Blue Line Station
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Getting creative to fit in a full schedule

By Steve Paulus

Jan 1, 2018; Queens, NY, USA; A general view during the third period in the 2018 Winter Classic hockey game between the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2018; Queens, NY, USA; A general view during the third period in the 2018 Winter Classic hockey game between the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 16, 2020; New York, New York, USA;New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) throws a punch at Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2020; New York, New York, USA;New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) throws a punch at Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

How it would work

The goal here would be to play half the season against teams within these divisions.  Each team would play the teams in their division eight times, four home games and four away games.  That would mean that half of the schedule, 40 games, would be played against five other teams. It’s been done before, think of it as a return to the days of the “Original Six.”

To minimize travel, each set of four games would be played in single four-game series.  For the Rangers it would mean minimal travel with one overnight road trip to Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the first half of the season.

The idea of the Rangers traveling to Pittsburgh or Boston for a four straight games is enticing.  The same goes for having those teams come to the Garden for four straight games.  Grudge matches and rivalries will make the games all the more interesting.  Consider that now, teams have to wait months to get even for fouls perpetuated in a prior game.   It could be pretty exciting knowing the same teams will be facing each other within 24 hours and again a day later.

Obviously, the teams in the Northeast have an advantage with three teams in the New York Metropolitan Area, but travel would be minimized for all teams in the NHL.  The teams could actually play four games in five nights, one sure way of getting as many games in as possible.

In a radical move, the NHL shouldn’t even attempt to figure out the back half of the regular season schedule until they can determine if the alignment can be expanded.  That much uncertainty would be disconcerting, but necessary.

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