Home Ice "Advantage"?

[Steelhead16]

I get that it is done for the sake of travel expenses but I have an issue with the first round playoff series' schedules in the ECHL again. I don't really see having games 3-5 at home as an "advantage". If you drop your first two on the road (as should happen in theory) then you have to go home and sweep all 3 games. Even in a 2 vs 7 series a 3 game sweep is tough but especially in a 4 vs 5 series I would have to give the advantage to the 5 seed in this scenario. Anyone had their teams be on the wrong end of the "advantage" in the past?

[desert dawg]

I see your point, but on the other hand if you can earn a split, then all you have to do is win 2 out of 3 at home-
I also think home ice is really not the advantage it used to be, all the way up to the NHL-
But winning 3 in a row after losing the first 2 is not impossible- (just ask Phx Suns fans after we swept the Lakers in such a fashion many years ago!!)

[BK Triple Threat]

My biggest problem with the E in 5 years(aside from the record breaking calups our location gives us) is the inconsistent playoff format, especially the 1st round. In 5 years i've seen 3 different formats. The best of 7 they had in 08-09 where 1 could play 8 and so on was the best. Divisional play in 07-08 was alright but kinda ruins the fun.

My biggest complaint is total wins to win the Kelly Cup. Alaska only needs 12. Everyone else 15. I have a big problem with Alaska getting to sit this round out. Hopefully next year this changes.

Also I hope in the future the 1st round becomes a best of 7 again.

[Steelhead16]

Originally Posted by Green Men Rule

My biggest problem with the E in 5 years(aside from the record breaking calups our location gives us) is the inconsistent playoff format, especially the 1st round. In 5 years i've seen 3 different formats. The best of 7 they had in 08-09 where 1 could play 8 and so on was the best. Divisional play in 07-08 was alright but kinda ruins the fun.

My biggest complaint is total wins to win the Kelly Cup. Alaska only needs 12. Everyone else 15. I have a big problem with Alaska getting to sit this round out. Hopefully next year this changes.

Also I hope in the future the 1st round becomes a best of 7 again.

Or at least a 2-2-1. Although 7 games would be nicer. I agree about not having the 1st round bye for the regular season champ but the teams ruined that on their own by coasting at the end of the season in the past.

[BK Triple Threat]

Originally Posted by Steelhead16

Or at least a 2-2-1. Although 7 games would be nicer. I agree about not having the 1st round bye for the regular season champ but the teams ruined that on their own by coasting at the end of the season in the past.

Is it that or the fact the West only puts in 7 teams?

[akacesfan]

While the bye is nice (especially because the Aces have sucked against Idaho this year), I'm kind of worried about rink rust. This will be a problem if they draw Stockton in Round 2 simply because they've been awful against the Thunder all year in Stockton.

[BK Triple Threat]

Originally Posted by akacesfan

While the bye is nice (especially because the Aces have sucked against Idaho this year), I'm kind of worried about rink rust. This will be a problem if they draw Stockton in Round 2 simply because they've been awful against the Thunder all year in Stockton.

Last year it was cake for you guys. I think you went 12-1 in the playoffs.

[akacesfan]

Yep. We were lucky and got some easy matchups though. Idaho was pretty easy except for their godlike goalie, Victoria played us tough at the Sullivan, but once we blew them out 6-2 in Canada, we knew they weren't coming back. K-Zoo actually was able to score on us, but their defense (or lack thereof) did them in.

[Steelhead16]

All 7 first round series have started and only one higher seed won Game 1 on the road. We'll see how many "favorites" have to go home in an 0-2 hole.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Steelhead16

All 7 first round series have started and only one higher seed won Game 1 on the road. We'll see how many "favorites" have to go home in an 0-2 hole.

As all of us that follow the ECHL know, teams in the playoffs can sometimes be vastly different than the season-long body of work that same team put up over the previous five months.

I speak of Reading, because that is the team I am most familiar with. The Royals got goaltender Mark Owuya back from the Marlies of the AHL on Monday, and they are a totally different team with Owuya in net compared to Karel St. Laurent. Owuya is 17-5-1 this year for Reading, led the ECHL is save percentage and had a GAA under 2.00 while playing for Toronto in the AHL.

The thing is, who knows how long Owuya will be back with Reading. Out local paper here in Reading is saying that he will definitely be around for game two tonight, but may get called back up to Toronto prior to game three.

[BK Triple Threat]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

As all of us that follow the ECHL know, teams in the playoffs can sometimes be vastly different than the season-long body of work that same team put up over the previous five months.

I speak of Reading, because that is the team I am most familiar with. The Royals got goaltender Mark Owuya back from the Marlies of the AHL on Monday, and they are a totally different team with Owuya in net compared to Karel St. Laurent. Owuya is 17-5-1 this year for Reading, led the ECHL is save percentage and had a GAA under 2.00 while playing for Toronto in the AHL.

The thing is, who knows how long Owuya will be back with Reading. Out local paper here in Reading is saying that he will definitely be around for game two tonight, but may get called back up to Toronto prior to game three.

Would be FANTASTIC news. Personally the score was closer than the outcome. The first 2 goals we gave up were unlucky bounces, especially that 2nd banked in off of one of our guys. We didn't make Owuya stand on his head.

[Steelhead16]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

As all of us that follow the ECHL know, teams in the playoffs can sometimes be vastly different than the season-long body of work that same team put up over the previous five months.

I speak of Reading, because that is the team I am most familiar with. The Royals got goaltender Mark Owuya back from the Marlies of the AHL on Monday, and they are a totally different team with Owuya in net compared to Karel St. Laurent. Owuya is 17-5-1 this year for Reading, led the ECHL is save percentage and had a GAA under 2.00 while playing for Toronto in the AHL.

The thing is, who knows how long Owuya will be back with Reading. Out local paper here in Reading is saying that he will definitely be around for game two tonight, but may get called back up to Toronto prior to game three.

I get that part of it and have seen both sides first hand. in 2004 Idaho was down 0-2 in round 1 and got Dan Ellis back before game 3 and won the series and rolled to the Kelly Cup. Then 2 years ago they got the first round bye and swept both division and conference finals with Richard Bachman and then he got called up to Texas who was in the Calder Cup Finals and they got blasted 4-1 by Cincy in the finals without him.

I just find it glaring that 6 out of 7 teams with a worse record jump out to a lead in a playoff series. The mindset changes during the playoffs and many teams pick up their game but I just think having the first 2 games of a series at home is a huge advantage for a team that didn't earn an advantage during the season. Idaho beat Ontario last night and they were 1-6 against them during the season and were outscored 29-13. They may lose the next 3 and Game 1 might not mean anything but the series may be different had Game 1 been in So. Cal.