Quote:

Originally Posted by crgildart 

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylrwnzl 

How we go to two conferences with say ten teams and shorten the regular season by thirty games? Get rid of teams in places like LA, Florida, Phoenix, Nashville, San Jose, Dallas, etc. Plus axe some of the under-competitive teams like the Islanders and Blue Jackets. Maybe put a team or two in northern markets like Seattle and have the playoffs end by say Early April instead of June.

Getting rid of Dallas would be quite popular with the other teams seeing that they are so good right now.  I used to say that only cities where they actually have high school hockey in public schools should be allowed to have NHL franchises.  All kidding about geographical discrimination aside..  A more competitive league qualifying system like they use in European Club Soccer/Football sounds intriguing.  They have several dozen teams, but only the top 18 get to play in the country's Primiere League, La Liga, etc.  Then the best of those get to play in the international Champion's League matches.

 

That wouldn't work too well in the NHL. Can you imagine the riots if the Leafs or Habs got dropped out of the NHL? 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylrwnzl 

 

Can you imagine the riots if the Leafs or Habs got dropped out of the NHL? 
 

 

ya

From the MN side of things, this is a great conference realignment.  The great "rivalry" with the rest of the teams in the NW division has always felt totally artificial while those of us with memories of  Minnesota's history in the NHL remember the great games with Chicago and St. Louis (and to a lesser extent, Detroit).  And now having the deserting team back just adds fuel to the fire in that rivalry (Norm Green SUCKS! Norm Green SUCKS!)!

I haven't seen any info yet on how the playoffs are suppose to work, but I do wonder about the current 8-8-7-7 set-up.  If they are doing away with the whole East-West set-up, then this might make some sense, otherwise I would have moved Detroit or Columbus into the East.  I have heard that Detroit really wanted to move back to the East so they could renew their competition with the other original 6 members, esp. Toronto, and New York.  I thought they would opt for the really simple solution and just move Nashville into the SE and allow Winnipeg to take Nashville's spot in the Central.  Given the density of teams in the eastern time zone, I think a better solution would be an 7-7-8-8 set-up with Detroit and Columbus moving east and Colorado joining the central.  I'd have DET, BUF, OTT, MTL, TOR, PIT, PHI, BOS in Conf C and CBJ, WSH, NJ, NYR, NYI, CAR, TB, FLA in Conf D.  If the competitive balance looks a little off with this set-up (D and B could be a little on the weak side, and C overloaded with good teams), I'd move COL back west, and Detroit back to the central and go 8-7-7-8.  But then the NHL Board didn't ask me

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tag 

From the MN side of things, this is a great conference realignment.  The great "rivalry" with the rest of the teams in the NW division has always felt totally artificial while those of us with memories of  Minnesota's history in the NHL remember the great games with Chicago and St. Louis (and to a lesser extent, Detroit).  And now having the deserting team back just adds fuel to the fire in that rivalry (Norm Green SUCKS! Norm Green SUCKS!)!

 

I haven't seen any info yet on how the playoffs are suppose to work, but I do wonder about the current 8-8-7-7 set-up.  If they are doing away with the whole East-West set-up, then this might make some sense, otherwise I would have moved Detroit or Columbus into the East.  I have heard that Detroit really wanted to move back to the East so they could renew their competition with the other original 6 members, esp. Toronto, and New York.  I thought they would opt for the really simple solution and just move Nashville into the SE and allow Winnipeg to take Nashville's spot in the Central.  Given the density of teams in the eastern time zone, I think a better solution would be an 7-7-8-8 set-up with Detroit and Columbus moving east and Colorado joining the central.  I'd have DET, BUF, OTT, MTL, TOR, PIT, PHI, BOS in Conf C and CBJ, WSH, NJ, NYR, NYI, CAR, TB, FLA in Conf D.  If the competitive balance looks a little off with this set-up (D and B could be a little on the weak side, and C overloaded with good teams), I'd move COL back west, and Detroit back to the central and go 8-7-7-8.  But then the NHL Board didn't ask me

Playoffs are as follows:

Each conference has a playoff at end of season:

1 v 4

2 v 3

Winner 1 v Winner 2

That then leaves you with four conference champions. They haven't decided how they will determine who will face who yet but at that point you're to the semi-finals and then the Cup finals. So you still get a four round playoff, but potentially now you could have Pitt v Boston in the cup finals or Vancouver v Chicago. Should also create some more interesting match-ups in the early rounds. IE Boston/Montreal, Pit/Phi, Det/Chicago etc.

Yeah, just saw the press release from the Wild's web page:

A little vague about what happens after the second round. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tag 

Yeah, just saw the press release from the Wild's web page:

 

 

Quote:

In the seven-team Conferences, teams would play six times – three home, three away. In the eight-team Conferences, teams play either five or six times in a season on a rotating basis; three teams play each other six times and four teams would play each other five times. This process would reverse each season: An eight-team Conference member that plays an opponent six times in one season would play it five times the following season.

The top four teams in each Conference would make the playoffs. The first-place team would play the fourth-place team while the second-place team would play the third-place team. NHL general managers will determine the playoff structure after round two in the proposed realignment. The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round of the Playoffs, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.


 

A little vague about what happens after the second round. 

 

Bettman isn't deciding what happens after the second round until March.

OK, 1/4 point of the season has just passed - what are your mid-semester grades?  Best surprises?  Biggest flops/disappointments?  Already a few coaches gone to the sidelines, how many more will follow?

