How embarrassing for the league.
Money talks and the owners gave in to the vegas owners demands.
Ah well.
- Fakepartofme

It's fantastic for the league. Great story, and it shows that anything can happen. And it's not like they bought what anyone thought would be a good team. Nobody thought they would even make the playoffs, that's why it's such a great story.

It's fantastic for the league. Great story, and it shows that anything can happen. And it's not like they bought what anyone thought would be a good team. Nobody thought they would even make the playoffs, that's why it's such a great story.
- Zezel

I'd also like to add that I don't believe this would be possible in any of the other major North American sports.

How embarrassing for the league.
Money talks and the owners gave in to the vegas owners demands.
Ah well.
- Fakepartofme

I don't agree that it is embarrassing. It shows a few simple lessons. A reall hot goalie can work miracles if you make the playoffs. Teams choke when they face a hot goalie as the Jets surely did. Most NHL GM's are incompetent, the ones that contributed zero to LV's success like Lou - are a rarity. Think about the team that LV just beat. How many Jets are better than any player on Vegas.

Finally - please don't try to convince yourself that Ryan Reaves is anything but a really marginal NHL player, perhaps on a par with Matt Martin.

I'd also like to add that I don't believe this would be possible in any of the other major North American sports.
- RickJames77

I think it could happen in basketball. Officiating < Sh!t

I think it could happen in basketball. Officiating < Sh!t
- winsix

I disagree. Look at the teams and/or players on the last 10 finals teams. They're all the same for many points in time or have LeBron. That league has zero parity, which is why an expansion team would never make it to the finals. LeBron James has been in the finals for the last 7 years in a row.

I disagree. Look at the teams and/or players on the last 10 finals teams. They're all the same for many points in time or have LeBron. That league has zero parity, which is why an expansion team would never make it to the finals. LeBron James has been in the finals for the last 7 years in a row.
- RickJames77

it's cause the nba micro-manages officials calling fouls in each series. impossible to get meaningful upsets.

i gave up on the nba a long-time ago.

it's cause the nba micro-manages officials calling fouls in each series. impossible to get meaningful upsets.

i gave up on the nba a long-time ago.
- Tumbleweed

I don't disagree that officiating plays a role, but let's not discount the super team / superstar effect as well.

I've also given up on that league. They ruined it.

I've been watching the ECF for obvious reasons, but maybe only a handful of games before that (definitely not the entire game too)

I disagree. Look at the teams and/or players on the last 10 finals teams. They're all the same for many points in time or have LeBron. That league has zero parity, which is why an expansion team would never make it to the finals. LeBron James has been in the finals for the last 7 years in a row.
- RickJames77

Lebron James is exactly why it could happen in the NBA. In no sport can one player make such a difference. LV had the 3rd best chance of winning the draft lottery in 2017. If an NBA expansion team selected in the top three they could land a special player.

Lebron James is exactly why it could happen in the NBA. No sport can one player make such a difference. LV had the 3rd best chance of winning the draft lottery in 2017. If an NBA expansion team selected in the top three they could land a special player.
- winsix

And how long did it take LeBron to win a championship after he entered the league? 9 years.

And when he finally got his first one what did he have to do? Leave his team and join a super team. And they still lost in their first year together.

I don't disagree that officiating plays a role, but let's not discount the super team / superstar effect as well.

I've also given up on that league. They ruined it.

I've been watching the ECF for obvious reasons, but maybe only a handful of games before that (definitely not the entire game too)
- RickJames77

NBA officiating is brutal, but NHL playoff officiating isn't much better. Why is there such a disparity in calls during the regular season from those in the playoffs. It appeared that full tackle rules were in effect for LV games.

NBA officiating is brutal, but NHL playoff officiating isn't much better. Why is there such a disparity in calls during the regular season from those in the playoffs. It appeared that full tackle rules were in effect for LV games.
- winsix

The officiating this playoffs has been

That being said, I haven't been able to stay up late enough for most of Vegas' games so I've only seen a handful and not quite enough to say whether or not they got an advantage from the refs.

And how long did it take LeBron to win a championship after he entered the league? 9 years.

And when he finally got his first one what did he have to do? Leave his team and join a super team. And they still lost in their first year together.
- RickJames77

How long did it take Tim Duncan?

How long did it take Tim Duncan?
- winsix

Ok so we're going to shift to a completely different era of the sport, which it totally was, and reference a top pick that went to a bad team and by the time they won it had not one player from the season they were terrible to obtain the pick. That team that won was completely different with a lot of good players.

