didn't mind taking our money when no one in Ottawa even gave a crap about Ottawa's NHL team. They'll be begging for us to go if the government finally scraps the tax exemption BS in this province.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/...l_feschuk.html
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/...ded-team-says/
Flames put up 7 on Dallas, man their D is pathetic. Anyone catch what Cooke did Karlsson?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...TVRyz7N9U#t=0s ^ video of it. What a fucking scumbag, suspend that prick for life, no need for shit like that.
Last edited by Zeoni; 2013-02-14 at 05:32 AM.
That didn't look intentional to me. Looked like they were fighting for position, Cooke lost his balance and his leg came up.
That would be easier to believe without his history.
Honestly, Cooke should get another suspension and be given a final warning that any further screw ups and he's out of the league permanently. Even if it was intentional; He knows he has skates on, he knows they're sharp, he knows he lifted it up in a kicking motion. Neil sucker punch was dirty too and he needs to be suspended as well IMO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jiL...=youtube_gdata
Fighting is good for the brand, dirty players are not. If a player did that crap to Crosby or Malkin, Pens management would be crying about how the perpetrator should be out of the league for good.