UPDATE: NHLPA votes for further negotiations on 24-team return to play format

[theslymonkey]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Yah, but they're gonna have crappy Mike Smith in net. I look forward to seeing the Smith meltdown.

The bottom three teams in the West playoffs are weak. There's no reason any team should have trouble walking through Chicago, Arizona or Minny. The middle teams teams are all so close. It just sucks that the Flames don't have one extra win so they could avoid the Jets in the first round.

[The Familia]

I have no problem with the format, I just don't want to watch hockey period in June and July. I also think the ratings will be lower than expected. I'm thinking most people will want to get outside and hopefully enjoy some nice weather or grab a bite to eat and socialize with people, not watch a screen. There will also be so much going on with many other leagues resuming and entertainment facilities opening back up. Personally I'm over this season, don't feel like reinvesting back into it. Start fresh in October.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by flamingred89

I wonder if the NHL has done market research on what type of ratings they will get if they resume the season over the summer. Briskly reading over this thread it seems the response is tepid. And that’s on a hockey forum. I’m sure I’ll tune into a few Flames games, but I wonder if the NHL will fall flat on its face here. Especially competing against all the other leagues and summer activities. And then there’s the what ifs. What if there is an outbreak, a second wave, a player gets ill? Do they keep stopping and starting just to push this through?

Most of the people excited for Hockey’s return aren’t posting

What’s the point. We get it, a few posters don’t think it’s fair or whatever. They would rather have no hockey for some weird , blurred line of championship “integrity“.

They won’t change their mind so most of us just ignore them and will watch all the people saying they won’t watch a non traditional playoffs posting after each Flames win how excited and much fun they are having

Every single person I talk to is pumped for summer hockey , having BBQs with friends and watching the games on the deck !

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Dragomir

So we’re supposed to watch a league that changes rules on the fly whenever something comes up? Like I said before other leagues are carrying on no problem. Lockouts are a different beast as everyone is on the same page from the start, in this scenario I can’t stomach 12th seeded Chicago getting an easier matchup with Edmonton rather than 7th seeded Calgary with Winnipeg. I know a few people other than myself that view that as a corrupt move by the NHL.

So what’s your proposal?

Finish the regular season? Convince all the bottom feeder teams to play out the stretch? Do you honestly think that would fly?

Corrupt? Yeah, the NHL was just rubbing their hands together waiting for a pandemic to hit so they could just stick it to the Flames. That Wideman effect is still going strong eh?

[Dragomir]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

So what’s your proposal?

Finish the regular season? Convince all the bottom feeder teams to play out the stretch? Do you honestly think that would fly?

Corrupt? Yeah, the NHL was just rubbing their hands together waiting for a pandemic to hit so they could just stick it to the Flames. That Wideman effect is still going strong eh?

I propose freezing the standings via points% and having a 16 team playoffs with 2-3 warmup “pre season”games. Maintains league integrity and doesn’t completely invalidate the regular season up until this point.

[Dragomir]

Originally Posted by theslymonkey

Hate to break it to you. But the Oilers are better than the Jets.

Wrong, without their powerplay Edmonton would be the 12th place team. We all know there are less calls in the playoffs, the Jets are a much better team in every category.

[theslymonkey]

Originally Posted by Dragomir

Wrong, without their powerplay Edmonton would be the 12th place team. We all know there are less calls in the playoffs, the Jets are a much better team in every category.

Sorry, but you're wrong. The powerplay is part of the game. How the league ranks the teams is setup before the season begins. All the teams play by the same rules.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by theslymonkey

The bottom three teams in the West playoffs are weak. There's no reason any team should have trouble walking through Chicago, Arizona or Minny. The middle teams teams are all so close. It just sucks that the Flames don't have one extra win so they could avoid the Jets in the first round.

I wouldn't count out Kane or Toews, especially in a short series. Could get streaking at the right time.

[Nelson]

I’m pretty nervous about a Flames-Jets series. Hellebuyck could wreck us.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by troutman

Explain why Montreal gets an invite, but not Buffalo.

One of the ####ty teams in the East needs to get in to round out the 12 teams and the Habs are slightly less ####ty than the Sabres.

[Dragomir]

Originally Posted by theslymonkey

Sorry, but you're wrong. The powerplay is part of the game. How the league ranks the teams is setup before the season begins. All the teams play by the same rules.

Lol ok so you’re telling me with a straight face you’d rather face Winnipeg(elite top 9, good D, Hellebuyck) over the 2 man show up north with Mike Smith in net?

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Nelson

I’m pretty nervous about a Flames-Jets series. Hellebuyck could wreck us.

I’ll give them the advantage on starting goalie. If these games are played in a Condensed schedule that some talking heads have said , then back-up goalies will be playing also. I would take flames tandem over jets.
Plus our D should be far better than the jets D.

[theslymonkey]

Originally Posted by Dragomir

Lol ok so you’re telling me with a straight face you’d rather face Winnipeg(elite top 9, good D, Hellebuyck) over the 2 man show up north with Mike Smith in net?

That has nothing to do with it.
Oilers are there because they were better this season. What happens in the playoffs is a different discussion.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

[Dragomir]

Originally Posted by theslymonkey

That has nothing to do with it.
Oilers are there because they were better this season. What happens in the playoffs is a different discussion.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

That’s fair but my point was that 12th place Chicago has an easier opponent than the 7th place Flames who deserve a playoff spot. Winnipeg has a superior team on paper and with this new format quite a few teams get shafted on top of the inevitable asterisk next to the winners name.

[handgroen]

Originally Posted by MrMike

So how does everyone think we stack up against Winnipeg?

They have the edge in net and in goal scoring. hellebuyck could decide the series all on his lonesome he is that good. but the flames have a dramatic advantage on defence. i wonder if the whistles will be put away right from the start, if so calgary can wear down an undersized and unproven jets blueline.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Dragomir

Lol ok so you’re telling me with a straight face you’d rather face Winnipeg(elite top 9, good D, Hellebuyck) over the 2 man show up north with Mike Smith in net?

The Jets have good D? Um no.

[Nelson]

I think the Flames and Jets would be a pretty good matchup. I’d give the Flames the advantage on D and the Jets the advantage in goal and at forward.

I think the Flames need to play to take advantage of the Jets’ D. I think this means an aggressive forecheck.

The other strategic point is how do the Flames match up with Connor, Schiefele and Wheeler? What is the line that goes against that line? I don’t think it’s to the level of the MacKinnon line, but I think the Schiefele line would also destroy the Monahan line. I think Coach Ward would need to hard match Backlund on Schiefele and hope Backlund can hold on.

[Dragomir]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

The Jets have good D? Um no.

Definitely better than the Oil D, and with that elite top 9 you can bet they won’t be playing in their own end much. Not to mention the favoured Vezina candidate in net, do not like that matchup one bit.

[Strange Brew]

I wonder what training camp will look like? Could they play an exhibition game or two? That would certainly be helpful.

The teams most “disadvantaged” by this are those that were in a solid playoff spot and now have an extra playoff series. The Penguins are the best example of this.

I’m 100% all in. If the Flames go 3 and out, no doubt my interest will wane considerably but I’m kind of used to that.

[timbit]

https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1975091