Forgive me if this has been already mentioned, but is the new league format confirmed for next season, or not yet? If so, do we need to come top-8 of the two "eastern" divisions, or just top-4 in our own? Our division would be?:
Boston
Buffalo
Florida
Montreal
Ottawa
Tampa Bay
Toronto
If so, I think the playoffs should be pretty achievable. In theory, Boston is the only lock, so we have to beat out 6 teams for 3 spots, and I think we're better than Tampa, Toronto, and Montreal.
Yeah it got shot down, I expect something new to be implemented for 2013-2014 given a new CBA and hopefully a solution to the Phoenix issue.
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Exhibit A as to how hockey doesn't matter on ESPN:
Last night an ESPN program was discussing how the Detroit Pistons needed a hero citing the heroes on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and no mention of the Detroit Red Wings. All this despite the Red Wings probably being the most succesful team in Detroit right now.
And what a bummer that it was shot down too eh? Man, we had a chance for one of the greatest things that all hockey fans love - two asterisk seasons. Two seasons where we change things up before changing things up a 2nd time by bringing in 2 new teams or allowing 2 teams to go bankrupt and fold. This would have been the perfext asterisk for that scenario, and then the owners could do it without negotiating with the players then when we actually know what is happening.
Now all that may happen, but we will have had no opportunity for the 2 asterisk seasons beforehand!
And all because it increased travel for teams in general, created new 2 year temporary rivalries, and made it an unbalanced opportunity to make the playoffs depending on whether you were in a one of the 7 team or 8 team conferences.
Man how can the players be selfish to fans eh. Bettman worked really hard to get that best he could compromise from a group of owners that couldnt agree and a small majority of them really believed this was a good idea and wanted to do it.
But the PA shot it all down. All these great things for fans. All because they wanted to take a shot across the bow of the owners for cba talks.
Now they will probably have to negotiate some sort of realignment that is fairer, lessens travel, and makes better rivalries. And is only done once, when they actually do expand or contract next time. How lame is that? I hope the PA is happy with themselves.
