Post by Arnold Slick on Feb 19, 2015 19:56:54 GMT -4
With the playoff packs going on sale I decided to venture over to the Coliseum website and see what the schedule looks like.
Surprise, surprise the boat show is in town during the opening weekend of the playoffs! From what I understand that absolutely takes up the ice surface.
I really see no other alternative but to start the first round series on the road. Any other year I’d say no big deal as a 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15 or 3 vs 14 series should be a breeze. Not really the case this year though. Would anyone feel very comfortable about facing teams like Cape Breton, Chicoutimi or Gatineau and having to start on the road? That has the potential to be extremely detrimental.
We’re still over a month away from playoffs, but it’s food for thought moving forward.
I don't think home ice makes a lick of difference in the NHL playoffs these days, which in turn has made the regular season even more meaningless. But alas that's a story for another day.
I do think at the junior level it means a bit more. There's always that chance you start on the road and get behind the eight ball early. Having said that I do think that having the two "swing" games in a series, Games 3 and 5, both at home is a big advantage as well. There's many different ways to look at it really.
I'm sure the Cats will be fine in the first round and honestly it's partly just wanting to have some weekend home games in the playoffs. It makes for better crowds and a better atmosphere.