The Dreaded OTL

...with the Avalanche's 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday, they finished the season with a 44-38 record, securing the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Flames ended the season with a 43-39 record, finishing the season just short of the playoff picture...

If only that's how it was...

Instead, the Flames finished with a 43-29-10 record, and the Avs with a 44-31-7 record. The Avlanche have more wins, but if you notice that last number, Calgary has 3 more OTL's (Over-Time Losses) than the Avalanche.

The way the current NHL points system works, a win is worth 2 points, and an OTL is worth 1.

(44 x 2) + 7 = 95
(43 x 2) +10 = 96

Despite having one less win, the Calgary Flames secured the final spot of the NHL playoffs because of the dreaded OTL.

For three years, I haven't even paid attention to the OTL. Other fans always complain about it because their team got screwed, but it never affected me, it never affected the Avalanche, until now. And now I agree with the critics. It should be done away with.

It makes no sense to give a team crucial points for a loss. I don't know another sport in the entire world that does that. This isn't Pop Warner Football. The goal of the game isn't to have fun. It's to win. These are professional athletes, who've spent their whole life training for the job. They know they need to win. They know that's the goal. They shouldn't have the fallback option of losing and still having some good come out of it.

To the NHL's credit, they have been listening to the critics. At a recent Board of Govereners meeting, the idea was proposed to change the system; either to get rid of the "third point" altogether, and make a win two points and a loss zero points no matter when the occur, or to make every game worth three points, where a regulation win is worth three points, and the overtime system stays the same (winner gets two points, loser gets one). Either way, it's better than the current system.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the Board votes on the matter... As for now, I'll just be bitter about it, because for the first time in 11 years, I won't be watching the Avalanche play in April.

**Just as a side note, Denver now holds records in two sports for having the team with the best regular-season record not making the playoffs: The Denver Broncos missed the playoffs in 1985 with an 11-5 record, and the Avalanche's 95 points this season put them at the top of the NHL's list.