NHL 09-10 Standings Using a 3-Point System

Today I had the urge to check out how the standings would have looked last year had the NHL been doing the smart thing and using the 3-point system.  Last year we looked at the 08-09 standings using the 3-point system and we found that the playoff picture would have looked very different and the Penguins would have had a tougher road to the Stanley Cup.

For those of you who don’t know what the 3-point system is here is a quick overview.  Using the 3-point system teams would receive 3 points for a win in regulation, 2 points for an overtime/shootout win and 1 point for an overtime/shootout loss.  This would make the game much more entertaining and fair because you wouldn’t have teams shut it down in the third period just hoping to secure a point and take their chances in overtime.  At the current time teams get 2 points for a win, whether it’s in regulation, overtime or a shootout and 1 point for overtime/shootout losses.  So basically, some games award 2 points and some award 3.  If you can be in as many games that award 3 as possible you will have a better chance at making the playoffs.

The NHL is the only professional sports organization to use such a silly and downright stupid point allocation system.  They say they use it to keep the standings tight and to make the playoff race more exciting.  This is just code for “we want to give fans the illusion that every team is close in the standings”.  When in reality, the 3-point system would allow for much more movement in the standings and actually keep teams in playoff hunt further into the season.  Right now teams can only hope to get 2 points in a game.  With the 3-point system teams could go on a great run winning every game in regulation to make a playoff push.  You may even see teams pulling their goaltender’s in tied games in the last few games of the season in order to try for the 3 points, rather than settle for 1 or 2.

Another reason the NHL states for the 2 + 1 point system is for histories sake and to compare point totals with teams from the past.  Is it just me or did they throw the record books out the window the moment they added 3-point games at all.

All of those reasons to switch to the 3-point system are great, but it really comes down to one main reason that should trump them all.  That is the integrity of the league.  A league that awards 2 points in some games and 3 points in others is not a fair league and it really just makes the NHL seem silly.  I’m a big hockey fan and I can’t get my head around the current system.  Here is a look at what the standings would have looked like using the 3-point system last season.  You may be surprised at some of the changes.

Eastern Conference

Standings Using Current System vs 3-Point System

As you can see the Montreal Canadiens played a tremendous amount of overtime games throughout the season (25 in total), which helped them make the playoffs.  Using the 3-point system they would have finished tied for 9th position.  The Habs won 10 less regulation games than the Rangers last year, but managed to sneak into 8th place by 1 point.  The Rangers would have even passed the Bruins, who played 27 overtime/shootout games.  As you can see the playoff situation in the East would have been completely different with 3 of the 4 first round match-ups changing and the Rangers making the playoffs over the Habs.

Western Conference

Standings Using Current System vs 3-Point System

In the West there wouldn’t have been many changes.  The only notable change would have been Nashville and LA swapping spots, changing two of the first round matchups.  Calgary also would have jumped ahead of St Louis for 9th place and would have been in it right until the end.  That would have made for a much more interesting race in the West, with Calgary only missing the playoffs by 4 points in a league where it is possible to jump 3 points every game, rather than both the Blues and Flames missing by 5 points in a league that awards a maximum 2 points.

This was the second year I’ve done this for and both years the Montreal Canadiens would have missed the playoffs using the 3-point system.  They must have a organizational objective to just try to get to overtime and see what happens.  That should be the objective in the league today.  If a team ties every single game in regulation and has a 50/50 chance of winning in OT that perfectly average team would win the President’s Trophy every year with 123 points.  The NHL needs to smarten up and use a logical point allocation system.

This would also help with NHL betting because bettors would know that their team isn’t going to shut it down in the third to go for the single point.  Spread bets and more would all be much more interesting.

Getting a little off topic I just want to leave everyone with a great web page they should check out if they are into NBA betting at all.  This NBA betting tips article is one of the best sports betting tips articles I’ve ever read.  Read it and become instantly smarter.