The 2014 NHL Season - Two Accounts, No Cups - Page 76

On December 16 2013 03:50 Elyvilon wrote:
I like hockey but I'm a very casual fan and don't watch much. Yesterday was the first time I checked the standings, and I noticed that the Western teams tended to have a much better record than the Eastern teams. Why is that?

On December 15 2013 11:46 skyR wrote:
wow 7-3 Leafs over Hawks, that was unexpected.

On December 16 2013 10:02 iCanada wrote:


The east sucks, basically.

lol.

Interconference games have like a 90% winrate for the western side. Would be even higher if not for the Oilers poor record against the East.

The west is bigger, stronger, and more balanced in their play. I'd also argue that the west is significantly better coached. This is also why the West typically has lower scoring players, less about one guy scoring all the goals and more about securing good puck support, having a 5 man unit in the play at all times, having strong defensive positioning consisting of at least 2 layers of coverage, and take the body much more consistently.

The only thing the east really has on the west is enforcers really, but thats neither here nor there. The West gets things done with top lines consisting of Aggressive Mammoths like Backes, Thornton, Marleau, Perry, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Benn, Kesler, Richards, etc.

Closest the east has to those guys are like JVR and Lucic. Hell, I'd probably take Lucic over a lot of those guys, but the shear number of big physical forces in the west are disgusting. Other thing to note, all of the guys in the west play center, a much more cerebral position than JVR/Lucic.

Even more appalling is perhaps the size and strength of some of the third liners in the west. A guy like Hanzal, Landeskog, or Ladd would be huuge contributors in the east.

This size/toughness disparity is also pretty relevant when it comes to defenceman in the west as well. In the east the best defenceman consist of like Erhoff, Campbell, Subban, Karlsson, Suter, Chara. Some damn good hockey players in there, for sure, but aside from Subban/Chara they are all relatively diminutive in front of their own net. '

Compare that to like Weber, Keith, Seabrook, OEL, Doughty, Giordano, Byfuglien, Pietrangelo. Names equal in terms of talent, but the western crew is much bigger, much more aggressive. Subban might hit as much as Weber, but Weber is a player who just makes you hurt in the corners. If someone calls out Subban after he throws a good hit, Subban turtles unless its a guy who is much smaller like Kyle Turris or Joffrey Lupul. Weber just plain out fighst anyone who challenges him, and usually wins too. He has fights against like Kesler, Bertuzzi, Roussel (enforcer), Weller (Enforcer), Strudwick (Enforcer), Boultan (Enforcer), Boll (Enforcer).

Guys in the West like Keith, Weber, OEL have a Scott Stevens effect almost; guys just dont fight them because it isn;t worth it. You fight them and they kick your ass. I suppose Chara has that as well... but no one is scared of Campbell, Karlsson, Erhoff etc.