Kin
New member
So apologies if this may sound like me repeating myself but it seems to me like there's something that needs saying every year. Call it the cap effect, call it parity, call it whatever but the playoffs have been awful this year, right? I mean, it's just not very good. It's a bunch of mediocre teams slogging it out with each other with the winners prevailing seemingly by attrition.
Look at the teams left. Two failed to crack 100 points. You've got the division champion from maybe the worst division in recent memory, largely because of the loser point. Then a Pittsburgh team that played most of their run with their back-up goalie and a defense so decimated by injuries that I think I'm their 7th defenseman tomorrow night.
The highest scoring Predator forward had 61 points. Same with the Sens. The highest scoring non-Pittsburgh forward still in the playoffs is Ryan Getzlaf who scored 15 goals this year.
Anecdotally? I haven't talked to anyone who isn't a fan of one of the teams still in it who's closely following what's going on. Sportsnet's ratings are up over last year but that's to be expected with Canadian teams in the playoffs. Still, none of the Leafs games did as well as the Jays wild card game last year.
I was wrong about a lot of things during the lockouts. I was wrong about how they'd turn out, I was wrong about the Players' resolve and I'm even willing to admit that I was wrong to some extent about what the Owners' victories would mean for the business of the game.
But I am very comfortable in saying I was 100%, sure-fire right about the fact that it has led to a less-good product on ice. One that is increasingly relegating itself to only being of interest to people whose teams are playing.
I may be a bad example but if you asked me right now if I'm more interested in watching a game 7 between any of the 4 teams remaining for a Stanley Cup final and day 2 of the NHL draft...I go draft. And it's not a terribly tough call.
Look at the teams left. Two failed to crack 100 points. You've got the division champion from maybe the worst division in recent memory, largely because of the loser point. Then a Pittsburgh team that played most of their run with their back-up goalie and a defense so decimated by injuries that I think I'm their 7th defenseman tomorrow night.
The highest scoring Predator forward had 61 points. Same with the Sens. The highest scoring non-Pittsburgh forward still in the playoffs is Ryan Getzlaf who scored 15 goals this year.
Anecdotally? I haven't talked to anyone who isn't a fan of one of the teams still in it who's closely following what's going on. Sportsnet's ratings are up over last year but that's to be expected with Canadian teams in the playoffs. Still, none of the Leafs games did as well as the Jays wild card game last year.
I was wrong about a lot of things during the lockouts. I was wrong about how they'd turn out, I was wrong about the Players' resolve and I'm even willing to admit that I was wrong to some extent about what the Owners' victories would mean for the business of the game.
But I am very comfortable in saying I was 100%, sure-fire right about the fact that it has led to a less-good product on ice. One that is increasingly relegating itself to only being of interest to people whose teams are playing.
I may be a bad example but if you asked me right now if I'm more interested in watching a game 7 between any of the 4 teams remaining for a Stanley Cup final and day 2 of the NHL draft...I go draft. And it's not a terribly tough call.