Playoff Hockey
As the weather is supposed to finally improve here in Ottawa I figure I should write one last decent length hockey post before I lose interest in the playoffs entirely and turn to watching baseball and playing golf for the rest of the season:
- Watching the playoffs has me more convinced than ever that last years run to the finals by the Oilers was not a fluke. The cap has watered down the league so much that as long as you make the playoffs you have a legitimate shot to win the Cup. Every non-playoff team from Philly to Washington to LA is two decent players away from winning the Cup. That's how bad the level of play has become under the cap.
There are a few reason I think that way. The Sabres won the President's Cup and are struggling to beat an awful Islanders team, the Devils finished second and look like they would have finished 10th if they had anyone other than Brodeur in net (but of course they do so I'm not suggesting they are a bad team), and the Thrashers won their division and are getting throttled by a very average Rangers team. Even the gutless Senators (who may not be that gutless anymore, but more on that in a minute) can come out of the East this year.
There is no way in hell this years Cup winner would beat the recent Devils, Red Wings or Avalanche Cup winners. I don't even think they could make it a 6 game series. Thanks to the salary cap mediocrity reigns. Another reason socialism is dumb.
- I think the Sens getting Mike Comrie mid season was a huge pickup. This guy plays his ass off and has been huge for the Sens so far. They have also smartened up and made Philips and Volchenkov their top defensive pair. Mike Fisher, one of my five favorite players, is playing well, which he always does, and Redden is getting less ice time. As long as Alfie and Spezza keep showing up at least every other game the Sens might have a chance. But I'm still not convinced they are getting by the second round. Whoever they play next won't be as inexperienced as the Pens who have looked beyond awful to this point in that series.
- How pathetic is Sean Avery? When Ilya Kovalchuk is tossing you around the ice like a rag doll it might be time to quit yapping like a tough guy. I hope Elisha Cuthbert dumps him after this sad performance.
- The Ducks are going to be tougher to beat than I thought with Neidermayer and Pronger each playing terrific for 35 minutes a game.
- The playoffs just don't seem right without Joe Sakic playing and scoring big goals.
posted by Skeelo @ 8:52 AM
5 Comments:
I don't know, Dave. While there's no question the Cup winning teams of the Devils, Avs, Wings (and for that matter, the Stars) had payrolls in the top third of the league, there are other teams pre-cap like the Rag$, Flyers, Blues, Hawks, Isles and (cough) Leafs who spent mad money on payroll and didn't really accomplish much.
I unconvinced that high payroll equals Cups.
Your argument proves you needed a high payroll to win cups because the Devs, Wings and Avs won a combined 8 cups with high payrolls. That the other teams didn't win with high payrolls just means they spent money foolishly.
My point is that now that there is a cap it will be virtually impossbile to keep dominant teams together. There won't be prolonged runs with great teams anymore. It waters down the league.
It's the same thing that happened with the NFL where the league's dream is to have 32 teams finish 8-8.
The Patriots seem to have done OK.
I would say that successful drafting, team chemistry, injuries, special teams, goaltending and a good road record among other things are still pre-requisites for victory in the new NHL.
I'm not sure I explained my point there that well. What I mean to say is that I prefer it when you can have dominant teams in the league who you can look at 10 years from now and say "Whoa was that team awesome" they way you could with the 80' Isles and Oliers, the early 90's Pens and the Devs, Avs, and Wings the last 12 years. I personally prefer that to the whole "everybody has a shot" mentality which is glorified mediocrity.
I'm not questioning whether a team can be successful I am questioning the quality of the championship teams.
The Pats perfectly illustrate my point actually. They have won three Super Bowls and by their off season moves this year are the early pick to win this year. But these Pats teams would not be able to beat the Troy Aikman Cowboys, the Montant-Young 49ers or the 70's Steelers. They woudn't even win their own division against the early 90's Bills.
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