Isn't Vancouver isn't on your list of crap teams? And they had their backup in goal too.

The Wild are going to regret the Hanzal trade - big, slow, dumb on the ice and a cheap shot artist. I don't believe the Hawks were ever serious about acquiring him.
- RickJ

Van just above crap. And I am not sure Hanzal would be really good in the 'Hawks system, though am surprised how poorly he's fit thus far in MN.

The Hawks have been fine...finding points even when not playing that well.

But the fall of the Wild...and the Sha-arks...has simply handed the Western Conference to the Hawks on a silver platter.

Hawks may be the only club to hit 100 points in the west.
- ArlingtonRob

So the Hawks "magic number of points" to clinch the Central/West is 111 points. Blackhawks need 9 points in 8 games. Have at it boys.........

Edit: And don't look now but remember that vaunted goal diff the Wild had over the Hawks......something like +60ish to +teens? As of now....Wild +51, Hawks +40.

Edit/Edit: And though its probably a long shot......and who cares anyway unless its game 7 of the Final but the Hawks are 2 points out of the Prez trophy, granted with a game in hand for the Ovechins and Saaders and Crosbys in between.

Which says nothing about the play-offs - the Wild have enough games to figure it out and get it all back. My guess is they would be a worthy opponent in the second round - and they and the Hawks should both get there.

Meantime - in the Metro - you could have the top three teams in the league in points in one division - meaning one of the top three goes out in the first round, and another in the second.

Something is wrong with that picture.
- StLBravesFan

The Rangers, the 4th place team in the Metro, playing in the toughest division in hockey, end up with the easiest route to the Conference Finals. They probably will finish with more points that the #1 team in the Atlantic and would play 2 series against Atlantic opponents. So yes, I'd say something wrong with that picture too.

The Rangers, the 4th place team in the Metro, playing in the toughest division in hockey, end up with the easiest route to the Conference Finals. They probably will finish with more points that the #1 team in the Atlantic and would play 2 series against Atlantic opponents. So yes, I'd say something wrong with that picture too.
- RickJ

That's how it works ? That is ridiculous just bring back 1 vs 8
I would pissed if I were Columbus, Pitt and Washington.

Don't like that the Blues are playing good lately. Hate to say but the Oilers might be a tough out too

The Rangers, the 4th place team in the Metro, playing in the toughest division in hockey, end up with the easiest route to the Conference Finals. They probably will finish with more points that the #1 team in the Atlantic and would play 2 series against Atlantic opponents. So yes, I'd say something wrong with that picture too.
- RickJ

I see your point Rick but that happened a couple of years ago in the Central (more or less) so those things go in streaks but to me the worse offense is the fact that a team with a lower number of points gets home ice in a series.

You want to have these goofy 1st round match ups, ok, but NO WAY should the 2nd or 3rd place team in the Metro NOT have home ice against the Habs if they meet. They could conceivably have 15 MORE points.

That's how it works ? That is ridiculous just bring back 1 vs 8
I would pissed if I were Columbus, Pitt and Washington.

Don't like that the Blues are playing good lately. Hate to say but the Oilers might be a tough out too
- HamiltonHawk

I doubt NYR could beat any of Pitt, Wash or Columbus in a 7 game series but they sure have a good chance to take out 2 teams in the Atlantic.

Blues are playing very well and I wouldn't bet much on Minny beating them in a series. I'd be more afraid of Calgary than Edmonton. I like the Oil, but they really aren't much if McDavid gets neutralized.

Which says nothing about the play-offs - the Wild have enough games to figure it out and get it all back. My guess is they would be a worthy opponent in the second round - and they and the Hawks should both get there.

Meantime - in the Metro - you could have the top three teams in the league in points in one division - meaning one of the top three goes out in the first round, and another in the second.

Something is wrong with that picture.
- StLBravesFan

The situation in the Metro is a fluke...

I still prefer the setup as is...divisional matchups following a season schedule skewed to divisional play.

I see your point Rick but that happened a couple of years ago in the Central (more or less) so those things go in streaks but to me the worse offense is the fact that a team with a lower number of points gets home ice in a series.

You want to have these goofy 1st round match ups, ok, but NO WAY should the 2nd or 3rd place team in the Metro NOT have home ice against the Habs if they meet. They could conceivably have 15 MORE points.
- ILGolfer

Valid point (even though I don't believe home ice means very much in the playoffs to good teams). I do wonder how the gate receipts get split though - if a 2nd or 3rd place team with more points in the standings gets one less home game playing a higher ranked team with less points do they also get less money from the gate?

There is a simple answer to this stupid playoff setup - just re-seed after the 1st round. That way the #1 team with the most points in the standings always plays the remaining team with the least points. I guess that hasn't occurred to the NHL.

Valid point (even though I don't believe home ice means very much in the playoffs to good teams). I do wonder how the gate receipts get split though - if a 2nd or 3rd place team with more points in the standings gets one less home game playing a higher ranked team with less points do they also get less money from the gate?

There is a simple answer to this stupid playoff setup - just re-seed after the 1st round. That way the #1 team with the most points in the standings always plays the remaining team with the least points. I guess that hasn't occurred to the NHL.
- RickJ

I like the re-seed idea but for whatever reason, Bettman and his cronies don't. Of course, they're way too busy kissing the arses of Chinese biz leaders to worry about such minor things.

And as far as the gate receipts for playoff games, that's covered under the CBA, I'll try to find some info out.

