OT: Kings/NHL demonstrates regular season meaningless. Again.
Congrats to the Kings and the L.A. fans on a great victory last night. The Kings were an 8 seed, meaning last playoff contender in their conference. With 6 games to go in the regular season the Kings were not even qualified for the 16 team (out of 30 total NHL teams) NHL playoffs. But they dominated the competition to secure the Cup, with a record for the playoffs of a remarkable 16-4.
While an 8 seed hasn't won the Cup before, it's actually a regular occurence that a low seed gets to the finals--8 times snce 2000, a team seeded 5-8 has made it to the Cup Finals (New Jersey, the Kings opponent, was a 6 seed) . And many teams seeded below 3 have won. As Red Wings fans know, a great regular season, even setting point records, doesn't mean you won't go out in the first round.
When my friends ask me why I don't watch Wngs games at home until the playoffs, this is why. I prefer watching regular season games that actually mean something. I know a large majority of hockey fans don't agree with me at all, and thank goodness for the NHL that they don't. It makes me even more thankful for college football, with a regular season that is critical, and soon to have a playoff system that, no matter which alternative goes in, will ensure that the regular season continues to matter and that regular season excellence is rewarded, whle still crowning a champion on the field.
not always, but most often, there is very little between the 4 seed and 8 seed in the NHL playoffs. Since the salary cap came in the parity in the NHL has been remarkable. There are still a few duds out there, but most of the league is competitive. That is why 8 teams per conference is appropriate in hockey. In the NBA it's a joke.
Baseball sounds like a good idea because of the lack of a salary cap you have a few teams that are far above those other teams. That's just not the case in hockey, as was evidenced in this years playoff. When is the last time an 8 seed in the NBA made any noise in the payoffs? That's a genuine question, becuase I find the NBA absolutely unwatchable anymore.
Last year, the Grizzles beat the Spurs in the first round as a #8 seed. A few years before that, the Warriors upset Dallas (when Dallas had nearly set the regular-season win record). The #8 seeds do win the first round every few years. Not as often as hockey, but about as often as you'd expect for a team that is supposed to be a major underdog.
I think it's only happened 4 times in NBA history
- The Kings would not have received a mulligan by firing their head coach weeks into the season and getting lucky with Darryl Sutter.
- Jeff Carter wouldn't have had a chance to tank the first half of the season in Columbus to get shipped to L.A.
- The Red Wings could've gone into the playoffs completely healthy and suddenly become a tough out.
Without the regular season, teams don't get a chance to evaluate where they are, make adjustments via trade, minors or coaching staff. Without the regular season, you basically have the Olympics, where more times than not, the most talented teams sweep up the medals.
Ehhh, I don't know about this:
"And many teams seeded below 3 have won."
Ummm...since divisional alignment in 1994, only 2 4-seeds and 1 5-seed have won the Stanley cup (and the Kings at 8). The rest of the breakdown (Seed, Number of Cup Winners):
- 6
- 6
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 0
- 0
- 1
I'm seeing a relatively strong correlation between higher seeds and Stanley Cup wins.
I would venture to guess (because I don't have time to break it down) that hot goaltender play and the generally more physical, grinding style of the playoffs have quite a bit more effect on lower seeds doing well in the playoffs than seeds themselves not giving a decent representation of teams' championship worth.
The regular season is the only time to see the Maple Leafs.
You are missing a key aspect of the regular season. These days there is no such thing as a sure playoff bid. Great teams will still make the playoffs, but average-to-good teams have no guarantee they will make it. In the NHL today, the parity level assures that no one is safe, and even if a spot is all but secured late in the season, teams still play hard to try and earn home-ice advantage, whether or not it ultimately affects the outcome of the postseason.
who spent too much of this season out of the playoffs and on the edge. This will probably bee the Wings next year.