Archive for the 'Scheduling' CategoryPage 2 of 2

It’s official: no schedule format change

Published
by
Matt Saler
on January 23, 2007
in Links, NHL and Scheduling
. 3 Comments

Update (11:45 PM): Ansar Khan says there’s a positive aspect to the fact that the League is keeping the current format: it means the Wings will continue to rack up points in their powder puff division. Great, so we’ll see more short-term, regular season gains, rather than the longer-term, postseason gains that would come from playing tough teams more frequently. Didn’t we find out last year that a successful regular season padded by the results of so many intradivisonal games meant absolutely nothing in the playoffs? - Matt

According to TSN, the board of governors has decided to go with the current scheduling format for at least one year despite widespread hopes for change. Apparently, we were one vote away from seeing the League return to its pre-lockout format, as only there were only 19 of 30 votes for it, rather than the necessary 20. How typical. I’d like to know which governors voted for change and which teams voted against it.

So much for giving the fans a voice, eh? Well, we have one, they just don’t listen very well. That reminds me: has anyone gotten one of those NHL Fan Faceoff surveys lately? Neither have I. You could at least pretend that you had some input when you filled out one of those.

Update: I just went to the Fan Faceoff site and logged in only to see a short survey listed. They asked what I’d like to see more surveys on and then they asked whether or not I was satisfied with the service. Of course I said no and then I was asked why, so I told them. I suggest going there and filling out that same survey, if it shows up for you. - Matt

Vancouver GM Nonis speaks out

Published
by
Matt Saler
on October 30, 2006
in Canucks, Free Agency, NHL and Scheduling
. 0 Comments

Dave Nonis isn’t on my list of outspoken GMs (at least, not like Brian Burke was when he was in Vancouver), but he had a lot to say at a BC Chamber of Commerce meeting today, speaking out against the NHL’s free agency age and the scheduling format. When talking about free agency (and making some good points, by the way), he, of course, found a way to fit in some jealousy of the Wings:

“The Detroit Red Wings could have a five-year run if they did a good job of recruiting, trading, drafting and developing. You could keep those players together.”

What, Dave, you mean the Wings could spend a lot of money to keep guys in town while other teams stood around with empty pockets? Are you, a GM of a small market team, actually saying that was a good thing? Hmm.

And, yes, Dave, the new NHL scheduling format sucks, but wouldn’t it be a little less special for Ovechkin or Crosby to come to town if they were doing it more often?
Link

The Wings’ 2006-2007 schedule

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 12, 2006
in NHL, Scheduling and The Team
. 0 Comments

The NHL announced the schedule for next season today and that means we now know who and when the Wings will be playing.

They’ll open the season on October 5th, at home against the Canucks, making them the first team to face Roberto Luongo as a Canuck in regular season play.

They’ll get two of ten games against Eastern opponents out of the way early: on the 7th, they’ll head to Pittsburgh to face Sidney Crosby and Co., and after playing host to the Coyotes on the 11th, the Sabres will come to town on the 13th.

The Wings will face their first Central Division opponent on the 28th, St. Louis on the road.

November includes a three-game Western Canada road-trip beginning on the 14th in Vancouver and ending on the 18th in Edmonton, with a stop in Calgary in between, on the 17th.

They’ll face Toronto, Ottawa, and New Jersey on December 9th, 12th, 16th, and will have a home-away-home series with Minnesota on the 22nd, 23rd and 27th. That ought to be exciting… The annual New Year’s Eve game is against LA this season.

Montreal comes to town on January 15th and the Wings travel to Long Island to face the Islanders on the 30th. They’ll be back to that area on February 5th as they face Brendan Shanahan’s new team, the New York Rangers. They’ll close out their games against the East after playing Philadelphia on the road on February 12th and Dave Lewis’ new team, the Bruins, at home on March 11th.

The season ends with a pair of home-away series with Columbus and Chicago. The final game is at home against the Hawks on April 7th.

Click here for the complete Red Wings schedule.

First round schedule

Published
by
Matt Saler
on April 19, 2006
in Oilers, Playoffs, Scheduling and The Team
. 5 Comments

Courtesy of reader Nathan, who posted this in the comments at 2:00 AM last night, here’s what the first round will look like:

Game 1: Friday, April 21st 7:00 PM Edmonton at Detroit OLN, CBC
Game 2: Sunday, April 23rd 1:00 PM Edmonton at Detroit NBC, CBC
Game 3: Tuesday, April 25th 10:00 PM Detroit at Edmonton CBC, OLN, FSN
Game 4: Thursday, April 27th 9:30 PM Detroit at Edmonton CBC, OLN, FSN
Game 5: Saturday, April 29th 3:00 PM Edmonton at Detroit NBC, CBC
(If necessary)
Game 6: Monday, May 1st TBD Detroit at Edmonton CBC, OLN, FSN
(If necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday, May 3rd 7:00 PM Edmonton at Detroit OLN, CBC, FSN
(If necessary)

So, a Friday start after all, despite the fact the Rangers and Sabres are not playing each other in the first round.

This puts a small crimp in my plans, because a Saturday start worked a lot better with the deadline on my paper but all this means is my buffer zone is smaller. Once that’s over, we’ll be in playoff mode as much as possible.

By the way, the Wings finished the season in ignoble fashion, losing 6-3 to Nashville last night and snapping their away-win streak at 12. But that’s over now. It’s playoff time, baby!

Update (1:11 PM): I’ve added the schedule to the sidebar on the right along with links to Edmonton blogs and media.

Can’t say I’m too thrilled to have to watch the games on OLN all playoffs. Well, I’ll have to at least until I go home for the summer and switch to CBC, I guess. Good thing there will be some NBC games!

Update (15:09 PM): A reader has pointed out that, according to the team’s site, FSN will in fact broadcast Games 3 and 4 as well as 6 and 7, if necessary. So, we won’t have to suffer through OLN broadcasts of the first round beyond Friday night’s game.

Update (3:26 PM): Ah, the anonymous Oiler fan flames begin: “I think it is safe to assume the losing streak will continue and the Oil will emege victorious. See ya on the links Wings!” Why not leave a name next time, friend? And, one game is hardly a streak.

Wings/Oilers series could start Friday instead

Published
by
Matt Saler
on April 18, 2006
in Links, Oilers, Rangers, Sabres, Scheduling, Senators and The Team
. 2 Comments

Ansar Khan expains that because of complications with Buffalo’s arena and NBC’s plans to broadcast both a Wings and a Rangers game this weekend, the first round may not start Saturday after all. So, if the Rangers beat Ottawa tonight, therefore winning their division, they’ll avoid playing Buffalo and the Wings will play Saturday, getting an extra day to rest.

Link

Wings/Preds game re-scheduled

Published
by
Matt Saler
on December 2, 2005
in Predators and Scheduling
. 1 Comment

The NHL has re-scheduled the November 21st game between Detroit and Nashville to January 23rd. Originally, the 23rd was the date the Wings and Preds were to play in Nashville but now it will be played at the Joe.

The Preds will get that home game back on March 30th, a date the Wings’ previously had off.

The game will start with the Preds up 1-0 but it will not otherwise pick up where it left off. All 60 minutes of the game will be played.

I can’t say I’m too impressed that the puck will be dropped on a full game with the Preds already ahead 1-0. Is there any kind of precedent for that in pro sports? My old high school football team had to delay a game due to lightning but they picked up at the half (where they left off) the next day, with the score as it was.

I wouldn’t mind the 1-0 bit if the game was started at 12:30 of the first, since it’d be like they picked up where they left off.

The Predators were all for postponing the game originally. You’d think that’d mean they forfeit their lead. Guess not.