Straight from the CBA-----Article 49.5 (b)

(b) Playoffs Funding Phase. The next source of funding for the Redistribution Commitment shall be the Playoffs Funding Phase. All Clubs that participate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs shall be a "Playoff Contributing Club", and such Clubs shall be assessed moneys for purposes of the Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, in the following manner: (i) For each Playoff Game that a Club hosts in its home arena during a League Year, such Club shall contribute the dollar value equivalent of thirty-five (35) percent of the Playoff Gate Receipts (the "Playoffs Funding Phase Assessment"). (ii) Up to fifty (50) percent of the Redistribution Commitment may be collected in the Playoffs Funding Phase. (A) If more than fifty (50) percent of the Redistribution Commitment is collected during the Playoffs Funding Phase, the League shall return all excess amounts to the Clubs contributing during this Phase on a pro-rata basis

Of course, not being a lawyer, I'm lucky I understood 50% of this sh*t!!

Ok....an explanation even a non-lawyer like me can understand:

Each playoff team keeps at least 65% of the gate receipts, potentially more. They also keep any other game day revenue like parking or concessions on top of that 65%.

At the end of each season the NHL tallies up how much revenue the league has collected (HRR). The NHL then sets a target of 6.055% of that HRR to be put into a revenue sharing pool. For example, last season HRR was around $3.87B, so 6.055% of that is approximately $234M. There are a lot of other details based on the individual team revenues where the sharing pool could be less then 6.055%, but that's unlikely to happen in the current state of the league.

The NHL funds that $234M revenue sharing pool from 3 sources:

A) 50% comes from the top 10 revenue teams, proportional to their team revenue, with conditions that could cap or adjust any individual team's obligation.

B) Up to 50% comes from each playoff team contributing 35% of their playoff gate receipts. If the total amount contributed from the playoff gate exceeds 50% then the excess is refunded back to the playoff teams proportionately to their contributions. So the playoff teams could end up contributing less then 35% of their gate when it's all tallied up.

C) If the playoff gate receipt contributions were not enough to cover the 50% revenue sharing pool requirement then all 30 teams pitch in equal amounts to fill the revenue sharing pool up to the 100% target.

Wild have completely lost their MOJO...

...just a shell of the team they were 30 days ago. Quite the reversal of fortune.
- ArlingtonRob

It started after their 5 day break, and their compressed 2nd half schedule started giving them more back-to-backs and 4 in 7 days.

They've got DET tomorrow afternoon in another b2b.

The Rangers, the 4th place team in the Metro, playing in the toughest division in hockey, end up with the easiest route to the Conference Finals. They probably will finish with more points that the #1 team in the Atlantic and would play 2 series against Atlantic opponents. So yes, I'd say something wrong with that picture too.
- RickJ

It was similar to the last few years, when the Central was by far the strongest division, and qualified 5. My recollection is one year the 6th in the Central had more points than the 2nd wild card in the east.

Ok....an explanation even a non-lawyer like me can understand:

Each playoff team keeps at least 65% of the gate receipts, potentially more. They also keep any other game day revenue like parking or concessions on top of that 65%.

At the end of each season the NHL tallies up how much revenue the league has collected (HRR). The NHL then sets a target of 6.055% of that HRR to be put into a revenue sharing pool. For example, last season HRR was around $3.87B, so 6.055% of that is approximately $234M. There are a lot of other details based on the individual team revenues where the sharing pool could be less then 6.055%, but that's unlikely to happen in the current state of the league.

The NHL funds that $234M revenue sharing pool from 3 sources:

A) 50% comes from the top 10 revenue teams, proportional to their team revenue, with conditions that could cap or adjust any individual team's obligation.

B) Up to 50% comes from each playoff team contributing 35% of their playoff gate receipts. If the total amount contributed from the playoff gate exceeds 50% then the excess is refunded back to the playoff teams proportionately to their contributions. So the playoff teams could end up contributing less then 35% of their gate when it's all tallied up.

C) If the playoff gate receipt contributions were not enough to cover the 50% revenue sharing pool requirement then all 30 teams pitch in equal amounts to fill the revenue sharing pool up to the 100% target.
- ILGolfer

I wonder if any of the players understand this, because not many fans do?

I want to see Panarin score but I also don't

It was similar to the last few years, when the Central was by far the strongest division, and qualified 5. My recollection is one year the 6th in the Central had more points than the 2nd wild card in the east.
- scottak

That's correct but the discussion began about the Rangers 'theoretically' having an easier time getting to the Conference Final than the 3 teams ahead of them in their own division. I don't think that has ever occurred in the West.

I wonder if any of the players understand this, because not many fans do?
- RickJ

Elementary my dear Rick, elementary.

- ILGolfer

C'mon - that's obviously the formula for calculating WAR in baseball.

Or - the formula for calculating how many fraudulent votes cost Trump the popular vote win last November.

C'mon - that's obviously the formula for calculating WAR in baseball.
- StLBravesFan

C'mon - that's obviously the formula for calculating WAR in baseball.

Or - the formula for calculating how many fraudulent votes cost Trump the popular vote win last November.
- StLBravesFan

Really? A backhanded political shot?

Disappointing.

Really? A backhanded political shot?

Disappointing.
- TexasFlood

Not really backhanded. And lighten up.

Not really backhanded. And lighten up.
- TTtime

We should get Dale to fax that formula to CNN as they have been waiting for it since Jan.27th.

Hawks appear to be sleeping through this one...
nice goal by Barkov.

Not really backhanded. And lighten up.
- TTtime

I can speak for myself, Mr. Time.

Not really backhanded. And lighten...uhh, up. *embarrassed nervous cough*

Hawks appear to be sleeping through this one...
nice goal by Barkov.
- DK002

Ice looks lousy too.