Buffalo Boy's Blog

After checking out the standings in the NHL lately, I have come to a final conclusion. The loser point must go. The NHL has to stop awarding teams that lose.

Either give 3 points for an overtime win and 1 for an overtime loss, or do away with the pity point altogether and award just the two points for winning, thats it. Records in the league are way too decieving.

There are two scenarios that prove my point. Take Edmonton and Calgary for instance. Calgary is 11-13-5 two fewer wins than Edmonton, yet Edmonton sits tied with them with a 13-16-1 record. Both teams have 27 points. Take away the pity points from both teams and make those straight losses and you have Edmonton with 26 points with a 13-16 record and sitting with 26 points and Calgary in last place in their division with 22 points and a 11-18 record. Not so decieving anymore is it?

Toronto and Buffalo is my other example. Toronto currently has a 12-11-6 record and 30 points. Decieving to the uneducated fan. Buffalo is sitting in last behind Toronto by 5 points with a 12-13-1 record and 25 points. Take away those pity points and Buffalo and Toronto are tied with Toronto sitting five games under .500 and Buffalo just two under .500 and three games in hand, both teams with 24 points.

Columbus is another example in the Western Conference. They have five pity points. Take those away and their impressive for Columbus record goes from 13-10-5 to 13-15, two games under .500. Not so good any more and closer to where they should be, the bottom.  

I don't know why the NHL has to give that pity point. These guys are professionals, they can handle losing and coming up with nothing. It makes the standings honest and you will really see teams work for the two points especially if you keep the current format that there are no ties. Its two or nothing. Now a team can figure on the one and know they are not coming up empty handed. To me the threat of nothing is more motivating than the promise of at least one.