NHL to Revamp Point System?

The NHL GMs meeting just happened and perhaps the most prominent of them was fighting’s future in the NHL. To be short on this, it’s not going anywhere. Nobody who has any significant weight wants to get rid of it and so it is going to stay, end of discussion. Another topic they discussed that actually might change is somehow giving more weight to regulation wins versus overtime or shootout wins. Most of you probably know this but for those who don’t the current system is two points for a win while the losing team gets zero for a regulation loss, and one point for losing in overtime or a shootout. With that in mind as a base, the following are some of the suggestions for how to change the current format in no particular order:

1. A system that puts three points at stake in every game. Under this system a team gets three points for a regulation win and two points for an overtime or shootout win; while the losing team gets one point for an overtime/shootout loss and zero for a regulation loss.

2. The winning team gets two points for a regulation or overtime win and one point for winning in a shootout while the losing team gets zero points regardless of the stage of the game in which they lose.

3. Make regulation wins the first tie-breaker. The theory behind this is that it leaves the point awards as is but adds some emphasis on the number of games won in regulation versus overtime/shootout. The current first tiebreaker (assuming teams play the same number of games) is wins no matter when they occur.

There may in fact be other ideas but these are the most talked about and probably have the best chance of being implemented. Personally I’m ok with either of the three of these but we are sportsroids.com would like to hear from you. What do you think of the ideas above? Are there any other ideas you have that you want to pose? Do you think a change should be made at all? Let us know!

Overtime = Overrated

Why is it so hard for people to wrap their head around a tie? Why is it so important to have a winner be declared? More importantly why is the crucial outcome of such events decided by a coin flip? The NFL should eliminate overtime. What is the point? Can we just for once be satisfied with two teams being equal on “any given Sunday?” Not Superbowl Sunday of course but the third Sunday in November really should not be a big deal. Should it? The winning percentages straighten themselves out at season’s end anyway to determine all divisional champions as well as Wild Card teams. They have “tie breakers” in place for any possible confusion that may occur. “Winning isn’t everything” right?

I propose two things. First the NFL eliminate overtime completely from the regular season. I know I would be considered crazy to suggest it be eliminated from the playoffs and Superbowl as well so I will not go there. Regular season games will end in a tie at the end of regulation. Playoff games would be decided by letting time run out and continuing on without stopping using just the play clock until someone scores. To make it more challenging, eliminate field goal trys after regulation. Either punt or go for it on 4th down. Imagine the madness as Wade Phillips is rushing the field goal unit on to the field as time is winding down in regulation while Tony Romo and Terrell Owens are waving them off to keep running plays to try and win it in a runoff? Could you imagine that post game press conference with Jerry Jones?

Second I propose the elimination of coin flips all together including at the start of the game. Let’s face it, every team wants the same thing: To win the toss and defer to the second half. So why not just give the road team the ball to start every game and allow the home team to choose which goal to defend? Each team will start half their games with the ball and the other half on defense. In the playoffs the same rule should apply.

And this comes from a guy who bets on the coin toss before every Superbowl. TAILS NEVER FAILS!!!

Roy, Clark Honored; Luongo Injured

Let me start by saying how great the respective ceremonies were honoring Patrick Roy and Wendel Clark. The Canadiens (Roy) and Maple Leafs (Clark) paid tribute quite appropriately to two guys’ who each left different marks on the game but both will have a positive impact on the world of hockey for many years to come. In other news it was a showcase day for the original six teams who were all on TV nationally in Canada on CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada and on the NHL Network in the U.S. with four of the six matching up against each other—Montreal vs. Boston and Chicago vs. Toronto. Both games were extremely entertaining as they each had one team come from behind late in the game to force overtime with the former being decided in a shootout. Although both home-standing teams lost I think it was fitting that two players were honored on a night that ended in a very exciting manner. The rest of the schedule was entertaining with six games being decided by one goal five needing overtime/a shootout to decide a winner. All-in-all it was a great day to be a hockey fan; the one low point however came in Vancouver’s 3-1 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the first period netminder Roberto Luongo left the game with what appeared to be a substantial injury. We may never know what exactly is wrong with him due to the league’s new ridiculous nondisclosure policy but nevertheless it does not look good for one of the league’s best and most exciting goaltenders.