The utter meaninglessness of the regular season...frustrating?

[Bravid Nonahan]

Good morning,

I haven't posted a thread in probably 6 years. I wanted to know if any of you share my frustrations/sentiments regarding the regular season.

For a team that is competitive and among the top teams in the league, the regular season is honestly a bore.

If you're a fan of a bottom team, the pressure is off, and you're in tank-mode and thinking about your prospects. If you're a fan of a bubble team, you're cheering for the team to make the playoffs, and every game is a big game.

For a team like the Leafs...or Boston...you know you're going to make the playoffs, and so the regular season is really not that consequential. What does it matter that Boston won 65 games? No one cares...they lost in the first round. What did it matter that Auston Matthews scored 60 goals last year? Doesn't matter...they lost in the first round. Everyone is insistent that these individual and team accomplishments mean nothing...and with the playoffs system that is in place, they're correct.

In European sports leagues (think: soccer), the top team in the regular season receives the crown as the winner of the league. At the end of the day, the best team over the course of the season receives the prize, In a playoffs system, the season gets thrown into the trash and you start again. Now, you have a team like Florida, who gets hot at the right time and is now in the 3rd round. Are they a better team than Boston or Toronto? Over the course of 82 games, absolutely not. Over the course of a 7 game series, yes. At the end of the day, the 82 game season really meant nothing, all it did was qualify a team to compete in this second season known as the playoffs, which is an entirely different beast altogether.

This gets me to my frustration regarding the length and meaninglessness of the regular season. It's pretty hard to get excited (or frustrated) about anything individual thing that happens during the 82 game season. Do I care that the Leafs lose a game in February to Columbus or Florida? Why should I? All that matters is April-June. Maybe that makes me not a real fan (and I'm OK if that's the designation that I'm given), but that's the reality for me.

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[Team First]

It's a tough pill to swallow year after year. When the Leafs played Minnesota this year, the Wild looked like an efficient playoff style team...and they were out in the first round. I guess the regular season is just for entertainment, then you play a bunch of thugs and .... see you next year

 

[ErnieLeafs]

I’ve been saying for years, that if no major format change is going to take place, the regular season should be shortened

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

The purpose of the regular season is to make the owners money, so I hope you're ready to see it lengthened at some point in the future.

The purpose of the playoffs is to make the owners money without having to pay the players, so I hope you're ready to see them lengthened in the near future (Bettman seems to be the only one standing in the way of NBA-style play-ins).

As for enjoying the regular season, I got to witness - in person - enraged Devils fans throwing beer onto the ice and booing loud enough to cause hearing damage after the refs called off their third goal of the game. Well worth the price of admission, IMO.

 

[Strangle]

Good morning,

I haven't posted a thread in probably 6 years. I wanted to know if any of you share my frustrations/sentiments regarding the regular season.

For a team that is competitive and among the top teams in the league, the regular season is honestly a bore.

If you're a fan of a bottom team, the pressure is off, and you're in tank-mode and thinking about your prospects. If you're a fan of a bubble team, you're cheering for the team to make the playoffs, and every game is a big game.

For a team like the Leafs...or Boston...you know you're going to make the playoffs, and so the regular season is really not that consequential. What does it matter that Boston won 65 games? No one cares...they lost in the first round. What did it matter that Auston Matthews scored 60 goals last year? Doesn't matter...they lost in the first round. Everyone is insistent that these individual and team accomplishments mean nothing...and with the playoffs system that is in place, they're correct.

In European sports leagues (think: soccer), the top team in the regular season receives the crown as the winner of the league. At the end of the day, the best team over the course of the season receives the prize, In a playoffs system, the season gets thrown into the trash and you start again. Now, you have a team like Florida, who gets hot at the right time and is now in the 3rd round. Are they a better team than Boston or Toronto? Over the course of 82 games, absolutely not. Over the course of a 7 game series, yes. At the end of the day, the 82 game season really meant nothing, all it did was qualify a team to compete in this second season known as the playoffs, which is an entirely different beast altogether.

