So Boston, a team with 42 wins, doesn't make the playoffs while other teams with 41 wins do because they've made the most of the consolation point. Especially disgusting among those three teams is Minnesota, with a meager 38 wins on the season.
Let's just change the point system... no 3 -2 -1, no 2 - 1. Wins are worth 1 point. Shootout losses and OT losses = 0 points but are a tie breaker.
It's that simple: you win, you're in.
Teams that go better than 500 should make the playoffs because wins should always be prioritized over consolation points. Otherwise, you're just encouraging teams to play defensively for the latter half of the game to preserve points in the standings and making the game simultaneously suffer.
No, we should not go back to 2 points for the win, one for the tie... we don't have ties anymore, so we should just ditch the point system altogether. Wins are wins and the Boston Bruins are (though the last ten games haven't shown it) better than the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. I can almost guarantee you that all three of those teams Boston was actually better than will not make it beyond the first round.
I might be wrong... it's the playoffs, some teams play dumb hockey in the playoffs (ahem, the St. Louis Blues), but it's statistically likely.
edit: For the record, I'm not a Boston fan... I think they got shafted
edit 2: Minnie gone in 6, Detroit gone in 5, Philly gone in 6... thanks for coming out.
stop crying, the Bs choked. They have no one to blame but themselves.
I like your idea, get rid of the loser point. I do have a slightly different suggestion. Keep the 0 points for a loss of any kind, I am definitely on board with that. I say 2 points for a regulation or OT win and 1 point for a win in the shootout. This encourages teams to win in the team portion of the game instead of the skills competition. The multiple point system still keeps the parity in the standings and makes for more meaningful games later in the year as teams fight to make the playoffs. Just a thought.
3 Point System: 3 for a Reg win, 2 for a OT/Shootout win, 1 for a OT/Shootout loss, 0 for a Reg loss.
Sour grapes from a Bruins Fan
I agree - I hate the loser point. Make all games worth 3 points and get over it.
It may be "sour grapes" but he has a valid point. If you change things to his system, or even the three point system by using ROW, the standings are pretty different. Although I do think the Flyers are a better team than Boston.