Battle of the bottom: Who has the hardest schedule down the stretch?

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by jg13

If the NHL knew a team would be that bad a decade ago this rule would probably be in effect by now.

I understand but they can still try to implement it in the near future. Not sure if the Oilers management, Islanders and other management who's into tanking will allow it to vote. So, I guess we will see this crap in the next few seasons or more.

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by jg13

If the NHL knew a team would be that bad a decade ago this rule would probably be in effect by now.

No. I want the Oilers to pick 1st overall for the next 30 years. I want to watch season 27 of Oil Change where a senile Kevin Lowe declares "this is the season we will contend for the division title". And then they finnish last.

[The Original FFIV]

If anyone wants evidence of Nashville tanking down the stretch, doesn't get any more clearer than this:

Uptown Sports ‏@uptownhockey 11h
Uptown client @jarnkrok scores again and is named 1st star in 4-2 @mkeadmirals win over San Antonio. That's 5 goals in 5 games since trade.

So you acquire Jarnkrok at the deadline with the full understanding that he might bolt to Sweden after the season if he doesn't get a shot. You open a spot in the lineup with the trade of Legwand. Then you put the guy you acquired in the minors and he lights it up. Last time I checked Nashville had problems scoring goals and he could help them. Obvious tank job, shame on Poile, lost all respect.

[Sylvanfan]

Nashville is still 7 points up on Calgary with 14 games left. As many others have mentioned they will likely need to go 3-11 down the stretch for the Flames to pass them. Vancouver has accrued that many points in their last 14 .

I think it looks like the Flames will end up as the 26th place team. Any of these teams isn't too likely to get more than 15 points over the rest of the season. Conversely they should all get at least 8 more except for Buffalo who have last place clinched for all intents and purposes.

[Stanathan]

I think if a team finishes last two years in a row they should be relegated to the 30th overall pick in the next draft regardless of standings.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

If anyone wants evidence of Nashville tanking down the stretch, doesn't get any more clearer than this:

Uptown Sports ‏@uptownhockey 11h
Uptown client @jarnkrok scores again and is named 1st star in 4-2 @mkeadmirals win over San Antonio. That's 5 goals in 5 games since trade.

So you acquire Jarnkrok at the deadline with the full understanding that he might bolt to Sweden after the season if he doesn't get a shot. You open a spot in the lineup with the trade of Legwand. Then you put the guy you acquired in the minors and he lights it up. Last time I checked Nashville had problems scoring goals and he could help them. Obvious tank job, shame on Poile, lost all respect.

Is there really a history of Swedish players leaving?

And if you really wanted to couldn't you make the same arguement about the Flames tanking by sending down Max Reinhart/Derek Smith and keeping Hanowski and Wotherspoon up.

[Freeway]

Pace, based on games remaining and opponent's points-percentage:

Buffalo: 60.5 pts
Edmonton: 67.0 pts
Florida: 72.1 pts
NY Islanders: 75.2 pts
Calgary: 75.7 pts

[TheDebaser]

And the Islanders don't even have Tavares or Vanek anymore.

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Is there really a history of Swedish players leaving?

And if you really wanted to couldn't you make the same arguement about the Flames tanking by sending down Max Reinhart/Derek Smith and keeping Hanowski and Wotherspoon up.

I guess you weren't listening to Burke's comment on the press conference. With Glencross back (2nd line F) it means the 2nd or 3rd line F goes back to Abby. Who are those 2nd or 3rd line forward that was called up recently? Granlund(injured), Reinhart. Hanowski got called up to replaced a 4th line player and it happens that Big Ern got promoted to another line due to his good play lately. If Granlund comes back from injury, I have to say Big Ern goes back to 4th line and it means Hanowski or Knight goes back to Abby.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Pace, based on games remaining and opponent's points-percentage:

Buffalo: 60.5 pts
Edmonton: 67.0 pts
Florida: 72.1 pts
NY Islanders: 75.2 pts
Calgary: 75.7 pts

Intriguing. Not meaning to be daft, but how did you compute that? Binary event by binary event?

[Tinordi]

If Nashville was tanking they wouldn't be playing Rinne who's playing out of his mind.

[TheDebaser]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Intriguing. Not meaning to be daft, but how did you compute that? Binary event by binary event?

(total points/games played)*games in a season

[Ped]

Originally Posted by jg13

If the NHL knew a team would be that bad a decade ago this rule would probably be in effect by now.

Oh please.

The Nordiques picked 1st overall 3 times in a row (Sundin, Nolan, Lindros), book-ended by a 3rd (Leschyshyn) and a 4th (Warriner), and a 9th (Fogarty) before that and a 10th (Thibault) after.

Horrible teams are nothing new.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Bingo

given the fact the top three spots are all but gone, I seriously hope one of those teams tank and the Flames drat 6th. Don't see the gap between those picks as being all that much, and I'd love to see that no top 5 picks in Calgary history continue another season.

I was thinking the same thing. I know it's stubborn, but it's always been a point of pride to that this team never bottoms out. It will feel twice as good when they turn it around without having high picks gift wrapped.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I was thinking the same thing. I know it's stubborn, but it's always been a point of pride to that this team never bottoms out. It will feel twice as good when they turn it around without having high picks gift wrapped.

Ask Colorado if they really care how they got MacKinnon

[Tinordi]

If Colorado wins the Stanley Cup in the next five years with Duchene and Mackinnon it will be forever tainted to those with a misplaced sense of pride.

[Poe969]

only by fans of other teams who are jealous. When it comes down to it, not having a pick lower than 5 doesn't really mean anything. I'm a lot more proud of the Flames Stanley Cup than I am of their drafting position history and it's not even close. If someone told you that if we were to tank next year and get McDavid with the #1 overall pick that we'd be guaranteed to win the cup within 5 years you wouldn't do it??

I agree that there is no honour in tanking on purpose but I think that in the end people will remember the Stanley Cup a lot more than how a team played a few years before that.

[Vinny01]

Edmonton still has a slight chance to pass Calgary. They are winning more than they are losing and getting solid tending from Scrivens. Flames have played extremely well also but here is hoping to get into that top 3

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Poe969

only by fans of other teams who are jealous. When it comes down to it, not having a pick lower than 5 doesn't really mean anything. I'm a lot more proud of the Flames Stanley Cup than I am of their drafting position history and it's not even close. If someone told you that if we were to tank next year and get McDavid with the #1 overall pick that we'd be guaranteed to win the cup within 5 years you wouldn't do it??

I agree that there is no honour in tanking on purpose but I think that in the end people will remember the Stanley Cup a lot more than how a team played a few years before that.

Agree completely. This entire endeavour is about winning the Stanley Cup. The rules of the game on and off the ice are set and however you navigate those rules to win the cup does not matter so long as you win it.

Complaining about tanking or holding up some weird standard of never having a top 5 pick is just whinging. Chicago was terrible, now they are fantastic and nobody cares what measures they took to become fantastic.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

If Colorado wins the Stanley Cup in the next five years with Duchene and Mackinnon it will be forever tainted to those with a misplaced sense of pride.

I have a lot of respect for the Blackhawks