By Cameron Walsh
Well we are heading down to the end of the season, ok I’m a little premature with that ‘stretch run’ call but we know each game gets more important now as we get to game 82. I was watching an old Penguins playoff game the other day and I remember someone interviewing Gary Bettman about the ‘loser’s point’ and Bettman said it didn’t make a difference to the standings (I’m paraphrasing of course, Bettman wouldn’t have been that concise). I beg to differ with Mr Bettman, I have been watching the standings of late and noticed that they would be different if the ‘loser point’ was not there.
Before even looking in depth at the standings, I had a think about it and I think the ‘loser’s point’ is bogus. Too many teams get to the last 5 mins of a tied game and ‘go for the tie’ rather than win it outright. The whole reason the NHL gave us for the ‘loser’s point’ was to encourage teams in OT to go for the win, not thinking about backing off for the point. Especially in the last 30 games of the year, every point counts, just ask Florida and Washington right now.
Now after doing a few tables up we can see that the playoff picture is a lot different without the ‘loser point’. I still stand by the opinion you should not get any points for a loss, why encourage a team to play for a stalemate?
|
Team |
GP |
W |
L |
OT |
PTS |
PTS loss |
New Total |
New Rank |
New League Standings |
| Red Wings | 52 | 35 | 16 | 1 | 71 | 1 | 70 | 1 | Red Wings |
| Rangers | 49 | 32 | 12 | 5 | 69 | 5 | 64 | 2 | Rangers |
| Canucks | 51 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 67 | 5 | 62 | 4 | Bruins |
| Blues | 50 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 67 | 7 | 60 | 6 | Canucks |
| Bruins | 49 | 32 | 15 | 2 | 66 | 2 | 64 | 3 | Predators |
| Predators | 52 | 31 | 17 | 4 | 66 | 4 | 62 | 5 | Blues |
| Flyers | 50 | 30 | 14 | 6 | 66 | 6 | 60 | 7 | Flyers |
| Blackhawks | 53 | 29 | 17 | 7 | 65 | 7 | 58 | 8 | Blackhawks |
| Sharks | 49 | 29 | 14 | 6 | 64 | 6 | 58 | 9 | Sharks |
| Penguins | 51 | 29 | 18 | 4 | 62 | 4 | 58 | 10 | Penguins |
| Senators | 54 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 61 | 7 | 54 | 12 | Devils |
| Kings | 52 | 25 | 17 | 10 | 60 | 10 | 50 | 17 | Senators |
| Devils | 50 | 28 | 19 | 3 | 59 | 3 | 56 | 11 | Maple Leafs |
| Panthers | 50 | 24 | 15 | 11 | 59 | 11 | 48 | 19 | Capitals |
| Maple Leafs | 51 | 26 | 19 | 6 | 58 | 6 | 52 | 13 | Stars |
| Wild | 51 | 25 | 19 | 7 | 57 | 7 | 50 | 18 | Avalanche |
| Capitals | 50 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 56 | 4 | 52 | 14 | Kings |
| Stars | 50 | 26 | 22 | 2 | 54 | 2 | 52 | 15 | Wild |
| Avalanche | 53 | 26 | 25 | 2 | 54 | 2 | 52 | 16 | Panthers |
| Flames | 52 | 24 | 22 | 6 | 54 | 6 | 48 | 20 | Flames |
| Jets | 53 | 24 | 23 | 6 | 54 | 6 | 48 | 21 | Jets |
| Coyotes | 51 | 22 | 21 | 8 | 52 | 8 | 44 | 22 | Coyotes |
| Lightning | 50 | 22 | 23 | 5 | 49 | 5 | 44 | 23 | Lightning |
| Islanders | 50 | 21 | 22 | 7 | 49 | 7 | 42 | 24 | Islanders |
| Sabres | 51 | 21 | 24 | 6 | 48 | 6 | 42 | 25 | Sabres |
| Canadiens | 51 | 19 | 23 | 9 | 47 | 9 | 38 | 27 | Oilers |
| Hurricanes | 53 | 19 | 25 | 9 | 47 | 9 | 38 | 28 | Canadiens |
| Ducks | 51 | 19 | 24 | 8 | 46 | 8 | 38 | 29 | Hurricanes |
| Oilers | 51 | 20 | 26 | 5 | 45 | 5 | 40 | 26 | Ducks |
| Blue Jackets | 52 | 14 | 32 | 6 | 34 | 6 | 28 | 30 | Blue Jackets |
This table lays out the standings and then where teams would be without the ‘loser point’, it does change and shuffle up the playoff standings quite a bit.
Playoffs now as is: Playoffs without the ‘loser point’
1.Rangers 1.Rangers
v v
8.Maple Leafs 8.Maple Leafs
2.Bruins 2.Bruins
v v
7.Devils 7.Senators
3.Panthers 3.Capitals
v v
6.Senators 6.Devils
4.Flyers 4.Flyers
v v
5.Penguins 5.Penguins
1.Red Wings 1.Red Wings
v v
8.Wild 8.Avalanche
2.Canucks 2.Canucks
v v
7.Kings 7.Stars
3.Sharks 3.Sharks
v v
6.Blackhawks 6.Blackhawks
4.Blues 4.Predators
v v
5.Predators 5.Blues
So you can see that the playoff landscape is a lot different if the league rewards ‘wins’ and not ‘losses’ without the ‘loser point’.
You can break down each series that has changed and see the benefits of the new layout. For the NHL the Capitals make the playoffs, OV gets in and that is good for them, the Penguins and Flyers still playoff so a heated rivalry goes off tap there. A north east rivalry gets the go ahead in the first round with Boston playing Ottawa, and the two biggest media homes for the NHL Toronto and New York still get their series too.
In the west, its is a battle royale of the old 90’s rivals, with the new upstart Av’s taking on the giant that is Detroit. The NHL get some financial relief with the stars making it to the playoffs and getting some of that special playoff coin they desperately need against the Canucks, the Sharks play the Blackhawks, is there any history there someone can share with me please! And the series of all 8, the Preds V the Blues.
The big one for me is the Blues and Predators series, these two teams are so close that home ice advantage could be the difference between getting into that second round and with winning the Cup being such a big talking point at the moment with the Predators and their pending RFA’s and UFA’s I think the league has to have a look at their standing structure as they look at realignment.
I know this is a lot about nothing, but if the NHL is going to go through some painful changes in the next CBA I think they should seriously look at the ‘loser point’, there should be no 50% reward for losing in OT or a shootout, if you are bad at either, get better or win in regulation. Trust me, if teams are going for 2 points in the last week of the season to get into the playoffs, the NHL will have its drama in the OT and shootouts it was looking for.
All of this being said, how would you change it? I would just go back to 2 points for a win and 0 a loss, there would be no ties anymore in the ‘new’ NHL as at the end of every game there is a winner, you cannot hedge your bets anymore! Either win and take the glory, or lose and go home with nothing……
So are we in with the ‘loser point’ or out with the ‘loser point’, I think we can all tell from this piece where I sit!
