PITTSBURGH _ America remains in the dream phase, maybe the pipe-dream phase, on the topic of team sports returning anytime soon.
Every single restoration scenario for baseball, football, basketball and hockey remains buried in the abstract and will stay there until our COVID-19 testing program is ramped way up.
It's not difficult to find a public health expert saying we need to triple our testing levels to avoid second and third waves of the virus. We need more tests. So how can professional sports justify testing everyone in their sphere when nothing like that is happening in the country at-large?
Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press appraised the dilemma this way:
"According to Major League Baseball, 3,000 (test) kits would need to be available for players, staff, broadcasters and others for every round of testing to get its season going and keep it going. Even if the NHL and NBA return with just 16 postseason teams on the ice and courts, those leagues would likely require tests for a minimum of 1,000 players and staff. And there's no telling how often _ Daily? Every few days? Weekly? _ the tests would be required to be administered. With tests still in short supply, that's not a great look."
I don't know about you, but I was kind of hoping these past eight weeks of nationwide quarantining _ and all the sacrifices that have come with it _ would buy time to mount an aggressive, comprehensive, centralized testing program.
Anybody see one?
In the meantime, we dream. And I have visions of an amazing NHL return dancing in my head.
First, how about we nix the must-finish-the-regular-season obsession? Forget it. We've played 85% of the season. A tiny window might be all we get. Let's not squander it on playoff seedings and the final few spots.
Even one of the coaches on the outside would have no issue with that. Rick Tocchet's Arizona Coyotes were four points out of playoff spot with 12 games left when the lights went out. Eight of those games were at home. Tocchet liked his team's chances.
However, in a recent interview with 93.7 The Fan, Tocchet said he would understand if the NHL decided to go straight to the playoffs.
"You know, 70 games is enough of a sample size," Tocchet said. "Life isn't fair. If (missing out) is the way it happens, it happens."
Having said that, the NHL should absolutely play two games before the playoffs officially begin, and they should be the best kinds of games _ winner-take-all, baseball-style wild-card games.
Essentially, two Game 7s to launch the postseason. What could be better? They would not only be riveting but perfectly justified, if you check the standings.
Before I get to that, let's agree on this: Forget the divisional restrictions. Let's open up the conferences.
Once there, we'll use the points-percentage metric at hockey-reference.com. By that measurement, Toronto and Columbus are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Those two would wage a one-game playoff _ who knows where? _ that would qualify as the ultimate win-win: Either John Tortorella goes ballistic or the Leafs go another year without the Cup, guaranteed.
In the West, you'd have Calgary-Winnipeg as your winner-take-all game _ the good news being that either Calgary or Winnipeg would be quickly eliminated.
After that, possibilities are endless. Given the uncertainty all around, I would go best-of-five until the Stanley Cup final, then best-of-seven.
There is so much to consider if you're the NHL _ the long layoff, finding sensible playoff sites, possible travel restrictions, etc.
Former Penguins winger Jay Caufield trained Mario Lemieux for his return from retirement, so he knows a thing or two about ramping up after a lengthy hiatus. Players never spend this much time away from the ice. Caufield estimates it would take a month to get them ready for a real game. That would include a two-week training camp and a series of exhibition games.
Sounds great to me. The mere thought of hockey has me conjuring all kinds of scenarios of late.
And then I wake up.
