1) AS we have written many times, we HATE the concept of rewarding losing in any sense. We are against the loser point and improved draft position for being sucky. First with regard to the standings. We approve of any idea as an improvement over the current system with regard to rewarding losing in any sense. There are many possible plans we have read to improve the current way the NHL doles out points, but doubt we'll see any change as the current system keeps the standings closer (mediocrity or the PC term of "Parity").
2) One plan which we like because it gives teams more incentive to win in regulation would give a team winning in the requisite 3 periods 3 points. If the games goes the extra session the winning team regardless of an OT or SO win would get two points. The losing team in ANY event gets NOTHING for losing. Yes, we can already hear the cries. "What if a team plays another close for 55 minutes only to lose in a shoot out, they get nothing for that?" Easy answer, Yes, you get nothing. You lost the game, you get nothing. End of story. No more playing it close in the 3rd period hoping to at least come away with something. Teams will be incentivize to not only play for a win, but to win BEFORE OT!
3) As for our other pet peeve. We also hate giving losing teams the chance to pick higher in the draft as this also rewards losing, http://newfaux.blogspot.com/2008/04/reward-for-sucking.html. We hate the current system. Right now the bottom 5 finishers (or lottery teams) have a shot at picking first overall. This was done after the Penguins supposedly tanked the 1983-84 season to pick first to get Mario Lemieux instead of Kirk Muller. (Good idea). The thought was that by not guaranteeing the first pick, teams wouldn't be accused of tanking the end of the season. However recently we have seen teams 'tank it' just to finish in the bottom 5. Our plan would eliminate this system entirely.
4) Our position, though radical and controversial, would eliminate all possible doubt, and no longer reward failure/incompetence. That is do what was done in the 'Crosby sweepstakes' (2005 draft). Have ALL teams' draft order determined equally by a lottery. It would be a great/exciting show, like then, to have every team a chance at the 1st pick, and it eliminates once and for all any chance that teams would be disincentivized from playing their best/best players at all times! It forces GM's/teams to improve by making good decisions, not by tanking a season or two to rebuild and getting good picks. It eliminates ANY notion that teams aren't playing their best each and every night. Also, and as importantly, it stops once and for all the idiotic notion of reward for failure.
3 comments:
My 2 cents: The "charity point" is technically not a reward for losing, it's a perfectly valid result for a tie. The shootout is basically an arbitrary tiebreaker, having nothing to do with which team is better, and therefore should have no bearing as to whether a team gets credit for a 65-minute tie.
The problem is that the winner gets an arbitrary point for the shootout. That's the true charity point, and it's the reason for the 3-point games which are so aggravating and taint the standings.
As much as it pisses me off that a team gets a point after losing the shootout, it would be even worse to have the final league standings determined entirely on shootouts... which is what would happen if teams no longer got credit for a 65-minute tie. I'd rather just play 3-on-3 until someone scores.
1) Tom: We understand your position. However, if the NHL wants to eliminate 'ties' then they need to also eliminate giving compensation for being tied after regulation.
2) Under the current system teams play ultra conservative in the second half of tie games hoping to get to the extra session knowing that they have that to fall back on even if they 'lose'
3) Under our plan teams would be given incentive to want to win in regulation not only to get the extra point(3), but because if they lose, they get nothing regardless of when they lost.
You'll never see this happen for the reason you wrote. The NHL likes the stadings to stay as close as possible. fans stop going when their team is out of it so a close race increases attendance.
You also won't see the NHL do away with the draft order. Teams need a sign of hope to give fans and a high draft position helps boost interest for bad teams
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