Nice blog, but I'm going to reluctantly avoid connecting the W/L/T record of the Eastern Conference to any kind of dominance, mostly because your math is missing a few key elements.

You did the legwork to note that the Eastern Conference's 7-13 seeds won sixty-eight games v. the Western Conference, also seeds 7-13.

Noting that the Eastern Conference won sixty-eight games, one has to deduce that the Western Conference won sixty games (44L + 16 OTL for the East). That's only an eight-game difference(without knowing how many were decided after regulation), which is pretty common for standard deviance/variation.

Further, and as mentioned above, we have no idea - at least through this math - how many games the Western Conference lost in OT(picking up at least one point), nor do we know how many games were decided by the skills competition coin flip.

The sixty-eight wins for the East is impressive, but how many came in regulation? Without knowing this, we don't know the back-end of the Western Conference's record, and subsequently, their total points percentage. It's certainly behind the Eastern Conference's record, but to what extent? Enough to justify this correlation? I'd guess not.

In fact, the only thing we do know is that the Eastern Conference has won eight games more than the Western Conference. Considering all of the variables in play(e.g. travel, home/away splits) and the fact that there's an incredibly shortened sample size (~ 18 games per) in East/West play that automatically increases propensity for volatility, you really need to extrapolate this out into a multi-year measurement to reach any fair conclusion.
- Travis Yost

it's on page 2, i think he said the west gained 102 points in all the matches

Its really doesn't matter too much over 10 games who has a better winning percentage of east vs west

If Florida was in the Central division it would be fighting for 4th or 5th... but instead it gets something like 24 games? against fairly bad teams this year... Same reason the NYI still suck, you put them in the South East and bam they are probably a playoff team...

I think its a little unfair to put ottawa on the Wild's level but on Anaheim's level I can see that...

When you look at the west you have the LA kings who are the Flyers of old that went to the cup finals.. maybe a better team than that and they cant even make the playoffs...

Except finish in front of Toronto...
- Smittyx36

That must bother Leaf fans.

I like how the west fans say this a mute point, when it is the only true stat anyone should look at, head to head. Just because the East is better than the West doesn't mean this stat suddenly is pointless.

East > West last 2 years

btw overall West vs. East has been pretty even since the lockout

It's not even a discussion. The west is so much better. Look at the depth of the teams in the west and look at there farm systems. You have the elite in Vancouver, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and Nashville than look at the farm systems of Minnesota(elite), Colorado(elite), Edmonton(elite), Annaheim and Los Angeles. Not to mention San Jose, Dallas and Phoenix. If the East have a better record against the West this is probably the first time in a decade and dont get used to it because the bottom feeders in the west actually have very bright futures compared to the bottom feeders in the east. There's only two teams without a future and that's Calgary and Columbus.

Right, but Vancouver travels all year long. They are used to it.

When the cup final was on the line, travel had more of an affect on Boston than it did Vancouver, yet Boston still came out and dominated the Canucks to win.
- theblueandgold

Used to it? or exhausted from it?

The argument can easily go both ways.... If I punch you in the nuts every hour for a week... and then a month later I hit you there again... will it hurt less? Cause you are used to it?

Travel matters... and Boston having to do for 2 weeks what Vancouver did for 9 months doesn't exactly mean it was harder for Boston

it's on page 2, i think he said the west gained 102 points in all the matches
- bobbyisno1

If the Eastern Conference was 68-44-16, there's no way the Western Conference's point total was 104.

The Western Conference had to have won sixty games, meaning at the worst, they have 120 points - plus any OTL/SOL LP's they picked up.

Math is wrong somewhere.

I like how the west fans say this a mute point, when it is the only true stat anyone should look at, head to head. Just because the East is better than the West doesn't mean this stat suddenly is pointless.

East > West last 2 years

btw overall West vs. East has been pretty even since the lockout
- Carrsrkewl9

Whats a mute point?

The west is far stronger, and has been for years.
If u cant see that, you're either delusional or clueless

That must bother Leaf fans.
- golfingsince

It would if I was a leaf fan... Since the lockout you guys haven't even managed to make the playoffs when over half of the NHL makes it!

That must bother Leaf fans.
- golfingsince

Thr sabres have been a better team then the sharks???!

Ok bud.
- hugefemale dog77

7-2 says they do. SJ is overrated. I'm a fan and I know this

Americans don't know hockey.
- Boinker

Resort to your ad hominem in place of intelligent discussion.

It would if I was a leaf fan... Since the lockout you guys haven't even managed to make the playoffs when over half of the NHL makes it!
- Smittyx36

Anyways, tell me more bad things about the Leafs. I'm all ears.

