Why does the NHL use points instead of winning pct or games behind?

[Boston]

I was there with you when you made this point several days ago. I would prefer the 19-18-0 team be listed above the 20-21-0 team in the standings (which it would be if winning pct were used). The second example would indicate that the second team somehow played 62 more games than the first--which is weird even for hockey.

Not necessarily. We could be comparing:

1) Same team, but two records - one for each of two coaches.

2) Same team, but record for each of two goaltenders.

3) Same team, record when they score first vs. record when opponent scores first

4) Same team - before & after a player is acquired vs. trade

5) Same team - when a particular player is injured vs. when same player is healthy

[ruxpin]

Not necessarily. We could be comparing:

1) Same team, but two records - one for each of two coaches.

2) Same team, but record for each of two goaltenders.

3) Same team, record when they score first vs. record when opponent scores first

4) Same team - before & after a player is acquired vs. trade

5) Same team - when a particular player is injured vs. when same player is healthy

Fair enough. Hadn't thought of that use. Although with the numbers used I'm not sure "case A" is a big enough sampling but that's quite beside the point you're making. I get it.

Again--for me--I like the winning pct thing because it boils everything down to apples vs. apples and takes everything else away.

I don't think we're going to get an original "why" answer regarding the points system. Not in the "well, there were these four wizards who decided to build a school and.." sense. I gather it is borrowed from English soccer and is just the way it has always been done since. I guess it's similar to counting pin totals in bowling rather than just tallying percentage of pins knocked down. I don't play bowling a lot, but I have a hard time until the end figuring out exactly who is ahead in a fairly close game. Because the guy going first has had the opportunity to knock down more pins than the other guy with the "turn in hand."

It's just the way the games are tallied. I'd like pct, but ultimately it just is the way it is.

[Boston]

Fair enough. Hadn't thought of that use.

You've hit the nail on the head. Even yourself, who advocates percentage over points earned, has admitted that you didn't think of that. Perhaps that's why the NHL uses points instead of percentage or games behind. Because they just didn't think about it.