how long has this Stanley Cup format been this way?

[66 Chevelle]

it seems like they started the series a month ago, lol...

game 4 was in St. Louis, then 2 days off... game 5 is in Boston, then 2 days off... game 6 if needed, back in St. Louis, then 2 days off... game 7 if needed, back to Boston...

if indeed it goes to game 7 that will be a 17 day series to play 7 games!

hoping the Blues win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history!

[The Zipp]

I have lost interest completely in the quest for the cup.  Dragging on way too long.  Honestly I think it is mostly just fans in Boston and St.louis who are really interested and invested. 

I do hope the Blues can win it though - great story this season and it would be awesome if they can bring it home for their fans. 

The Raptors run has probably pulled lots of attention away as well.

[Norlorne Dr.]

it seems like they started the series a month ago, lol...

game 4 was in St. Louis, then 2 days off... game 5 is in Boston, then 2 days off... game 6 if needed, back in St. Louis, then 2 days off... game 7 if needed, back to Boston...

if indeed it goes to game 7 that will be a 17 day series to play 7 games!

hoping the Blues win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history!

I remember years ago it used to be a 2-3-2 (home-away-home) playoff series.  Then it changed to 2-2-2-1.  Now with the 2-2-1-1-1, it definitely takes much longer to play out.

 

[Jesse]

Stanley Cup play offs goes too long period. But you're right, this is crazy.

I lost interest a looooong time ago. Even if my team was in it, this would be hard to take.

[blue_or_die]

Isn't it pretty much the same for NBA?

Agreed that both go on forever. There was almost a week break between the conference finals and SC finals! The league just loves to drag this thing on, thinking they're holding everyone's attention longer when really, everyone just wants it over with and fans lose interest.

They could easily have it done by May 31 but they insist on mid June, when everyone has long been in summer mode and have better things to do outdoors than watch more of a sport played on ice.

[66 Chevelle]

NBA?  that's one league I do not watch, ever... love NCAA college hoops, but the NBA does absolutely zero for me...

obviously I'm a casual hockey fan and only started watching the Blues games during the Sharks series... I'd see highlights on the news and such but given we hadn't made the Stanley Cup Finals in 49 seasons, I figured 'meh'....  noticed how I said 'we' in that last comment? lol... typical bandwagoner...

but 17 days for a single series is just too long... I get the day off for travel but 2 days off?  don't really understand the day off between games during a home stand either... it's not like they don't play on consecutive days during the season... the Blues even played back to back road games during the regular season...

and not to mention that the playoffs overall have been going on for 2 months!  2 months! that's crazy!

what they don't seem to realize is that this format really works against them in keeping the casual fans interested in the NHL... I was all pumped up after game 5, it was a good one, and was ready for game 6, right then, lol... but that was Thursday...  If my brother and my nephew hadn't brought it out today at lunch I would have probably missed tonight's game...


when I was looking into the playoffs in general I was more than a little surprised to see that the Tampa Bay had only lost 16 games all season long and then get swept in the first round of the playoffs...  and by a wild card team no less!

[blue_or_die]

when I was looking into the playoffs in general I was more than a little surprised to see that the Tampa Bay had only lost 16 games all season long and then get swept in the first round of the playoffs...  and by a wild card team no less!

Oh, this playoff is historic. In every series for the first round, the lower seed won. That includes all bottom wild card teams beating all four division winners. Insane.

And the cherry on top is that Tampa Bay didn't just lose in round 1 after an historic point total in the regular season: they were SWEPT!

[66 Chevelle]

well, my Blues got smoked last night, lol... looks like it's going to come down to game 7 for all the marbles... the Blues have won the following game after a Bruins win in the finals, so, fingers crossed...

[bluengold204]

NBA?  that's one league I do not watch, ever... love NCAA college hoops, but the NBA does absolutely zero for me...

obviously I'm a casual hockey fan and only started watching the Blues games during the Sharks series... I'd see highlights on the news and such but given we hadn't made the Stanley Cup Finals in 49 seasons, I figured 'meh'....  noticed how I said 'we' in that last comment? lol... typical bandwagoner...

but 17 days for a single series is just too long... I get the day off for travel but 2 days off?  don't really understand the day off between games during a home stand either... it's not like they don't play on consecutive days during the season... the Blues even played back to back road games during the regular season...

and not to mention that the playoffs overall have been going on for 2 months!  2 months! that's crazy!

what they don't seem to realize is that this format really works against them in keeping the casual fans interested in the NHL... I was all pumped up after game 5, it was a good one, and was ready for game 6, right then, lol... but that was Thursday...  If my brother and my nephew hadn't brought it out today at lunch I would have probably missed tonight's game...


when I was looking into the playoffs in general I was more than a little surprised to see that the Tampa Bay had only lost 16 games all season long and then get swept in the first round of the playoffs...  and by a wild card team no less!

Yeah the finals/playoffs are long but the minimum 1 day break between games is needed.  Hockey is a pretty physical sport and I couldn't imagine how the players bodies would be holding up if they were playing multiple back to back games throughout the 2 months.  I understand they do it in the regular season but the intensity and physicality during the playoffs is night and day compared to the regular season.  For the finals it looks like they are giving an extra travel day whenever they are switching cities to me that is overkill but it is what it is.

[66 Chevelle]

well, wouldn't you know... I forgot that the game was on tonight and missed it, lol... and my Blues won, lol... oh well, hopefully it won't be another 50 years before they get to the finals again...

[The Zipp]

Thorburn hoisting the cup - great to see!!

[blue_or_die]

Congrats to your Blues!

[66 Chevelle]

Congrats to your Blues!

thx, much appreciated!

kind of a Cinderella story, the Blues this year... was last in the league with the worse record in January and come back and win Lord Stanley's Cup...  sports, you gotta love'em...

now, if my Bombers and Chiefs can do the same... I'd throw in my Missouri Tigers but I know better, lol...

[blue_gold_84]

Thorburn hoisting the cup - great to see!!

Highlight of the SCF for me. That and O'Reilly getting the Conn Smythe with one heck of a playoff performance.

I agree with the playoffs going on for what seems like forever. Hockey in June is just weird.

[jets4life]

I remember years ago it used to be a 2-3-2 (home-away-home) playoff series.  Then it changed to 2-2-2-1.  Now with the 2-2-1-1-1, it definitely takes much longer to play out.

 

It was never 2-2-2-1.