Vancouver was the softest team by far that Boston played in the playoffs last yr.
- Stalemate

Ya I would have liked to have seen what Boston would have looked like with Chara out and their entire top 4 defense playing with injuries. Not to mention Kesler playing on a torn hip. Henrik with a bulging disc. The Canucks went through three rounds of war. They limped into Boston facing a healthy hungry team. The only defenseman on the Canucks that was't injured was Bieksa. Our top 2 centers had serious injuries which required surgery right game seven. Columbus would have had a chance to beat Vancouver at their state.

If the Eastern Conference was 68-44-16, there's no way the Western Conference's point total was 104.

The Western Conference had to have won sixty games, meaning at the worst, they have 120 points - plus any OTL/SOL LP's they picked up.

Math is wrong somewhere.
- Travis Yost

i went back and he said 104 points, but i think he's missing 16 points.
16 overtimes losses for the east would make 16 overtime wins for the west. but then again wouldn't they be included in the 44 wins?

Anyways, tell me more bad things about the Leafs. I'm all ears.
- golfingsince

TAKE THAT!!!

Resort to your ad hominem in place of intelligent discussion.
- theblueandgold

Truth hurts eh?

Three weeks ago, this "blogger" had the Panthers bottoming out, and falling OUT of playoff contention....

How does the crow taste.."Blogger"?

Then why can't they beat their eastern counterparts?
- Eklund

Ek, why couldn't PIT, NYR, WSH and PHI beat the Oilers? Oilers beat them by a combined score of 8-2. Domination right?

i went back and he said 104 points, but i think he's missing 16 points.
16 overtimes losses for the east would make 16 overtime wins for the west. but then again wouldn't they be included in the 44 wins?
- bobbyisno1

The math has to be wrong.

The East has 152 total points.
The West has at least 120 points(44 regulation wins, 16 extra-time wins), plus any loser points they picked up over the course of the year. With this math, we don't know the total.

Assuming that losses are comparably equal, we can rationalize that the West picked up roughly ~ 16 PTS through SOL. If that's the case, they're looking at 136 total points.

Again, about an eight-win difference. In a small sample size, I'd be reluctant to draw correlation. Need to see data in years past.

It's not even a discussion. The west is so much better. Look at the depth of the teams in the west and look at there farm systems. You have the elite in Vancouver, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and Nashville than look at the farm systems of Minnesota(elite), Colorado(elite), Edmonton(elite), Annaheim and Los Angeles. Not to mention San Jose, Dallas and Phoenix. If the East have a better record against the West this is probably the first time in a decade and dont get used to it because the bottom feeders in the west actually have very bright futures compared to the bottom feeders in the east. There's only two teams without a future and that's Calgary and Columbus.
- Boinker

Actually, Sven Baertschi appears to be a great prospect, if he keeps up his play he could potentially turn into the type of player you can build a team around. The Flames are only a couple good prospects away from having a good prospect pool.

As for CBJ, Nail Yakupov is a stud and he is pretty much theirs already, and someone will overpay for Nash and give them a future and a half for them in young players/picks/prospects.

If you could pick one team to point out as the team with the least bright future it is without a doubt San Jose. Our team is aging, battling for a playoff spot, and our prospect pool is pretty much non-existent. As much as I hate to say it in 5 years this team will absolutely suck

Truth hurts eh?
- Boinker

It would hurt a lot more if your statement was anything close to accurate.

Three weeks ago, this "blogger" had the Panthers bottoming out, and falling OUT of playoff contention....

How does the crow taste.."Blogger"?
- PanthersGoal

Honestly I've been on this site for a few years and I came to the conclusion a long time ago that Eklund knows nothing about hockey. Nothing. For a guy who claims to have been a fan as long as he has it's quite shocking really. If he were smart he'd never write a blog again and get someone else to do it. More people would come to this site.

Actually, Sven Baertschi appears to be a great prospect, if he keeps up his play he could potentially turn into the type of player you can build a team around. The Flames are only a couple good prospects away from having a good prospect pool.

As for CBJ, Nail Yakupov is a stud and he is pretty much theirs already, and someone will overpay for Nash and give them a future and a half for them in young players/picks/prospects.

If you could pick one team to point out as the team with the least bright future it is without a doubt San Jose. Our team is aging, battling for a playoff spot, and our prospect pool is pretty much non-existent. As much as I hate to say it in 5 years this team will absolutely suck
- FinAddict

Well that's one player. Backlund and Brodie are nothing to be excited about. The Flames are aging as well. All San Jose has to do is trade Thronton, Marleau and Boyle and they dominate the Flamers in terms of prospects. What could the Flames get for any of there players besides Iginla?

It would hurt a lot more if your statement was anything close to accurate.
- theblueandgold

Compared to Canadians it's not even a discussion.