Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Just Make the Playoffs

As we get further and further into the season, the playoffs get closer and closer! There isn't a more exciting time of year. Now, I know we're only about 33 games into the season and most of the focus falls on the last few, but this is when playoff positions are often really lost. The fight for the final spots wouldn't exist if teams buckled down earlier - the sooner, the better. Obviously I am way ahead of myself with this post, but as all hockey fans know, there is one simple recipe to winning the hardest trophy in all of sports: make the playoffs. It doesn't matter where you finish in the standings as long as you're in the top eight. After that, anything can happen.

Let me show you. Since the lockout, here are the last two contenders for the Stanley Cup each year along with their playoff seeds (East listed first):

2005-2006 (8/7)
2. Carolina vs. 8. Edmonton

2006-2007 (10/5)
4. Ottawa vs. 2. Anaheim

2007-2008 (9/6)
2. Pittsburgh vs. 1. Detroit

2008-2009 (8/7)
4. Pittsburgh vs. 2. Detroit

2009-2010 (8/7)
7. Philadelphia vs. 2. Chicago

2010-2011 (10/5)
3. Boston vs. 1. Vancouver

Having home-ice advantage generally provides teams with a better opportunity to win. The support of fans and familiarity with the rink supply a comfortable environment during a tense, emotional battle. Next to the playoff years above, I've listed home-ice series wins versus away (H/A). While it appears being at home brings a slight advantage, it's not a guarantee. 

Since the lockout, the eventual Stanley Cup Champion has finished the regular season in at the least the fourth position. But again, with 30 out of 75 playoff series won on the road, anything is possible. 

The main point of this article is draw attention to the teams making an effort to make the playoffs now. Let's take a look at some of those organizations:

St. Louis Blues: 14-3-4 in last 21 games
Detroit Red Wings: 16-5-0 in last 21 games
Vancouver Canucks: 14-4-1 in last 19 games
Boston Bruins: 19-2-1 in last 22 games

And those teams that may lose their spot early:

New York Islanders: 7-13-6 in last 26 games
Carolina Hurricanes: 5-14-3 in last 22 games
Tampa Bay Lightning: 9-12-0 in last 21 games
Anaheim Ducks: 4-14-4 in last 22 games

These teams weren't necessarily expected to make the playoffs, but they're taking themselves out of the hunt early in the season. A resurgence is going to be much more difficult at this point.

Do work now!

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