Unbelievably close... Rockford's gotten solid goaltending from Hutton, but would basically need to win every game the rest of the season to have a chance. Houston's only stayed in the Top 8 because of the OT loser point (9 times this season).
Peoria's chances I believe hinge on how well Patrick O'Sullivan plays, as Allen has played well in net but they havent scored that many goals in the past couple games.
One thing that has seemed to be the norm the past couple weeks is that the teams in the top 8 seem to keep losing while the teams outside keep winning. Is there a team that is actually consistent this season?
Attendance will be 50% lower than the regular season
Springfield misses the playoffs yet again
Norfolk underachieves (1st or 2nd round elimination)
WB/S vs Hershey will be a nasty 1st round series
Whenever Chicago loses (and they will), Wolvesfan and Axecrew cry that it's a conspiracy
Attendance will be 50% lower than the regular season
Springfield misses the playoffs yet again Norfolk underachieves (1st or 2nd round elimination)
WB/S vs Hershey will be a nasty 1st round series
Whenever Chicago loses (and they will), Wolvesfan and Axecrew cry that it's a conspiracy
I agree with all of these. My dad keeps telling me how Norfolk is going to win the Cup this year and I shake my head every time. Norfolk will choke in the playoffs. Hershey and WBS is always nasty, but with the way the games were played this year, I am expecting a replay from 07 where JF Jacques knocked Joey Tenute (who was going off for a shift change) out of the series. The series the rest of the way that year was noticeably physical.
As for attendance, I hate going to the first round or two of games and only seeing the die hard fans at the game and then as soon as Hershey goes far everyone come out of the wood work.
I can't wait for the regular season to end though, its time for some playoff hockey and hopefully the Bears come away with another CC championship. Go Bears!
Unbelievably close... Rockford's gotten solid goaltending from Hutton, but would basically need to win every game the rest of the season to have a chance. Houston's only stayed in the Top 8 because of the OT loser point (9 times this season).
Peoria's chances I believe hinge on how well Patrick O'Sullivan plays, as Allen has played well in net but they havent scored that many goals in the past couple games.
One thing that has seemed to be the norm the past couple weeks is that the teams in the top 8 seem to keep losing while the teams outside keep winning. Is there a team that is actually consistent this season?
Hutton has killed Milwaukee. The #11 Admirals play #5 Houston tonight. Milwaukee is 2-0 versus Houston with a game remaining at each city.
I agree on the last paragraph. That is why the standing are so close.
The tight nature of the playoff race just magnifies the ridiculous nature of the league's highly-unbalanced schedule format. We're splitting hairs (a point here, a point there) to determine who makes the playoffs and who goes home, based on schedules that don't resemble each other in the least.
Attendance will be 50% lower than the regular season
Springfield misses the playoffs yet again
Norfolk underachieves (1st or 2nd round elimination)
WB/S vs Hershey will be a nasty 1st round series Whenever Chicago loses (and they will), Wolvesfan and Axecrew cry that it's a conspiracy
I have NEVER said anything about a conspiracy, that is axe..... I just know lord dave is a lying jerkface.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MM658
The tight nature of the playoff race just magnifies the ridiculous nature of the league's highly-unbalanced schedule format. We're splitting hairs (a point here, a point there) to determine who makes the playoffs and who goes home, based on schedules that don't resemble each other in the least.
Exactly. You have teams in the Western conference not playing the same number of games in conference as others and frankly, most of the teams in the east are weak.
Attendance will be 50% lower than the regular season
Springfield misses the playoffs yet again
Norfolk underachieves (1st or 2nd round elimination)
WB/S vs Hershey will be a nasty 1st round series
Whenever Chicago loses (and they will), Wolvesfan and Axecrew cry that it's a conspiracy
Won't be any conspiracy.....for the first season since joining this league, I can honestly say that they haven't seen the type of screwing by officials as they have in the past. Most if not all games I've seen have been decently called.
Will be very interesting to see how the Ducks call up of Syracuse's best defensive dman in Mat Clark affects the team. Great for Clark, terrible move by the Ducks. Perhaps they should recall Maroon, Palmieri, Sexton, and Tarkki as well so they can definitely stick a fork in the Crunch. Best wished to whomever ends up with the Ducks next year.
Still surprised that the only team in the East that is out of the hunt are the defending champs.
You shouldn't be. They lost a lot after last season's Cup run. In fact, a key portion of their roster during that run had come down from Ottawa after their NHL season was over (and that group was needed - they were the crossover team last season after finishing 5th in the division). Most of that group spent all or part of this season in the NHL, and there wasn't enough depth to cover it. Add to that the fact that their top AHL player, Corey Locke missed nearly half the season with injuries, and you've got a season just like they had.
Milwaukee jumped from 11th to 9th place last night. Two points from 6th, 4 points from 3rd place. Chicago's lead is pretty shaky.
Agreed. They have to keep playing all the way to the finish. Heck, Charlotte was leading the division for much of the season, and they could fall out of the playoff picture when all is said and done.
Agreed. They have to keep playing all the way to the finish. Heck, Charlotte was leading the division for much of the season, and they could fall out of the playoff picture when all is said and done.
I think alot will come down to which players come back from their NHL teams when the season ends. Houston will be bolstered by Prosser and Scandella on the blue-line due to the Wild's rollercoaster season, but I don't see Peoria/Milwaukee/Chicago/etc getting anyone back.
I think alot will come down to which players come back from their NHL teams when the season ends. Houston will be bolstered by Prosser and Scandella on the blue-line due to the Wild's rollercoaster season, but I don't see Peoria/Milwaukee/Chicago/etc getting anyone back.
In a different thread, somebody speculated that the Preds would call up players for Saturday.
West: Oklahoma City Toronto
Chicago - 97.3
Abbotsford - 97.1
San Antonio - 80.8
Charlotte - 74.6
Houston - 71.9 Milwaukee - 69.7
-----
Peoria - 53.5
Rochester - 21.6
Lake Erie - 17.6
Rockford - 11.3
Grand Rapids - 4.7
Hamilton - 0.0 (actually 0.000136%)
Two games ago. Milwaukee was 45% and Rochester was 65%. It just shows how close the teams are at the end of the season. Those two teams never played each other during this season. Kind of a shame. I realize that the Amerks play the East.
It is so nice to see that Rochester, fighting for a playoff spot in the western conference, playing Adirondack.
Yeah....Another of Lord dave's great ideas. Let's decide who makes the playoffs between 2 teams in the same conference by not having them play each other all year and better yet not having 1 of them even play the majority of games against that conference.
Yeah....Another of Lord dave's great ideas. Let's decide who makes the playoffs between 2 teams in the same conference by not having them play each other all year and better yet not having 1 of them even play the majority of games against that conference.
in a chant.......
The lord has spoken - We must protecteth the Rochester as the new owner musteth be happy, so sayeth now and forever so they will playeth crap teams in the other conference late in the season so as to provideth a higher chance of getting into the playoffs and earning all that extra revenue!!! Praise the lord david a.
And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, "O lord da, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the lord da did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths, and carp and anchovies, and orangutans and breakfast cereals, and fruit-bats and large chu...
And the lord da spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.
We all know lord da (or is it d'oh) does not set the schedule but he should be providing these guys input as to what is fair, not that he knows fair.
The only way things will change is the continued turnover in ownership and the removal of the old guard, meaning the east coast owners with a few exceptions.
Last edited by Tommy Hawk: 04-09-2012 at 04:16 PM.
