Change In The Air?

The NHL has to change it’s system of making the play-offs, as teams which less points are ahead of teams with more because they are leading their division.

Gary Bettman’s persistent continuation of trying to market the game, yeah right, more like trying to change it into basketball on ice, is getting really annoying. Since Bettman’s inception into the NHL, the owners have made money, and lot’s of it, so in the end whatever Gary suggests, is passed as law. Sure some aspects of the game have flourished, but others have suffered. Now the more skilled players are not hooked, and can move freely creating exciting plays, and goals, but, the instigator rule is ridiculous, skilled players are not as protected anymore as players are afraid to be suspended for it.

The structure of the play-offs has to be changed, how can the third ranked team have less points than the fifth ranked team? How does that make any sense? Well according to Bettman and company, it does. How can the third ranked team make the play-offs by having fewer points than the eighth ranked team, well it’s possible. Bettman has to change this factor, unless he is too busy trying to market the game in a city that doesn’t know what ice is!

Teams nowadays for the most part are equal, with the few exceptions that there are, many teams lack something, which makes parody in the league, however much the game has improved in some areas, it has declined in others, take the all-star game, why did they change the way the fastest skater was done? In the regular season shoot-outs are exciting, which is better for the regular season, but this lifting the stick penalty is ridiculous, how can a player make a skilled play like lifting another players stick and stealing the puck from him a penalty, did he get hit in the face with the stick, no, so why penalize skill, how can Chris Simon step on someones leg and get suspended and when Chris Pronger does he does not?

The NHL should stop penalizing the result and hand out penalties for the intent, meaning if a player was boarded hard, and leaves the game on a stretcher, the guilty party will get a suspension, if the player gets up, a boarding penalty is accessed and nothing more. There are still many areas that the league could improve, starting with making the first eight teams in points make the play-offs, if you win your division and have less points than the eight place team, well unfortunately your not making the play-offs.

The league should stop worrying about the U.S. aspect of the game, and starting looking at the game itself.