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From: mre@laidbak.UUCP (Mike Eisler)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: 2nd best team in NHL
Message-ID: <707@laidbak.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 12:15:32 EST
Article-I.D.: laidbak.707
Posted: Wed Jan 29 12:15:32 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 31-Jan-86 23:41:20 EST
References: <1755@dciem.UUCP> <95500002@siemens.UUCP> <1887@rayssd.UUCP>
Reply-To: mre@laidbak.UUCP (Mike Eisler)
Organization: LAI Chicago
Lines: 27
Summary: 

Last year someone posted an article that suggested a playoff format that
would both keep the owners happy, and give the regular season meaning.
As I recall, the first place team would play the fourth place team
of the division in a combination best of 5/7 series.  The first place
team need only win 3 games to win the series; the fourth place team
would need to win 4 games to win.  This system would result in the
affected owners giving up only one game of revenue in the initial playoff
round.  The first place team would have home ice advantage too
(the first two games at home, next two away, and last two, if
necessary, at home).
The format of second place team versus third place team would be
unchanged.

The incentive to finish first place in a division is obvious.  The
incentive to finish second place is the same as before.  The incentive
to finish third place is to avoid a tough series against a first place
team.  There is still the incentive to avoid finishing fifth or
sixth, but even more so.

This system really encourages teams to avoid anything worse than a
third place finish.  An owner of a first place team should gladly
give up one game of first round playoff revenue since his odds of
getting second round revenue are better.  I think that this format
would encounter bitter resistance only in divisions where there
is a wide disparity of talent.  Currently, 3 of the divisions are
up for grabs, except Edmonton's (forgive me for not remembering
what division they play in).