You forgot the Red Wings.glen a richter wrote:Well of course they could just make sure everyone gets to play Washington and Pittsburgh because we all know those are the only two teams that matter.theohall wrote:Teams like Colorado, Tampa Bay .and Florida would never approve a plan that did not include every team playing every team. They draw large crowds based on transplant fans and need those crowds.glen a richter wrote:The reason MLB had 14/16 was to limit the amount of stupid interleague bullshit, which will now be every franking day because of moving Houston to the AL which is complete and total bullshit. Anyway, this isn't a problem in the NHL obviously since east and west play each other plenty of times. If they're going to go with 16/14 they may as well make east only play east and west only play west until the Cup.
Honestly though it's just whatever teams are hot in any given decade. Only difference with Pitt and Washington are that they've been and (will be) on a roll for as long as Ovechkin and Crosby are playing which will probably be the better part of 20 years. I remember in the 90's that every other Saturday game that NBC showed was Colorado vs Detroit and nobody really talks about Colorado anymore and I don't know that ANYBODY was talking about Pitt or Washington in the 90's.
I'm just pissed that it looks like they structured the entire "Conference D" around the precious Atlantic Division + Washington. Oh and the one extra team thing