how do they decide home ice advantage in the stanley cup?
535522
Wong, you're pretty close.  Mob, you're way off.\n\nThe first deciding factor is seed (ranking).  The top seeded team will always have home ice.  When you get to the Stanley Cup Finals, there is a chance of two equally seeded teams meeting up.  If that is the case, it goes to regular season record.  If those are equal, then it goes to total GF (goals for - whoever has more).  If all the planets are aligned and those are equal, then it goes to GA (goals against - whoever has less).  There is one more deciding factor, but I can't remember what it is.\n\nIt doesn't matter at this point in the playoffs - Edmonton will always be the road team.  If it came down to Edmonton and Tampa Bay (8th seed in the East), then it would go to regular season record.
353496
Sharks vs Predators. \nThese two teams are very evenly matched and they should make for a great series. Both have goalies that were former backups, who now are starting, and basically have no prior playoff experience, but are really hot right now. The teams split their head-to-head matchups this season 2-2, all wins coming at home. Sharks have one of the best scoring lines in hockey with Cheechoo and Thornton(my vote for mvp), while Predators are like the 3rd best power-play scoring team this season. Predators also have almost hobbled into the playoffs with many key guys going down with injuries, while the Sharks have been the hottest team. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep it going, or if Nashville can hold it together for what is looking to be like a very winnable, yet tough series for both teams. I'd put money on San Jose(in 6 games).
1092253
You have to have played either 41 regular season games or one Stanley Cup Final game with the championship team to get your name on the Cup. Team employees like the GM, trainers and the owners also get their names engraved. Special exceptions can petitioned by the winning team and the NHL board will make a decision on a case by case basis for situations like injury.
471242
Well, I think it will be a big playoff match between Ottawa and Detroit. Ottawa will probably be expected to win, seeing that they're the biggest,baddest team in th NHL. But, Detroit has come up from behind of many teams and they will probably win the Stanley Cup in a 6 game match.
470572
Ottawa Senators, why I think the Senators will win the 2006 stanley cup is because, they are a very fast offensive team, there goaltending has been it's strongest than it's ever been, and there defencemen line up is very positional and is always working harder than any other player on the ice I also want to predict that the stanley cup series round will be Ottawa and calgary the sens will take it in 6 games LoL !!!
720151
You can listen in from the internet.  www.nhl.com, go to scores, click on "listen", choose your team and follow directions.  You're welcome.
1071020
3 points if they win a game\n1 point if they tie\n0 points if they lose\n\nThen the top two teams from each groupd advance to the round of 16.\nIf there is a tie, they go by Goals for and Goals against (Goal Differential)
986386
goal against your team when you are on the ice -1\n\ngoal for your team when you are on the ice +1\n\n\nIf you are on a good team, your +/- gets high\n\nIf your team sucks, your +/- might be quite low\n\nGood point, silverbullet - and although they'll never do this, I think it should be -0.5 if you are scored on while short-handed, and +0.5 if you score when on the power play.  And it should be -1.5 if you are scored on while on a power play, and +1.5 if you score while short-handed.  Just my opinion.  LOL
1009758
The format is 2-3-2.  The team with homecourt advantage gets the first two and the last two games at home.  It adds a little more drama to the series.
1148147
I found this...\n\nRankings in each group shall be determined as follows:\n(a) Greater number of points in group\n(b) Goal differential in group\n(c) Goals scored in group\n\nIn case of a tie:\n(d) Head-to-head\n(e) Head-to-head goal differential\n(f) Goals scored head-to-head\n(g) Drawn lots\n\nThe top two teams advance to the Round of 16.\n\n\nIt doesnt make much sense to me but i hope it does to you :)
565471
3 point for win\n1 for tie\n0 for loss\nThen goal differential\nthentotal goals scored!
1014465
THE OILERS WIN\nSHUTTING OUT THE CANES\n4-0\n\nGO OILERS GO \nBRING HOME THE CUP
425879
The Clippers do. Statistically, this is true because the Clippers have home court advantage, even though they are the lower seed. In the past, the team with home court advantage has won somewhere around 70% of the time. Tonight they won (barely) the first game. Again, historically, teams that win game one win the series about 75% of the time.
720944
The Stanley Cup finals will take place in the winner of the Western Conference finals against the winner of the Eastern Conference finals.\n\nThe possible 8 teams are, in order of home ice advantage:\nOttawa Senators,\nCarolina Hurricanes\nNew Jersey Devils\nBuffalo Sabres\nSan Jose Sharks\nAnaheim Mighty Ducks (going to be dropping "Mighty" after this season).\nColorado Avalance\nEdmonton Oilers.\n\nThe finals usually take place in June and wouldn't finish any later than around the 19th of June.
189541
It is easy to understand, just like many other tournaments. \n\nThe first place team plays the eigth place team. The second place team plays the seventh place team, and so on. The other thing to note are the three divisions in each conference. The three winners of each division (Northeast, Atlantic, Southeast) for the Eastern Conference are automatically seeds 1, 2, and 3 depending on who has the most points. Seeds 4 - 8 are determined by the five next best teams, even if the fourth place team has more points than the division-leading third place, they are still seeded 4th in the playoffs. \n\nAfter the first round, the highest place team left plays the lowest place, the second highest plays the second lowest. For example if teams 1, 3, 5, and 7 are left...team 1 will play 7, team 3 will play 5
384266
This is the schedule so far for the playoffs. It looks like that your series is on center ice, at least for saturday. \n\nhttp://www.directvsports.com/Subscriptions/NHLCenterIce/Schedule/\n\nNote to Yahoo police: I am not advertising for Direct TV or Center Ice, this is just a schedule of televised games on this network that the questioner asked for.
598665
Right now Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals is set for June 1st and if you give two days. The Stanley cup finals should start on June 3 or 4th depending on TV.  Then going every other night game 7 would be june 15 or 16.\n\nBut i think if the two conference finals finish early the Stanley cup finals will start sooner as well.\n\nLet's Go Buf-fa-lo....