The bright side of the schedule
The biggest problem with the schedule that fans and GMs alike around the league have is all because of two players: Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, since western teams only get to see them once every three years.
But to look on the bright side of all of this, western teams are getting absolutely jacked to go into eastern Canada and play the “legendary” Leafs and Habs, maybe more so then ever.
Western teams have played some of their best games going over there. Example: Canucks@Leafs in late December. The Ontario native Canucks have their entire families and friends at the games and are just getting pumped to play the teams they grew up watching. Oh, the Canucks won 6-1. Point proven.
Then there is the divisional rivalries that NO ONE thought would happen. Credit Bettman on this one.
When the “new NHL” schedule format came out with the new CBA it came with teams playing the other members of the division eight times each, meaning 28 divisional games. This had hockey analysts everywhere saying “we all know that rivalries are built in the playoffs.” I’ll admit I say it too.
But now we’re seeing some unbelievable, fast-paced hard-hitting hockey that all of us hockey fans love, and it’s all because the teams just HATE the division rivals. And now we get to see that 28 times a season? Sounds like a good format to me.
If the day every comes that Sid the Kid or Alexander the Great get traded to western conference teams, that’s when the schedule will change back because all of the “important” hockey “gods” in eastern Canada will be up in arms over it.
