Regulation wins, overtime wins, and shootout wins — plus regulation losses, overtime losses, and shootout losses.
Welcome to the PHL — the Pythagorean Hockey League.
Go to the "Standings" page on the NHL's official web site and you will see this.
Then expand the "Tie-Breaking Procedure" section" and this comes up:
If two or more clubs are tied in points during the regular season, the standing of the clubs is determined in the following order:
1. The fewer number of games played; i.e., superior points percentage (in a bygone era this was known as game[s] in hand).
2. The greater number of games won, excluding games won in Overtime or by Shootout; i.e., "Regulation Wins." This figure is reflected in the RW column in the link above.
3. The greater number of games won, excluding games won by Shootout. This figure is reflected in the ROW column.
4. The greater number of games won by the Club in any manner; i.e., "Total Wins." This figure is reflected in the W column.
5. The greater number of points earned in games against each other among two or more tied clubs. For the purpose of determining standing for two Clubs that have not played an even number of games with one or more of the other tied Clubs, the first game played in the city that has the extra game — the 'odd game' — shall not be included. When more than two Clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other — and not including any 'odd games' — shall be used to determine standing (and not for nothing, but since all teams in different divisions within the same conference had played each other three times that season, wouldn't it follow that whichever club did not get the 'odd game' at home one season would always get it the following season?).
6. The greater differential between goals for and goal against (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the DIFF column.
7. The greater number of goals scored (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the GF column.
NOTE: In standings a victory in a shootout counts as one goal for, while a shootout loss counts as one goal against.
This hierarchy of tie-breakers could lead to the kind of chaos that informed the last day of the 1969-70 regular season, when the Rangers entered that day two points behind the Canadiens for the Eastern Division's fourth and final playoff spot, having scored 237 goals (the second tie-breaker in those days after most wins), with the Habs having scored 242.
Twenty seconds into the second period, Rod Gilbert scored his second goal of the game to give the Rangers a 5-1 lead over the visiting Red Wings (New York would ultimately win the game 9-5); meanwhile, in Chicago, the Black Hawks led Montreal 3-2 after two periods, whereupon the Canadiens desperately pulled their goalie in a frantic effort to score, leading to Chicago scoring seven unanswered goals in the third period for an improbable 10-2 victory.
These results left the two teams with identical point totals (92) and records (38-22-16), but with the Rangers having scored two more goals (246 to Montreal's 244).
The back-page headline in the New York Daily News said it all: "Wow! Rangers in Playoffs."
(That summer, the NHL owners changed the tie-breaking procedures, making the season series and record within the division the next two tie-breakers, respectively, after most wins.)
All the more reason for the NHL to abolish the "loser's point."
Leave a Comment