GDT: 2020-21 season game 54 LA Kings vs St. Louis Blues @6:00pm 5/10/21

[johnjm22]

n a serious note, I think this shortened season has shown the NHL could reduce the schedule from 82 to 72 games, and no one would mind.

Well except the people who make money off it. More games = more revenue.

But I personally think too many games waters down the product so I agree with you.

I may be in vast minority, but I actually think they should reduce the amount of playoff games.

 

[KINGS17]

Well except the people who make money off it. More games = more revenue.

But I personally think too many games waters down the product so I agree with you.

I may be in vast minority, but I actually think they should reduce the amount of playoff games.

The NHL used to have a best of five first round, but I still favor best of seven. Knocking 8-10 games off the regular season schedule is something I think would make for a better fan experience.

 

[johnjm22]

The NHL used to have a best of five first round, but I still favor best of seven. Knocking 8-10 games off the regular season schedule is something I think would make for a better fan experience.

IMO, the SC finals usually end up being some of the worst hockey of the entire playoffs. (From an entertainment perspective)

When you've got 4 rounds of 7 game series, by the time teams make it to the finals they're worn down and beat up. So the on ice product suffers. Shortening up the playoffs could help a bit.

Ultimately the fan experience isn't as important as the bottom line.

 

[bland]

IMO, the SC finals usually end up being some of the worst hockey of the entire playoffs. (From an entertainment perspective)

When you've got 4 rounds of 7 game series, by the time teams make it to the finals they're worn down and beat up. So the on ice product suffers. Shortening up the playoffs could help a bit.

Ultimately the fan experience isn't as important as the bottom line.

The Cup seems drier than the Conference playoffs because the teams never play each other more than twice, and the intense heat of the Conference finals is always in immediate stark contrast to the feeling out process of the first couple games of the Cup finals. I don't think it has anything to do with the length of the playoffs.

 

[johnjm22]

The Cup seems drier than the Conference playoffs because the teams never play each other more than twice, and the intense heat of the Conference finals is always in immediate stark contrast to the feeling out process of the first couple games of the Cup finals. I don't think it has anything to do with the length of the playoffs.

That may have something to do with it as well, but the players in the finals always look less energetic to me. And I've heard players comment on how worn down they are.

 

[Fishhead]

IMO, the SC finals usually end up being some of the worst hockey of the entire playoffs. (From an entertainment perspective)

When you've got 4 rounds of 7 game series, by the time teams make it to the finals they're worn down and beat up. So the on ice product suffers. Shortening up the playoffs could help a bit.

Ultimately the fan experience isn't as important as the bottom line.

Shortening the regular season would make the playoffs even more important from a money standpoint. Playoff revenue, merchandise, etc. make teams far more money than regular season games. It would definitely drive teams on the bubble to go for it more and alter the current strategies that GM's use as far as forming their roster.

I get the long series argument though, teams are falling apart by the SCF in most cases. The only one that wasn't recently was the 2012 Kings, who were fresh as a daisy because they were steamrolling teams. Even though the product isn't top level after so many grueling games, I think the intensity and weight of the games counteract that somewhat.

I'm probably in the minority, but I like what the NBA is doing with their play in this year. I wouldn't mind seeing a similar system in the NHL where 7/8 and 6/9 have a 3 game series to get into the SCP while the top 6 get a chance to recover a bit. It makes the regular season standings more meaningful for sure and the rest should improve the product somewhat. Just lop some games off the regular season to accommodate.

 

[johnjm22]

I'm probably in the vast minority on this thought as well, but I think they should get rid of the SC finals all together. Instead, make it one single game. The superbowl of hockey.

There's something to be said for having a single special day for the NHL. I know it will never happen, but that's what I would like.

The gold medal game between USA and Canada that got 27 million viewers, was enhanced by the fact that it was a single game.

The Winter Classic was great for the NHL in a similar fashion, but I think they really ruined the novelty of it by having too many games. Should've always stayed a once per year event, but the NHL just couldn't resist the short term profit.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I'm probably in the vast minority on this thought as well, but I think they should get rid of the SC finals all together. Instead, make it one single game. The superbowl of hockey.

Couldn't hate that idea more. The concept of everything riding on one game, where any team can get a bounce, just doesn't make sense to me. For example, we've seen the Kings beat teams like COL and VGK this year....but we all know what would happen in a four game series. That's how it should be, it allows the better team to be the better team.

 

[Bandit]

Couldn't hate that idea more. The concept of everything riding on one game, where any team can get a bounce, just doesn't make sense to me. For example, we've seen the Kings beat teams like COL and VGK this year....but we all know what would happen in a four game series. That's how it should be, it allows the better team to be the better team.

Yup, football only does one game because there's too many injuries to make it a tournament.

 

[BigKing]

The Cup seems drier than the Conference playoffs because the teams never play each other more than twice, and the intense heat of the Conference finals is always in immediate stark contrast to the feeling out process of the first couple games of the Cup finals. I don't think it has anything to do with the length of the playoffs.

Agree.

I'm going to sit on my lawn and yell "get off it" but the game is just different now too. We aren't getting Lecavalier and Iginla dropping the gloves in Game 1 of the SCF anymore. Everyone is afraid of taking a killer penalty in the SCF so that plays into it as well, in my opinion.

There is something to be said for the length factoring in to less of a physical contest in the Finals but I wouldn't change it at all since that is part of what makes winning it so special. The first round is always my favorite though since everyone comes out guns blazing, especially for the first game in their home building. I start to lose interest with each round and generally don't even watch the SCF anymore, or at least I don't go out of my way for it. Think I was watching Chiefs/Ravens instead of Game 6 of the SCF last year.