This gets me to my frustration regarding the length and meaninglessness of the regular season. It's pretty hard to get excited (or frustrated) about anything individual thing that happens during the 82 game season. Do I care that the Leafs lose a game in February to Columbus or Florida? Why should I? All that matters is April-June. Maybe that makes me not a real fan (and I'm OK if that's the designation that I'm given), but that's the reality for me.

This just means, really, that you’re spoiled by the teams regular season succes

 

[Suntouchable13]

I think the regular season would have been a little more interesting if we didn't know who we were playing since December. But anyway, unless there are major changes, I don't plan on watching too many regular season games next season. For what? just the same result later in the spring.

 

[QJo]

Yes, the regular season should be shorter so that hockey doesn't stretch into June. Start in mid September, finish the playoffs in May latest.

 

[LeafGrief]

All of this is an entertainment product and therefore only has the meaning that we assign to it. The regular season is only "meaningless" on fan forums where Championships have become the ultimate way to gatekeep and talk trash to each other. The "Cups are the only thing that matters" narrative is pervasive, but it is only as powerful as you let it be. Playoffs matter "more" because we are passionate and want to see winning when the stakes are highest, but we lose when we decide that we don't care about the regular season success. Let me be very clear here, the only one who decides they don't care about the regular season is the person writing the post, no one else can decide that for you.

I do agree that the league needs a format change and to do something to celebrate regular season success, but meaning is still what we assign it.

 

[United35]

It’s important, because without it you don’t get to the playoffs.

The part I have an issue with is the handing out of specialty/skilled points in shootouts and OT. It takes the Team aspect out of it and places a higher priority on skill imo.

3 on 3 is exciting, but I’m not sure we see too much of it in the regular season or playoffs. It can happen, but not often.

And as we all know, shootouts don’t happen in the playoffs. I find them boring now, however, it costs a team 1 point and gives a team 1 point every game.

Look at Calgary this year, they did poor in extra time. That cost them a playoff spot.

Who knows what Calgary would have done if they got in. They had a team that could present a challenge in the playoffs imo.

When you’re building a team you have to take some of that into consideration imo. You can’t just build a heavy team built for the playoffs and necessarily have it work. But time and time again in the playoffs we see that type of team do well if they get in.

 

[shaner8989]

The teams who coast through the reg season or barely get in are the teams who seem to do best in the playoffs. Just get in. Doesn’t matter what spot. Reg season is meaningless as long as you finish top 16

 

[Brown Dog]

This season was the first I can remember where the regular season lacked much intrigue for me.

I think that was a function of...
a) the Leafs being an obvious playoff team early on
b) the Bruins running away with the division
c) our first round opponent being essentially determined by mid-season
d) the first-round losing streak putting all focus on our playoff performance

On the one hand we've become spoiled by how good the team has been over the past few years. On the other hand, we've been subject to a living hell of them underachieving when it matters most. Both can breed a feeling of complacency and ennui.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Context: We’ve become so used to excelling in the regular season and making the playoffs that we forget the sake years where even touching a playoffs spot was a hard battle.

It’s made me just not read into the regular season much for playoff purpose and just enjoy hockey on a game by game basis.

 

[Buds17]

I'd argue that European soccer's various leagues are really about qualifying for The Champions League.

Bringing this back to the NHL, the playoff format became a detriment for this season (1st place in The Atlantic was out of reach, with the real intrigue being in which team would have home ice advantage for the inevitable Toronto-Tampa rematch). I'd probably have the greatest amount of interest in the regular season if that ended up being the only time to watch Leaf hockey. Suffice to say, I'm thrilled that The Presidents' Cup Playoffs isn't the name on the marquee, and that the team has been able to compete for the actual prize over the past number of years.

 

[Stephen]

The regular season is not meaningless whatsoever.

My feeling is the regular season is a runway for playoff excellence. Obviously it isn’t a 1:1 ratio of regular season dominance equals Stanley Cup, but it is a proving ground to get your game revved up to a high level, have great habits and develop team cohesion.

The best current example is Carolina where they motored into the playoffs at a higher gear than the Leafs and essentially played the same way from October to May. For the Leafs there seems to be a malaise and ups and downs and the quality of play and habits never seemed to be progressing in a linear fashion. Maybe the deadline hurt them as well.

