Phil Johnston#NHL I have come to the realization that I don’t enjoy watching the playoffs. I prefer the regular season. Playoff rules are different, the culture is more violent and less skill based, and players get hurt. Also, “the best” team is better decided over 82 games (this year that’s Boston by far) than a few in the playoffs (Boston went out in the 1st round). The best team is the most consistent team over the long haul. #hockey
ohanditdidntgo@johnstonphilip I'm not sure anyone would argue that winning the cup equates to being the best team though. Washington, St Louis, Pittsburgh, LA certainly weren't the most dominant teams in their respective cup years.
@danielholt right, so I guess the question then is: what does winning the cup mean? Why should I care?
@johnstonphilip I mean, if you're not invested in the playoff product then I guess you shouldn't?
I enjoy that stuff, I find the regular season to be an overly long marathon that lacks in so many areas. The playoffs is tighter, it means more and you can see that on the players. That's what makes amazing sport amazing.
@danielholt is that “means more” feeling something you can explain? Why does it mean more? Or is it purely a feeling with no logic behind it? (Which is totally fine, btw). Why have a regular season at all? Why not just have many short spurts of playoffs all year?
@johnstonphilip I mean, it's largely completely illogical right? It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things....but fans spend hours a week watching these guys play. They spend hundreds and thousands of dollars, they consider themselves part of 'it'. It means something to them.
And as for why not skip the regular season. I mean, you'd have to ask the NHL owners; my guess would be $$$
@danielholt I guess that’s true. In order to enjoy it I have to almost completely shut my brain down, which is hard to do as you get more invested. It seems like to truly enjoy it you can only get invested about 60%. Any more and you start asking questions the #NHL doesn’t want you to be asking.
@johnstonphilip there's certainly a degree of that, but I still think you can enjoy it and question the league and the teams when they make a mistake, I consider that part of being a fan to some extent.
@danielholt maybe that’s all I’m doing here then 😄. I find the way the playoffs are constructed to be mostly a mistake. Weird matchups, different rules being called differently. I know I’d be worried about a career/life altering injury happening in the weird playoff climate if I were a player. Not worth it for a “cup” that doesn’t even mean much, if anything.