The Saadfather Part II - The 2017-2018 NHL Season Thread

[beefytee]

Ok yeah I guess it depends on what you believe makes winning most difficult for the people that are trying to do it. You can’t buy a championship in the NHL like you can in baseball or basketball to a lesser extent. You play way more playoff games than football to win it. You only have to win 4 playoff games to win it in football. The only comparable argument is basketball and then it comes down to whether you think it is easier to acquire superstars or build a team that is 20 players deep with a hard cap.

It’s a matter of opinion at that point. Mix in the physicality and the player attrition due to injuries and my personal belief is that the Stanley Cup is the most difficult.


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There's so many things that come to chance in hockey. In basketball, with so many possessions and points a game, it is very likely that the better team will win. One screw up isn't likely to lose the game like it will in hockey.

I don't think there is much doubt that going into the playoffs, hockey is the most unpredictable of the major sports.

[Flystripper]

Ok yeah I guess it depends on what you believe makes winning most difficult for the people that are trying to do it. You can’t buy a championship in the NHL like you can in baseball or basketball to a lesser extent. You play way more playoff games than football to win it. You only have to win 4 playoff games to win it in football. The only comparable argument is basketball and then it comes down to whether you think it is easier to acquire superstars or build a team that is 20 players deep with a hard cap.

It’s a matter of opinion at that point. Mix in the physicality and the player attrition due to injuries and my personal belief is that the Stanley Cup is the most difficult.


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[falafel]

There are several reasons why a Stanley Cup is more difficult. It’s not to say that winning a championship game in any league isn’t incredibly challenging, but Hockey has some factors that give it special weight in my opinion.

1. Physicality combined with length of season and playoff run. Winning the SC is often a battle of attrition.

2. Hard cap on salaries (no luxury tax allowed) you can’t buy your championship.

3. Combine a hard cap with a requirement for depth (aside from goalie your best players will play 30-40% of the game unless you are named Duncan Kieth) and building a team with the necessary depth of a playoff run becomes incredibly difficult.

4. Playoff hockey can be incredibly physically taxing. There are no shoot outs in overtime and all 5 skaters remain on the ice. 2 and 3 overtimes in the playoffs are not uncommon. There is nothing like overtime playoff Hockey. It’s taken years off my life but they are years happily given.

I understand that hockey is a very physical sport with a long season. I understand that there are some unique (but maybe not that unique) roster and salary cap constraints. But those things apply to every team in the league. So relatively speaking, its not any more difficult for one team to win than it is for another.

When I disputed Funk's claim that Knights fans would think winning a Stanley Cup is easy if Vegas won this year, my point was that its not easy to win a championship in any major American sport. I'm not convinced its "easier" to win a Super Bowl than a Stanley Cup. I'm not convinced its "easier" to win the World Series than to win the Stanley Cup. If your point is that it takes a special combination of strength, toughness and endurance to be a professional hockey player, I guess I can see your argument. But each sport has its own combination of unique physical requirements to play that sport at a high level.

[Flystripper]

The Saadfather Part II - The 2017-2018 NHL Season Thread

Not any harder than any other sport, right? I'm a Jazz fan, so I know what its like to be close by never reach the promised land.

There are several reasons why a Stanley Cup is more difficult. It’s not to say that winning a championship game in any league isn’t incredibly challenging, but Hockey has some factors that give it special weight in my opinion.

1. Physicality combined with length of season and playoff run. Winning the SC is often a battle of attrition.

2. Hard cap on salaries (no luxury tax allowed) you can’t buy your championship.

3. Combine a hard cap with a requirement for depth (aside from goalie your best players will play 30-40% of the game unless you are named Duncan Kieth) and building a team with the necessary depth of a playoff run becomes incredibly difficult.

4. Playoff hockey can be incredibly physically taxing. There are no shoot outs in overtime and all 5 skaters remain on the ice. 2 and 3 overtimes in the playoffs are not uncommon. There is nothing like overtime playoff Hockey. It’s taken years off my life but they are years happily given.




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[falafel]

Yes it is harder than other sports. Thanks for proving that you don't understand hockey and are not deserving of enjoying your team winning Lord Stanley's Cup.

Oh, right. Its harder because its so slippery out there. I keep forgetting that part about hockle.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Not any harder than any other sport, right? I'm a Jazz fan, so I know what its like to be close by never reach the promised land.

Yes it is harder than other sports. Thanks for proving that you don't understand hockey and are not deserving of enjoying your team winning Lord Stanley's Cup.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I am only rooting for the Kings because Vegas fans don't yet understand how difficult winning a Stanley Cup actually is. Can you imagine how spoiled and annoying they will become if they win the Cup in their first season!? Right now their new-found fandom and learning of the rules is kinda cute, but cute will become insufferable if they actually win it.

I will say there is one minor advantage that we shouldn't ignore if the Golden Knights did win one. Just think how aggravating it would be to the Blues fans if the Golden Knights won Lord Stanley's Cup?

[falafel]

I am only rooting for the Kings because Vegas fans don't yet understand how difficult winning a Stanley Cup actually is. Can you imagine how spoiled and annoying they will become if they win the Cup in their first season!? Right now their new-found fandom and learning of the rules is kinda cute, but cute will become insufferable if they actually win it.

Not any harder than any other sport, right? I'm a Jazz fan, so I know what its like to be close by never reach the promised land.

[falafel]

falafel is already an insufferable asshole. I can't imagine how much worse he would get if the Golden Knights won.

Probably insufferably insufferable. But only to you and GM (unrelated to hockey).

[MartyFunkhouser]

I am only rooting for the Kings because Vegas fans don't yet understand how difficult winning a Stanley Cup actually is. Can you imagine how spoiled and annoying they will become if they win the Cup in their first season!? Right now their new-found fandom and learning of the rules is kinda cute, but cute will become insufferable if they actually win it.

falafel is already an insufferable asshole. I can't imagine how much worse he would get if the Golden Knights won.

[Flystripper]

I am only rooting for the Kings because Vegas fans don't yet understand how difficult winning a Stanley Cup actually is. Can you imagine how spoiled and annoying they will become if they win the Cup in their first season!? Right now their new-found fandom and learning of the rules is kinda cute, but cute will become insufferable if they actually win it.

[falafel]

I'm not abandoning the one true franchise in hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks. I am simply wanting you to take no joy out of your new found appreciation for hockey.

You might want to start that wine appreciation thread now so it will be ready to go once you get tired of craft beer.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Funk changing sports allegiances once again. Big surprise there.

I'm not abandoning the one true franchise in hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks. I am simply wanting you to take no joy out of your new found appreciation for hockey.

[falafel]

The fact that you are rooting for the Golden Knights makes me a Kings fan.

GO KINGS.

I think this is the Predators year. I'm still fucking pissed at that absurd Weber for Subban trade. The Preds remind me a lot of the Blackhawks teams that were built from the blueline in.

I actually think a Preds-Lightning final would be incredibly entertaining.

Funk changing sports allegiances once again. Big surprise there.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Funny, I was hoping the opposite.

The fact that you are rooting for the Golden Knights makes me a Kings fan.

GO KINGS.

I think this is the Predators year. I'm still fucking pissed at that absurd Weber for Subban trade. The Preds remind me a lot of the Blackhawks teams that were built from the blueline in.

I actually think a Preds-Lightning final would be incredibly entertaining.