But generally, the Leafs big problem isn’t the meaninglessness of regular season or individual scoring exploits or whatever. If anything, they need to find more meaning in competing and excelling and winning.

 

[Gary Nylund]

This season was the first I can remember where the regular season lacked much intrigue for me.

I think that was a function of...
a) the Leafs being an obvious playoff team early on
b) the Bruins running away with the division
c) our first round opponent being essentially determined by mid-season
d) the first-round losing streak putting all focus on our playoff performance

On the one hand we've become spoiled by how good the team has been over the past few years. On the other hand, we've been subject to a living hell of them underachieving when it matters most. Both can breed a feeling of complacency and ennui.

All true, and the first bolded is the big one. I also feel the "living hell" part a lot more than the "spoiled" part, I'm guessing I'm not alone in this.

For me the "intrigue" of the regular season has been steadily decreasing over the last few years. Watching is a habit so I assume I'll still be watching next season but I think the game will more often just be background noise while I'm more focused on something else.

 

[ACC1224]

Love the regular season.
What else is there to do in the winter if there's no NFL game to watch?

 

[Gary Nylund]

The regular season is not meaningless whatsoever.

My feeling is the regular season is a runway for playoff excellence. Obviously it isn’t a 1:1 ratio of regular season dominance equals Stanley Cup, but it is a proving ground to get your game revved up to a high level, have great habits and develop team cohesion.

The best current example is Carolina where they motored into the playoffs at a higher gear than the Leafs and essentially played the same way from October to May. For the Leafs there seems to be a malaise and ups and downs and the quality of play and habits never seemed to be progressing in a linear fashion. Maybe the deadline hurt them as well.

But generally, the Leafs big problem isn’t the meaninglessness of regular season or individual scoring exploits or whatever. If anything, they need to find more meaning in competing and excelling and winning.

The counter point to Carolina is Florida who almost missed the playoffs but has been playing on another level ever since the playoffs started.

 

[Stephen]

The counter point to Carolina is Florida who almost missed the playoffs but has been playing on another level ever since the playoffs started.

The Leafs are neither Carolina with the good consistent habits and reliable style of play and effort or a hungry band of pirates like Florida poised to make a Cinderella run.

 

[The Iceman]

The regular season is good viewing on a cold snowy night.

it entertains me and I look forward to the games.
The fact that this current version of the Leafs wins lots of games and punches a ticket to the playoff lottery is fine with me.
Leafs easily could have lost round 1 and easily could have won round 2. the difference is waffer thin.

BUT until they call penalties in the playoffs with the frequency of the regular season it is a completely different game.
Instead of 20 mins of special teams a night you get 8-12 mins, and PP/PK specialists are devalued.

That is how a guy like Bennett can potentially impact a series more than a Marner. He is as effective 5 on 5 when the whistles are put away.

 

[AvroArrow]

I was thinking the exact same thing today. The most frustrating part for me is that these are essentially 2 different sports, regular season vs playoffs. Regular season games reward skilled players and talent. Playoffs reward bottom 6 plugs who just interfere/hold and illegally hit guys. It's just stupid, no other sport does that. Imagine the NFL allowing pass interference because "its the playoffs" and players just have to learn how to "play tough and physical" It's stupid. Or the NBA allowing defenders to hit guys like Steph Curry every time he takes a shot because it's "the playoffs" doesn't make any sense at all.

The NHL needs to get their shit together with officiating, it is the worst of any major sport, they are also the smallest league out of all the major sports. Maybe it's just me, but I don't wanna watch guys clutch and grab McDavid for 25 minutes a night. I want to see hockey and I want to see the skilled/talented players actually play without being negated by plugs.

I've lost a lot of interest in the regular season, especially after this years playoffs. Regular season is pretty pointless for the top teams. Sure they can work on chemistry and what not, but what works in the regular season will never work in the playoffs, because the rules are completely different. For teams fighting for a bottom spot I'm sure it's very interesting, watching your team grind games for wins to make it to the post-season. But for Toronto for example, by December our first round opponent was confirmed, just stupid.

