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?
The Red Menace@johnstonphilip @danielholt The regular season is similar to a 9-5 job. Some days are better than others, people come and go just trying to do their best for the company. Playoff time is for the players. They all want that chance to engrave their names on arguably the greatest trophy in sport. That's where it "means more".
@SSRedMenace @danielholt if you are working a 9-5 and hating it, seek a new job. You have 1 short life. Every day counts. I don’t get this argument. Try hard, all the time. Also, if the rules suddenly change at work like they do in the playoffs, it’s almost impossible to train for, and excel at. You went from playing 1 game to another.
@johnstonphilip @danielholt I never said they hate it, nor do they not try hard. But only in the playoffs does a loss send you home for the year. If you can't, nor want, to see the difference, don't buy a ticket.
@SSRedMenace @danielholt that’s the only part that makes sense, “if you don’t like how illogical this is, don’t buy a ticket”. I can agree on that. But we all know the Stanley Cup doesn’t go to “the best team”. The fact that the New York Rangers are out before Seattle or Florida is proof enough of that.
@johnstonphilip @danielholt No playoffs are "fair" in that way, that's why just getting in gives any team a fighters chance. Did you watch the Rangers/Devils series? Rangers were too old and it was obvious! Kane and Tarasenko are past their primes and were not nearly enough of the threats they used to be and needed to be. NJ wanted it more and NYR need to shed some dead skin. I was rooting for Kane, but he looked lost at times. Seattle plays great as a team, try watching the Hawks.
@SSRedMenace @johnstonphilip I push back against the 'best team' argument too because if you look at the Tampa/Columbus series a few years ago, there's nobody who would argue that the Blue Jackets were the better team... however for four games they got the job done and gave their fanbase something that they'll never ever forget.
I don't want to watch the best team win. I want to watch an incredible series of hockey with tension and shocks and skill and drama.
@danielholt @SSRedMenace and that’s fine! And when a team wins the cup, we can say they were the most dramatic, shocking, and lucky, but not the best. By that definition I’m totally fine with it.
@johnstonphilip that's the thing, I don't think anyone is using 'best' when referring to the Cup champions.
@danielholt interesting, that’s all I ever hear it as being.
@johnstonphilip I think the regular season standings should be given more weight, but that ultimately needs to come from the fanbases. By and large they don't care about the President's Trophy, even if it is a significantly better way of measuring a teams relative quality, because, I couldn't tell you about a regular season game we played 5 years ago, but I do remember the moment Kuznestov slid the puck through Matt Murray's legs to win the series against Pittsburgh that same year.
@danielholt I think more could be done to “make the presidents trophy matter more” from an entertainment perspective. But that being said, I will remember what Boston did this year, and I remember many Connor McDavid goals, even if Edmonton never wins.
@johnstonphilip @danielholt It is an odd league...so many different trophies to identify greatness within the league in different ways. But for me the Cup playoffs are unbeatable.