The Atlantic Division

[Cotton]

There is a misconception on HF that keeps popping up this season about the Atlantic division. While it is a weak division overall, the misconception is that the top 3 teams (and Toronto more specifically) are where they are points wise because they get to “beat on” the five other Atlantic teams, all of which are struggling to one degree or another.

This has been repeated numerous times on these boards and is used to disregard the top 3 Atlantic teams because they supposedly “benefit from beating easy competition all the time”. I didn’t know who benefited the most by getting to “beat on” those teams, I just knew it wasn’t Toronto, so I went over the numbers and this is what they revealed about who has benefited the most from the Atlantic bottom 5.

These are each teams games/results/pts and % these pts are of their total on the season.

31. Nashville. 2-0 (4pts of a possible 4pts) those 4pts account for 5.63% of Tampas 71Pts.
30. Vegas. 3-2-1 (7/12pts) 9.46% of 74Pts.
29. Winnipeg. 3-2-1 (7/12pts) 9.59% of 73Pts.
28. Colorado. 3-3-1 (7/14pts) 11.29% of 62Pts.
27. Anaheim. 3-3-1 (7/14pts) 62pts - 11.29%.
26. Calgary. 3-3-1 (7/14pts) 11.29% of 62Pts.
25. Edmonton. 3-4 (6/17pts) 12.00% of 50Pts.
24. Arizona. 2-4 (4/12pts) 12.12% of 33Pts.
23. Ottawa. 2-5-2 (6/18pts) 13.33% of 45Pts.
22. Toronto. 4-3-1 (9/16pts) 13.42% of 67pts.
21. Vancouver. 3-4-1 (7/16pts) 14.58% of 48Pts.
20. Washington. 5-3 (10/16pts) 14.93% of 67pts.
19. Buffalo. 2-4-2 (6/16pts) 15.79% of 38pts.
18. NYI. 5-3 (10/16) 17.24% of 58Pts.
17. Philadelphia. 5-3-1 (11/18) 18.64% of 59Pts.
16. Dallas. 6-0-1 (13/14pts) 19.70% of 66pts.
15. St.Louis. 7-2 (14/18pts) 20.90% of 67pts.
14. Chicago. 6-2 (12/16pts) 21.43% of 56Pts.
13. San Jose. 6-1-2 (14/18pts) 21.88% of 64Pts.
12. Detroit. 5-5-1 (11/22pts) 22.00% of 50pts.
11. Minnesota. 7-2 (14/18pts) 22.22% of 63Pts.
10. Pittsburgh. 7-1 (14/16pts) 22.22% of 63Pts.
9. Los Angeles. 7-0 (14/14pts) 22.58% of 62Pts.
8. Tampa Bay. 8-2-1 (17/22) 22.67% of 75Pts.
7. NYR. 6-3-1 (13/20) 23.64% of 55Pts.
6. Columbus. 7-3 (14/20pts) 24.14% of 58Pts.
5. Florida. 6-2-1 (13/18pts) 25.00% of 52Pts.
4. New Jersey. 7-2-2 (16/22) 62pts - 25.81% of 62Pts.
——-
3. Boston. 9-0-1 (19/20) 72pts - 26.39% of 72Pts.
2. Carolina. 10-1 (20/22pts) 35.09% of 57Pts.

And with 36% of 50Pts coming from playing against the 4 other bottom 5 Atlantic Division teams;

1. Montreal. 9-2 (18/22) 36.00% of 50Pts.

To summarize, the top 10 teams to benefit from playing those bottom 5 up to this point in the season (60-65% into the season) are; 5 Metro, 4 Atlantic, 1 Pacific. And Toronto who is primarily accused of this “benefit” amongst the top 3 Atlantic teams is bottom 10, and the only one of the 3 not in the top 10.

Are these results surprising to you?and do you think the schedule makers should consider what has happened in the Atlantic for next seasons schedule (for example, some teams have played the Atlantic 18 times while Nashville has played them only 5 times (and only twice against the bottom 5). Had Nashville played them as much as Winnipeg, Nashville could be 8pts up on the Jets right now.

Click to read more...

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I mean Nashville and Winnipeg will end up with the same number of games against the Atlantic by the end of the season I really don't see what there is to change when it comes to that? They aren't going to be the same until the end of the season.

 

[northeastern]

I thought the consensus was top three teams are good the rest are terrible.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Well that's a lot of information to take in.

Boston is just steamrolling everyone lately so no surprise they're also benefiting from being in such a weak division.

The defensive retorts you're referring to (in the Central thread no doubt) were in response to those who came in and insisted that while the Central division certainly is tough, "the top three in the Atlantic are better".