1) Change the playoff format back to 1-8

2) Enforce the rule book in the playoffs

The state of the NHL is horrible right now. You made a great point, what does it matter if we lose a regular season game to like Columbus in the middle of the year ? Only thing that matters is the playoffs. Before the regular season actually had a bigger impact on the post-season, who you play. Now it's this divisional bullshit and none of it even really matters. It's just not a fun sports to league to watch anymore, at least for me. I watch the NFL religiously as well and in their short season, every game matters. I don't think I've missed a single NFL game in the past 8 years, I watch every thursday/monday game and Sundays I got red zone on all day. Why ? Well because the games are entertaining because they actually matter and guys play just as hard as they do in the playoffs and it's the same sport in the regular season vs playoffs.

The NHL could be so much better than it is, it's not even close to it's potential. Bettman needs to go asap so this league can actually function to it's maximum potential.

 

[robertmac43]

It's becoming more boring for me over the years. A lot of that comes down to knowing what we are. The core is good and will score a lot, we likely finish near the top of the league and division, and we end up playing Boston or TB in round 1.

I'm hoping Knies will inject some fun into next year. It's always fin to watch a young player with high potential and it's been a while since 88, 16, and 34 burst onto the scene.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

I was thinking the exact same thing today. The most frustrating part for me is that these are essentially 2 different sports, regular season vs playoffs. Regular season games reward skilled players and talent. Playoffs reward bottom 6 plugs who just interfere/hold and illegally hit guys. It's just stupid, no other sport does that. Imagine the NFL allowing pass interference because "its the playoffs" and players just have to learn how to "play tough and physical" It's stupid. Or the NBA allowing defenders to hit guys like Steph Curry every time he takes a shot because it's "the playoffs" doesn't make any sense at all.

The NHL needs to get their shit together with officiating, it is the worst of any major sport, they are also the smallest league out of all the major sports. Maybe it's just me, but I don't wanna watch guys clutch and grab McDavid for 25 minutes a night. I want to see hockey and I want to see the skilled/talented players actually play without being negated by plugs.

I've lost a lot of interest in the regular season, especially after this years playoffs. Regular season is pretty pointless for the top teams. Sure they can work on chemistry and what not, but what works in the regular season will never work in the playoffs, because the rules are completely different. For teams fighting for a bottom spot I'm sure it's very interesting, watching your team grind games for wins to make it to the post-season. But for Toronto for example, by December our first round opponent was confirmed, just stupid.

1) Change the playoff format back to 1-8

2) Enforce the rule book in the playoffs

The state of the NHL is horrible right now. You made a great point, what does it matter if we lose a regular season game to like Columbus in the middle of the year ? Only thing that matters is the playoffs. Before the regular season actually had a bigger impact on the post-season, who you play. Now it's this divisional bullshit and none of it even really matters. It's just not a fun sports to league to watch anymore, at least for me. I watch the NFL religiously as well and in their short season, every game matters. I don't think I've missed a single NFL game in the past 8 years, I watch every thursday/monday game and Sundays I got red zone on all day. Why ? Well because the games are entertaining because they actually matter and guys play just as hard as they do in the playoffs and it's the same sport in the regular season vs playoffs.

The NHL could be so much better than it is, it's not even close to it's potential. Bettman needs to go asap so this league can actually function to it's maximum potential.

You just might be my brother from another mother! Great post.

The hockey season is too long and frankly, the way regular season hockey is played (at least by the Leafs) is boring. I start to tune in more after the NFL season is over to assess where the Leafs are at and what their playoff chances are.

 

[egd27]

Love the regular season.
What else is there to do in the winter if there's no NFL game to watch?

Exactly.......I enjoy that fact there's a Leaf game on every couple of days from Oct to Apr

People will complain about anything.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Go back to 1 plays 8 and lower the regular season to 70 games and it will be much improved. 12 games is big enough to make the games mean more but low enough that the owners should be fine with it.

 

[banks]

I didn't sit through years of the Phaneuf/Kesse era, hoping that Bozak could handle #1C duties and dreaming of playoff games, just to now complain that the team wins too easily in the regular season. Does anyone else remember praying for a trade for Luongo saying "if he can just get us to the playoffs we'll make a statue of him"? I remember.

Regular season games are great in recent years, because the team wins. I love that.