Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathgod
But the stats you cite include games vs non-playoff teams.
8th seeds typically have losing records, sometimes garishly losing records, against playoff-calibre teams.
These cinderella runs boil down to hot goalies, and other luck-based factors. Very seldom is an 8th seed some kind of sleeping giant that suddenly finds its greatness out of thin air. The 2012 Kings were an exception.
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Pretty much every team has a better record against non-playoff teams than playoff teams, that's just obvious. Do 8th placed teams have drastically worse records than 7th or 6th placed teams? Do you have any numbers to illustrate your claim?
And no one has claimed that 8th placed teams are sleeping giants. Yes, goaltending and luck matter - that's the entire point! Playoff success is EXTREMELY dependent on goaltending, luck, avoiding injuries (part of luck), and getting on a roll. Every team that makes the playoffs is capable of those things happening to them.