They are not comparable.

Plus, we're talking about now. Go a head and name the last top pick to win a championship - it'd be Irving because LeBron decided to go back to cleveland for a super team. Other than that go all the way back to James, whom it took 9 years.

Ok so we're going to shift to a completely different era of the sport, which it totally was, and reference a top pick that went to a bad team and by the time they won it had not one player from the season they were terrible to obtain the pick. That team that won was completely different with a lot of good players.

They are not comparable.

Plus, we're talking about now. Go a head and name the last top pick to win a championship - it'd be Irving because LeBron decided to go back to cleveland for a super team. Other than that go all the way back to James, whom it took 9 years.
- RickJames77

#basketballbuzz

#basketballbuzz
- PatC80

Well there ain't much else to discuss and no one else is around


Nothing like discussing a league you hate


But still, go Celtics!

I'd also like to add that I don't believe this would be possible in any of the other major North American sports.
- RickJames77

It's happened 19 other times in North American sports.
Sorry, it's happened 20 times for a team to reach the finals in their first playoffs.

It's happened 19 other times in North American sports.
Sorry, it's happened 20 times for a team to reach the finals in their first playoffs.
- bobbyisno1

In the 4 major north american sports this has happened 19 times? Please provide a link because I'm not seeing this. I'm talking about making the finals in their first year.

Also, if you want to count the blues in the 1960s then I'm not going to bother having this discussion as they were an expansion team that made it to the finals in a division comprised entirely of expansion teams. Meaning there was a 100% possibility of that happening.

In the 4 major north american sports this has happened 19 times? Please provide a link because I'm not seeing this.

Also, if you want to count the blues in the 1960s then I'm not going to bother having this discussion as they were an expansion team that made it to the finals in a division comprised of expansion teams.
- RickJames77

Its on NHL.com, also see my edit.
20 teams have made the finals in their first playoff appearance, other than that I can only think of the blues making the finals in their first year.

Ok so we're going to shift to a completely different era of the sport, which it totally was, and reference a top pick that went to a bad team and by the time they won it had not one player from the season they were terrible to obtain the pick. That team that won was completely different with a lot of good players.

They are not comparable.

Plus, we're talking about now. Go a head and name the last top pick to win a championship - it'd be Irving because LeBron decided to go back to cleveland for a super team. Other than that go all the way back to James, whom it took 9 years.
- RickJames77

You are missing the point. Any team in basketball could conceivably win because, what is unique to the sport is that a single player can make a terrible team playoff bound and possibly a contender. Tim Duncan won a championship in his second year (it was a lockout shortened season) but the team was mostly crap apart from Duncan.

Its on NHL.com, also see my edit.
20 teams have made the finals in their first playoff appearance, other than that I can only think of the blues making the finals in their first year.
- bobbyisno1

I was under the impression that this discussion was around making it to the finals in your first year in existence.

I wasn't referring to first playoff run, but that's still a very interesting and surprising stat.

You are missing the point. Any team in basketball could conceivably win because, what is unique to the sport is that a single player can make a terrible team playoff bound and possibly a contender. Tim Duncan won a championship in his second year (it was a lockout shortened season) but the team was mostly crap apart from Duncan.
- winsix

I don't agree with your premise. Almost all of the teams that have won in the last 20 years were absolutely stacked and not dominated by one player. I'll agree to disagree

In the 4 major north american sports this has happened 19 times? Please provide a link because I'm not seeing this. I'm talking about making the finals in their first year.

Also, if you want to count the blues in the 1960s then I'm not going to bother having this discussion as they were an expansion team that made it to the finals in a division comprised entirely of expansion teams. Meaning there was a 100% possibility of that happening.
- RickJames77

https://www.nhl.com/news/...-group/c-298707748?tid=28

I was under the impression that this discussion was around making it to the finals in your first year in existence.

I wasn't referring to first playoff run, but that's still a very interesting and surprising stat.
- RickJames77

There was a few NBA teams that did in their first years.
But you can check out the link.

https://www.nhl.com/news/golden-knights-join-elite-group/c-298707748?tid=28
- bobbyisno1

Link failed, but again I thought we were talking about teams making it to the final in their inaugural year.

There was a few NBAteams that did in their first years.
But you can check out the link.
- bobbyisno1

What was the last one? Genuinely asking as I have no idea.