<p>What we really need is a different scheduling system. Detroit doesn’t even play in Boston every year because Detroit and Chicago are in the West. That’s just wrong.</p>
<p>Also, apropos of nothing, it bothers me that teams in the West have so much travel. It can be Vancouver to Dallas and back and back or Detroit to San Jose and back and back, while the East teams are a short ride apart. </p>
<p>Finally, I have to grit my teeth to pay attention to a league run by troglodytes. They can’t outlaw hits to the head. I think the over-concussed moh-rons who run the show prefer the idea that thuggery evens it out with talent. There should be mandatory suspension for a head hit, followed by a longer one for a 2nd, then a much longer one for a 3rd. That would eliminate head hits.</p>
<p>BTW, this problem did not exist as much in the days before helmets because hits to the head were so freaking dangerous they rarely happened.</p>
<p>WoooooHooooo! What a fabulous Game 7 that was Tuesday night!! Best night for Wings fans since Game 7 against the Avs when Roy got smoked for 7 goals and pulled. Good thing the Wings were already out west because the travel is murder for them. I know why they are in the Eastern Conf. but it does seem outdated now and they get no help from the NHL with scheduling.</p>
<p>I felt badly for the Caps last night but they looked terrible. Habs play great defense and Caps played none. That is quite amazing for an 8 seed down 3 games to 1 against the 1 seed to come back and win. Love playoff hockey! I agree with UMDad that an Original Six match up of Montreal and Detroit would make a very cool Stanley Cup final.</p>
<p>Hey Wings fans, my H and I are trying to remember what they called the beard growing contest last year. They got the fans and announcers (Ken Daniels anyway, although Mickey Redmond is my fave) in on it too. Anyone recall?</p>
<p>No kidding! San Jose and Detroit have to cross three time zones for their travel, while Boston and Philadelphia have to, what cross the street? (OK, not really, but Boston to Philly is a train trip.)</p>
<p>And another thing. The Sharks worked hard all year to get home ice, and their fans’ reward is to have the first two games in the Tank, but on Eastern time? What’s up with that? The fans find out Wednesday afternoon that the game is Thursday at 6 pm? On a work day? “I’m sorry, boss, I have to leave work early tomorrow, I have an urgent appointment with Dr. Pavelski?”</p>
<p>After those 10 p.m. games vs Arizona, I am happy for something even a little earlier But I do feel for the West coast fans. At least 6:00 isn’t too bad. A 7 or 8 p.m. EST start time like some games/sports would be really hard.</p>
<p>It’s tough either way. Perhaps another argument to look at the make-up of the two conferences.</p>
<p>They weren’t 10 pm in Glendale! They were 7 pm. So the fans could go.</p>
<p>It’s so unfair. The Sharks (the higher seed!) have their first four games at 6 pm, 5 pm, 4:00 pm and 4:00 pm.</p>
<p>But what can you do? Moving Detroit to the East doesn’t solve the problem for anyone but Detroit. The Sharks, Ducks, Kings, Canucks would still have to schlep to Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago for in-Conference games.</p>
<p>We Shark fans fall on the floor laughing when some Eastern team like the Devils or the Rangers has to come out to California and complains about a five game road trip. Five games? One time the Sharks had an 11-game road trip. All the Western teams have six-, seven- or eight- game road trips every year, usually including all the NHL time zones.</p>
<p>This is an age old complaint and, really, there’s not much that can be done. The two countries are big and the cities are spread out. Short of moving all the teams to the eastern half of the continent, there’s not really a workable solution to improve the situation.</p>
<p>^^ as long as you also include a suitable recovery time for the team heading back east (referring to regular season). Many times Detroit has played a Friday night game in Pacific time and then a Sunday afternoon game at the Joe on Eastern time. </p>
<p>Also, I was referring to a 10:00 p.m. start time for those of us in Michigan who had to stay up until nearly 1 a.m. to see the finish of the game.</p>
<p>Well, Cardinal, I was commenting more on the regular season travel issue rather than the broadcast times. As long as the tv contracts are national, and not local like they used to be years ago, you’ll find that the games are going to be geared to the East, just as they are with every other sport. As for travel, yes, it’s no fun but these guys get used to it, and their ‘business travel’ isn’t like that of the average Joe. Everything is looked after for them and all they have to do is to show up and board the charter.</p>
<p>Are you a **Hockey Night in Canada **Viewer?</p>
<p>How do you like the new theme song? I was upset when they had to change it, but I have to admit, as much as I liked the old one, the new one is pretty good.</p>
<p>UMdad, yes, all of the games are broadcast here, either on CBC (HNIC) or on TSN (or affiliates). The new song is fine but the old one is like a second Canadian national anthem and people were not happy when CBC cheaped out on renewing the rights. We still get to hear it, though, on TSN broadcasts so all is well. :)</p>
<p>Oh, cry me a river, Detroit fans. Look at Detroit’s division. How far away is Detroit from its furthest division rival? About five hundred miles, one time zone. How far away is San Jose from Dallas? 1700 miles, two time zones.</p>
<p>And do you think Detroit is the only team that has to fly east and play an afternoon game the next day? What about their Western opponents? They have to do the same thing, and for them it’s an away game.</p>
<p>The travel isn’t as bad during the regular season because you are usually on an extended road trip of 4+ games. It’s worse during the playoffs after game 4 when it’s home/away/home (or the reverse) and yes it is the same for both teams.</p>
<p>I’m sure that Sidney Crosby is a wonderful young man, and no one can doubt his tremendous talent. What a shame Versus, with their constant adulation, is making everyone west of the Mississippi hate him. </p>
<p>But hey, his team is beating the 19th-best team in the league. (19th at best; I’d argue that Dallas, same number of points in a tougher conference, is better.) Rah.</p>
But I do feel for the West coast fans. At least 6:00 isn’t too bad. A 7 or 8 p.m. EST start time like some games/sports would be really hard.</p>