The Scheduling Is Ridiculous

[Mathgod]

The Flames recently played 3 games in 4 nights (Dec. 15, 16, 18), and haven't had 2 days in between games to recuperate, since then. It's showing. While there's no excuse for not showing up against a poor opponent, it would be a mistake to pretend like fatigue did not play a part in today's result.

The Flames play 3 games in 4 nights on seven separate occasions this season. Who else thinks this is an unreasonably high number?

Maybe the league needs to reduce the number of games on the schedule, so they can reduce the number of 3-in-4 scenarios. Maybe when the league has 32 teams they can do the following:

Each team has 31 league opponents, so each team home & away would be 62 games.
Each team has 7 divison opponents, so each team home & away would be another 14 games.

62+14 = 76 games total.

Shaving 6 games off the schedule, to give teams proper rest, would be a positive change IMO.

[skeena1]

Not sure if the players would go for the pay cut. Or if the owners would be willing to give back money to sponsors and broadcasters. It is a strange year though, especially considering there are no Olympics.

[sureLoss]

One of the issues are the bye weeks. Remove the bye week, less strain on the schedule.


Each of the 31 NHL teams will have a mandated seven-day break during the 2018-19 season. Ten teams have their bye weeks leading up to and including NHL All-Star weekend (Jan. 25-26), while the other 21 teams' breaks include and follow All-Star weekend.


Problem is the NHLPA loves the bye weeks.

[Snuffleupagus]

Would like to see it evened out across the league as well, handing teams ridiculous advantages and disadvantages has to stop.

[memphusk]

Oilers. Always has something to do with Oilers.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Would like to see it evened out across the league as well, handing teams ridiculous advantages and disadvantages has to stop.

Actually what shows is that it is fairly even.


23 of 31 teams all are within games of each factor.


4 more are only 3, so that's 27 of 31 teams, which is pretty remarkable considering how complex the schedule is.


The Oilers, Rangers, and Coyotes are of course way out of line with everyone else, but on the other end of the spectrum, so is Vancouver.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Would like to see it evened out across the league as well, handing teams ridiculous advantages and disadvantages has to stop.

Hard to complain when Calgary has the 6th best situation.


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[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Problem is the NHLPA loves the bye weeks.

That's not what I've heard. The NHLPA loved bye weeks – until they found out what that actually meant for the schedule. It seems the players aren't very happy about that either.

[ricardodw]

The NHL average of back-to-back sets is 12.9 this season. The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers each have the most back-to-backs (17), followed by the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators with 16 each (T-3rd).

The Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets play the fewest back-to-back sets (10). The Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks each play 11.

The Flames have had 4 back-to backs so far (2-2-0) in the 2nd game. 2 in January Boston, Edmonton. 1 in Feb NJ, 2 in March Arizona, Winnipeg and 1 in April LA

[Brewmaster]

I've always felt that the game gets watered down with the 82 game schedule. Less games would lead to less injuries, higher intensity, and faster pace hockey. Not to mention the fans would be more into it because each home game would feel more like an event. It becomes most apparent at the start of playoffs where each team has been resting for close to a week leading up to it and the pace picks up significantly.

The NFL has done a great job with this, giving players a week to rest up between games and getting every home game to feel like a big local event. Fortunately for them they have the TV contracts to support the 16 game season whereas the NHL relies more heavily on the ticket sales from 82 games.

[Yamer]

It will never happen, but I wouldn't shed a tear if the schedule was reduced by 10-12 games per season.

[topfiverecords]

Complaining about the schedule is an Oiler thing to do. Every team has tough stretches of their schedule. Except Edmonton.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Hard to complain when Calgary has the 6th best situation.


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It comes down to looking at the actual differential.

The Flames have just 2 games net with an advantage while the Oilers have 10.

If they managed to take advantage of that it could conceivably be significantly more points.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Would like to see it evened out across the league as well, handing teams ridiculous advantages and disadvantages has to stop.

What is the definition of a tired team and a rested team?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

What is the definition of a tired team and a rested team?

A tired team played the night before. A rested team didn't.

The blue on that chart is games where a team is rested, and are playing a team that played the night before.

Edmonton has 18 such situations.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

A tired team played the night before. A rested team didn't.

The blue on that chart is games where a team is rested, and are playing a team that played the night before.

Edmonton has 18 such situations.

Nearly a quarter of their schedule is against tired teams with them having the advantage.

I always chuckle when Oiler fans trot out the 'League Conspiracy' lunacy.

Because they are absolutely right, there does appear to be a League Conspiracy regarding the Oilers afterall...its just that its heavily in their favour.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Ped

Actually what shows is that it is fairly even.


23 of 31 teams all are within games of each factor.


4 more are only 3, so that's 27 of 31 teams, which is pretty remarkable considering how complex the schedule is.


The Oilers, Rangers, and Coyotes are of course way out of line with everyone else, but on the other end of the spectrum, so is Vancouver.

Exactly. That chart is sorted by differential.

Three positive outliers. (EDM, NYR, ARI)
From LA through STL is within +/-2 (22 teams)
A handful of -3 and a -4.
One strong negative outlier (Van)

The conspiracy theory version
- league wants poster boy McDavid to succeed
- league needs big market Rangers who just blew it up to look respectable
- Bettman will never give up on the Yotes
- Vancouver, the Sedins are retired and you need a new face of the franchise. Come on down and get your #1 overall pick!

[Salt Water Cowboy #10]

I think pacific/west teams will always have more difficult schedules. But teams coming through Alberta will always have to play someone first, and this year it’s Calgary first. I think in years previous the flames have had the tired team more often than Edmonton.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

I think in years previous the flames have had the tired team more often than Edmonton.

Not recently



Make no wonder they made the playoffs here

[getbak]

It's ridiculous that not only have the Oilers had a better tired/rested differential than the Flames over the last four years that I've been able to find data for, they've had the best differential in the entire league for 3 of those 4 years.