I got a link to this lil blurb in the mail today from NHL.com:
They are celebrated as the Original Six -- the half-dozen NHL clubs that pre-date the 1967 expansion and hearken back to a different era. But not since the early days of expansion have the Original Six been on track to be as dominant as they've been this season.
Entering this weekend, four of the top five teams in the NHL standings are members of the Original Six. Detroit, a 3-2 shootout winner at Phoenix on Thursday, is first with 63 points, one ahead of a group of three teams that includes the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, and two points in front of the Boston Bruins -- who have played only 44 games, fewer than any team in the NHL. Only the St. Louis Blues, the other team in the three-way tie with 62 points, breaks up the Original Six party.
How unusual is it to have the Original Six so heavily represented among the NHL's elite? Very.
It may be unusual but it's also very cool. Yeah, I'm one of THOSE fans... the few, the proud, the snobs who think the Original Six play the best hockey. Well, except for the major suckage that is the Habs and the Leafs, although the Leafs are better than usual this year. I can cut the Habs a sprout because of their history and by that I mean the most championships in any major sport, except for those Yankees (that would be 27 World Series wins to Montreal's 24 Stanley Cups). Ya gotta give the Habs credit for that, even in this "what have ya done for me lately" world.
Speakin' of "what have ya done for me lately"... here's Big Bert with the game winner last night:
The Wings are undefeated in the shoot-out this year (4-0) and have won too many games that way, to my way o' thinkin'. It's BEST when you totally dominate your opponents, but two points is two points... much better than one, or none.
I have no problem with two points for a shootout win. None at all. I have HUGE problems with one point for any kind of loss. And I hate that a team with a record of, let's say, 24-21-6 is referred to as "3 games over .500." Bullshit. That 6 back there is losses, and that's a team with a 24-27 record, 3 games under .500. Aaaaand, that gripe is over.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I just picked those numbers at random. Any resemblance to an actual team is purely coincidental.
We're on the same page. I MUCH prefer the old system where ya got two for a win and one for a tie. I think there was more incentive in that system for teams to "play to win." The shootout is too gimmicky for my tastes. Just me, of course.
ReplyDeleteIt would really create an incentive to win if the gave two for a win and took one away for a loss. Ties should be worth nothing.
ReplyDeletev-word = snestram Didn't he play goalie for the Wichita Fartburnes?
Ivan: Negative points in the standings? THAT would be interesting...
ReplyDeleteTotally agree about the points and shoot-outs, Buck. Old-school all the way, here..
ReplyDeleteBTW, I do like St. Louis' uniforms--like those of the Red-Wings, they're congruent with the city's history besides being well designed..
Agreed, Virgil. The Blues' unis are classy.
ReplyDelete