Which doesn't really address the issue but shows how insanely top-heavy the Atlantic truly is.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

 

[Cotton]

Well that's a lot of information to take in.

Boston is just steamrolling everyone lately so no surprise they're also benefiting from being in such a weak division.

The defensive retorts you're referring to (in the Central thread no doubt) were in response to those who came in and insisted that while the Central division certainly is tough, "the top three in the Atlantic are better".

Which doesn't really address the issue but shows how insanely top-heavy the Atlantic truly is.

That’s one (though having read it it was less as a response), another was the are the Leafs disappointing thread, another was the Metro is the best division thread. It’s been posted enough to warrant clarification imo about who’s really benefited.

The numbers show Toronto hasn’t, yet that’s a common accusation by rival fans/haters to excuse away their record. If nothing else this thread can be referenced/linked whenever stuff like that occurs.

 

[Brock Radunske]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

It's like that is basically every division except the Central.
Look at the Pacific. 1 excellent team (lv), 4 average teams (la, cgy, ana, sj) and 3 garbage teams (edm, arz, van)

 

[BruinLVGA]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

I second that motion.

 

[BayStreetBully]

It's like that is basically every division except the Central.
Look at the Pacific. 1 excellent team (lv), 4 average teams (la, cgy, ana, sj) and 3 garbage teams (edm, arz, van)

The Pacific Division is actually a much worse division. The three bottom teams in that division are probably the three worst teams in the NHL, along with Buffalo.

 

[Brock Radunske]

The Pacific Division is actually a much worse division. The three bottom teams in that division are probably the three worst teams in the NHL, along with Buffalo.

Yeh, true.
LV has been feasting on them all year.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

Not another thread on a division. What a bunch of manufactured nonsense.

 

[crackdown44]

The Pacific Division is actually a much worse division. The three bottom teams in that division are probably the three worst teams in the NHL, along with Buffalo.

Arizona and Buffalo are in a league of their own imo. After that is the second layer of shittiness that contains Ott/Van/Mtl/Det/Edm/maybe Fla

 

[BayStreetBully]

Arizona and Buffalo are in a league of their own imo. After that is the second layer of ****tiness that contains Ott/Van/Mtl/Det/Edm/maybe Fla

I see it as Arizona, Buffalo, Edmonton and Vancouver on a level of their own. Vancouver is on the cusp. I might take them out. Maybe just Arizona, Buffalo and Edmonton.

 

[crackdown44]

I see it as Arizona, Buffalo, Edmonton and Vancouver on a level of their own. Vancouver is on the cusp. I might take them out. Maybe just Arizona, Buffalo and Edmonton.

As a Flames fan I love that you hate Edmonton but not even I can throw them in that group. Unless we’re talking organizational incompetence

 

[3rdLiner]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

Toronto is good, not average. They have the least games vs. the Atlantic for teams in the division I think.

 

[BayStreetBully]

As a Flames fan I love that you hate Edmonton but not even I can throw them in that group. Unless we’re talking organizational incompetence

Oh I don’t hate any team. But yes, organizational incompetence runs from the top down there.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Central
Atlantic
Metro
Pacific

Tampa, Boston, and Toronto are 1-2-3 in goal differential at 5v5, which is pretty impressive. and no, it's not because they got to feast on weaker Atlantic teams

 

[TheDoldrums]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

t-8th in PT%
7th in Goal differential

"Average." Sure.

 

[llamateizer]

Wouhou, Montreal is 1st!!

 

[TheGoldenGod]

The real AHL

 

[BTP]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

Leafs are tied for 6th overall in the league. Lol, they're a good team. im sorry bro

 

[Mr Positive]

I see it as Arizona, Buffalo, Edmonton and Vancouver on a level of their own. Vancouver is on the cusp. I might take them out. Maybe just Arizona, Buffalo and Edmonton.

I'm an Oil fan, but imo the worst teams should be ones with the worst records. There are 6 teams below the Oilers. At the very least you should Ottawa in there before EDM

 

[BeLeafing]

Thanks for this. This argument does come up a lot, and in talks I have with people it's been a tool they try to use in the past to argue against Toronto's place in the league. Now I have the facts to dispute it.

 

[Lovedemfanboys]

The Pacific Division is actually a much worse division. The three bottom teams in that division are probably the three worst teams in the NHL, along with Buffalo.

Why are you rambling about Pacific when topic clearly states "The Atlantic Division"?

 

[bionic]

I think everyone pretty much knows that Atlantic is basically 2 good teams in BOS & TB, one average team in Toronto and Rest are garbage....

It hilarious how hard it is for some people to admit that Toronto is a good team. 6th overall in the league makes them just "average" oh Lord have mercy.