My quick .02 starts with the hometown club.  3-6 at the end of October, then back to back wins over the Red Wings start a turnaround that leads to the Wild's best November as a franchise and a spot on top of the NHL.  Can't get much better than that to start the season.  Would also give a nod to Florida owning the best record in the SE division right now.

Disappointment category would be lead by Washington's slow start on the east and the Duck's awful play in the West.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tag 

OK, 1/4 point of the season has just passed - what are your mid-semester grades?  Best surprises?  Biggest flops/disappointments?  Already a few coaches gone to the sidelines, how many more will follow?

 

My quick .02 starts with the hometown club.  3-6 at the end of October, then back to back wins over the Red Wings start a turnaround that leads to the Wild's best November as a franchise and a spot on top of the NHL.  Can't get much better than that to start the season.  Would also give a nod to Florida owning the best record in the SE division right now.

 

Disappointment category would be lead by Washington's slow start on the east and the Duck's awful play in the West.

Pittsburgh leading the Eastern Conference despite the fact that Fluery is a traditionally slow starting goal tender, not having Crosby until two weeks ago, and the fact that as a team they usually don't start firing on all cylinders until late in the season. Even though they have won a Cup and came up short in the finals over the last five seasons, not once over that span have they one the Eastern Conference regular season title and right now they're looking like very good contenders to do so. 

Tim Thomas and the Bruins shut down the firing on all cylinder Pens, two 5 on 3's???   Damn that was fun to watch

Quote:

Originally Posted by FETC2007 

Tim Thomas and the Bruins shut down the firing on all cylinder Pens, two 5 on 3's???   Damn that was fun to watch

Thomas stopped 45 of 46 on the night. Gotta give him props for stopping the on slaught. Odds are the B's won't be able to win consistently if their defense allows 46 shots a game against tough opponents though.

It was sure strange seeing Mad Max in orange against the Pens last night..... ( Jagr too)

Anyone looking forward to this years WINTER CLASSIC?

1pm on January 2nd, Monday. NBC in the US, CBC in the great north.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossi Smash 

Anyone looking forward to this years WINTER CLASSIC?

 

1pm on January 2nd, Monday. NBC in the US, CBC in the great north.

 

 

I plan to be skiing in a snowstorm at that exact date and time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossi Smash 

Anyone looking forward to this years WINTER CLASSIC?

 

1pm on January 2nd, Monday. NBC in the US, CBC in the great north.

 

As a BIG TIME NY Rangers fan im really psyched to watch the Winter Classic.... Ill be even MORE excited if my Giants beat those filthy cows this Sunday

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Originally Posted by Kase-1  Ill be even MORE excited if my Giants beat those filthy cows this Sunday

 

As a fan of both, living in each metro area when they won championships, I have to say the edge goes to the Giants this weekend.  Dallas hasn't played top tier football since the 90s.  However, neither seems to have what it will take to knock off the Slackers, Noners, or Aints.  But, anything is possible, that's why they play the game right?  Hoping for several miracles here too.

Great fun @ the alumni game outdoors

They sold it out! Always fun to see some of the greats from the past with huge smiles on the ice......

Big tilt coming up, rematch between the B's and Canucks. Love em' or hate em' they are playing downright nasty hockey. I know it was only Calgary last night but 9-0 was pretty impressive. Seguin is starting to show his true talents which is nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daveski7 

Big tilt coming up, rematch between the B's and Canucks. Love em' or hate em' they are playing downright nasty hockey. I know it was only Calgary last night but 9-0 was pretty impressive. Seguin is starting to show his true talents which is nice.

No but the game w/Dallas New Years Eve was just perfect for me!

That's a big surprise!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=610343

Wow, I was off skiing somewhere and missed this

NHL delays realignment after NHLPA refuses consent

Me too. Dang it. Bettman said the NHLPA didn't need to consent for it to happen, apparently he was wrong. 

I don't really see how it was an improvement anyway......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossi Smash 

I don't really see how it was an improvement anyway......

I liked that every team would get a home and away against every other team during the season. That was definitely a plus. Otherwise, yeah, just shifting things around.

Jeff Skinner should be back in the lineup tonight when the Hurricanes lose to the Bruins.  I'm rockin the Orr jersey around town today

Quote:

Originally Posted by crgildart 

Jeff Skinner should be back in the lineup tonight when the Hurricanes lose to the Bruins.  I'm rockin the Orr jersey around town today

Good thing I'm not out wearing it right now  Way to go Canes!

With last night's OT/Shootout win against the coyotes...guess who's on top of the standings in the Western Conference.  That's right that team that everyone loves to hate.  Go Wings!   I might have to bust out my Zetterburg jersey today.  The kids and I are going to see Alabama vs Tennessee in hockey tonight.  Yes, I know that sounds strange, but it's hockey and we enjoy it and it's only 6 miles from out house.  We have to take what we can get. 

Ya, the Wings are probably very near the top of my most hated teams, and for good reason.  But, I do have a Detroit Federov sweater.  He was a BEAST!

Quote:

Originally Posted by crgildart 

Ya, the Wings are probably very near the top of my most hated teams, and for good reason.  But, I do have a Detroit Federov sweater.  He was a BEAST!

Yeah, Federov was a beast...and the Russian Five was a great line to watch play and skate.  Puck possession to the nth degree.