Rd 1 - Official Series Discussion Thread: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

[centrehice]

I would say that the Flyers have the Pens number. This is the match-up that should never happen. By that I mean the ranking system is outdated and division winners should not get the top 3 spots. It should be ranked based on points from 1-8 in the conference. Pittsburgh would have played Washington and Philly would have played Florida. The 2nd and 3rd teams in points in the East were the 4th and 5th seeds. The Pens blew game 1 when they were up 3-0.

That is too much common sense for Basketball Bettman to wrap his simple mind around.

He comes from Basketball, where divisional match ups are more important than winning the NBA Championship.

Playoff Hockey should be structured on a Point System match-up. It should also be totally interlocking so that any team can meat any other team in the SC Final. The way it is now, 4 of the 6 Original 6 teams in the East cannot meet each other in the Stanley Cup Final. The Wings and Hawks cannot play against each other either in a Final.

This so short-sighted that it boggles the mind. Bettman has been on TV and defended this asinine divisional point winning behaviour and he actually believes that rivalries are worth more than the sake of Hockey History.

He does not come from a Hockey background like the rest of us do, consequently he hasn't a clue.

His don't worry about the Horse being blind, just load the wagon philosophy is wrong, dated and filled with narcissism.

[Wickabee]

I don't see the major problem with "This team can't meet that team in the finals"

Red Sox/Yankees will never be a world series final
Cowboys/Packers will never be a Superbowl

I mean, in the end, it'd be nice, but it's not necessary for hockey to be hockey. History or not.

[centrehice]

Wickabee:

American Sport is structured this way. Not so in other countries. Divisional and Regional rivalries stem from the College system and extend into professional Sport.

Don't even get me started on Baseball, as Sport where almost everything is wrong.

I quit watching it when it was apparent that a combination of steroids and rich money-laden franchises control everything. It's a sad, damaged sport.

[Wickabee]

Every sport is damaged quite a bit. I just don't see what's wrong with divisional/regional rivalries, that's all.

Just because hockey is "different" doesn't mean it has to be different in every aspect.

[centrehice]

Rivalries will create themselves, they don't have to be manufactured to get the same result.

Pittsburgh hates Detroit for no apparent reason yet both teams don't go anywhere near each other in most regular seasons other than once, twice in an odd year. That is a rivalry nobody ever expected and not create by stats gurus.

Statistics and contrivance drive American Sport when they really don't have to.

[Wickabee]

Rivalries will create themselves, they don't have to be manufactured to get the same result.

Pittsburgh hates Detroit for no apparent reason yet both teams don't go anywhere near each other in most regular seasons other than once, twice in an odd year. That is a rivalry nobody ever expected and not create by stats gurus.

And Vancouver/Boston, etc yes. That's sort of my point. Divisional play is not standing in the way of any other rivalries, so what's the problem?

[Crosby 87]

Rivalries will create themselves, they don't have to be manufactured to get the same result.

Pittsburgh hates Detroit for no apparent reason yet both teams don't go anywhere near each other in most regular seasons other than once, twice in an odd year. That is a rivalry nobody ever expected and not create by stats gurus.

Statistics and contrivance drive American Sport when they really don't have to.

Really dont think Pittsburgh or their fans hate Detroit and I wouldnt even put them as rival either. It's pretty much the Flyers and recently the Caps as their rivals.

[centrehice]

And Vancouver/Boston, etc yes. That's sort of my point. Divisional play is not standing in the way of any other rivalries, so what's the problem?

The problem stems from the NHL Commissioner stating publicly that the most important part of on-ice function of team play is to establish Divisional Rivalries, that's where the problem lies.

He's announced this publicly 30% of the time he speaks. Sorry, but that reeks of nothing but contrivance. It should not stand in the way of interlocking Playoff Hockey.

Hell, even Interlock play after the first round and give credence to total points, not playing in a bad division where every team is average.

Giving credence to a Division Winner and giving them 3rd overall in the Conference when 5th, 6th, and 7th place teams have more points is absurd.

[30ranfordfan]

If there's a problem with Origional 6 teams not being able to meet in the finals.... or a pair of rivals like Pittsburgh & Philly..... you need to go back to 1981 to change it - not the 1990s when the current comish got his job.

That is too much common sense for Basketball Bettman to wrap his simple mind around.

He comes from Basketball, where divisional match ups are more important than winning the NBA Championship.

Playoff Hockey should be structured on a Point System match-up. It should also be totally interlocking so that any team can meat any other team in the SC Final. The way it is now, 4 of the 6 Original 6 teams in the East cannot meet each other in the Stanley Cup Final. The Wings and Hawks cannot play against each other either in a Final.

This so short-sighted that it boggles the mind. Bettman has been on TV and defended this asinine divisional point winning behaviour and he actually believes that rivalries are worth more than the sake of Hockey History.

He does not come from a Hockey background like the rest of us do, consequently he hasn't a clue.

His don't worry about the Horse being blind, just load the wagon philosophy is wrong, dated and filled with narcissism.