“Aw, this again?” Quiet!
As we always do at this point, though this year I’ve caved: These remove all overtime results from the mix, leaving any overtime or shootout game a tie. (Removing only shootouts produced basically the same thing as the actual standings, in roughly similar proportions, except two things: Toronto ekes out the North Division over Syracuse, and Grand Rapids wins the Central over Chicago.)
Wins and losses are regulation-time wins and losses only. This comes with the ever-popular disclaimer about how if the rules were different teams might play differently, asterisks to asterisks, dust to dust:
| ATLANTIC | GA | |||||
| y-Wilkes-Barre | 44 | 20 | 12 | 100 | 240 | 165 |
| *x-Hershey | 40 | 22 | 14 | 94 | 249 | 200 |
| *x-Lehigh Valley | 40 | 23 | 13 | 93 | 252 | 214 |
| x-Providence | 39 | 23 | 14 | 92 | 225 | 178 |
| Bridgeport | 31 | 28 | 17 | 79 | 207 | 208 |
| Springfield | 25 | 33 | 18 | 68 | 190 | 195 |
| Hartford | 17 | 46 | 13 | 47 | 187 | 274 |
| NORTH | GA | |||||
| *y-Toronto | 37 | 29 | 10 | 84 | 240 | 202 |
| *x-Syracuse | 32 | 24 | 20 | 84 | 226 | 213 |
| *x-Utica | 29 | 32 | 15 | 73 | 189 | 211 |
| *x-St. John’s | 27 | 30 | 19 | 73 | 207 | 210 |
| *Albany | 28 | 32 | 16 | 72 | 193 | 201 |
| Rochester | 25 | 41 | 10 | 60 | 198 | 237 |
| Binghamton | 19 | 44 | 13 | 51 | 181 | 262 |
| CENTRAL | GA | |||||
| y-Chicago | 37 | 19 | 20 | 94 | 244 | 187 |
| x-Grand Rapids | 37 | 23 | 16 | 90 | 241 | 184 |
| x-Milwaukee | 33 | 26 | 17 | 83 | 215 | 208 |
| x-Charlotte | 30 | 29 | 17 | 77 | 203 | 200 |
| Cleveland | 26 | 29 | 21 | 73 | 182 | 190 |
| Iowa | 25 | 31 | 20 | 70 | 171 | 187 |
| Manitoba | 24 | 37 | 15 | 63 | 192 | 232 |
| Rockford | 18 | 39 | 19 | 55 | 168 | 234 |
| PACIFIC | ||||||
| y-San Jose | 36 | 16 | 16 | 88 | 225 | 167(.647) |
| x-San Diego | 33 | 20 | 15 | 81 | 211 | 173 (.596) |
| *x-Stockton | 31 | 25 | 12 | 74 | 209 | 183 (.544) |
| *x-Ontario | 27 | 21 | 20 | 74 | 190 | 179 (.544) |
| Bakersfield | 26 | 29 | 13 | 65 | 193 | 182 (.480) |
| *Texas | 24 | 37 | 15 | 63 | 214 | 260 (.415) |
| *Tucson | 19 | 31 | 18 | 56 | 177 | 229 (.412) |
| San Antonio | 22 | 42 | 12 | 56 | 179 | 233 (.368) |
*-change from actual standings
A few changes in order, but only one different playoff team: the mixed-up North Division churns out Utica instead of Albany (the Devils were 11-5 beyond regulation).
Though it’s not a change, take a look at Bridgeport. Overtime was exceptionally good to Bridgeport, even if the Sound Tigers lost their last two trips beyond regulation. The Sound Tigers’ 13 wins past 60 (eight OT, five shootout) tied for the league lead with Cleveland (6/7). That’s tied (with 2008-09) for second most in team history behind 2009-10 (16, 9/7). No one else this year had more than 11 overtime/shootout wins.
We mentioned it before, but it’s true right to the wire: Overtime really propped Bridgeport up. And we mentioned it late, and we’ll say it again. Bridgeport scored 12 more regulation-time even-strength goals than it allowed. It allowed 13 more special-teams goals in regulation time than it scored. That’s ultimately, as above, 207-208. Goal differential is destiny.
(With that, if you take the points you’d expect Bridgeport to get based on its goal differential, then add in the overtime wins they got in reality (think of it as luck), that’s about 89 points. The Sound Tigers overachieved a little. Sixth-most in the league, by that measure.)
I’ll reiterate my immodest proposal from a few years ago. Heck, it’ll make three-on-three at the all-star game even more special, right?
Oh, and for all of you in the alternate crossover universe: See you at Harbor Yard for Game 1 on Friday against… Toronto? Aw, who wants to do that again?