Lets get two things out of the way right away before I try to build a case.One, the NHL has no intention of changing its current playoff structure.None, whatsoever, said commissioner Gary Bettman.Two, when it was suggested by an enterprising hockey writer that a play-in game might help stagnating league revenues, well, the commissioner disagreed. Not with the premise that a playoff game would help, but that revenues are stagnating. He even threw in a with all due respect to soften the blow.Its not stagnating, Bettman said. Its growing and will continue to grow.Got it. Everything is great.And when it comes to the playoffs, hes right. They are great. Stanley Cup playoff hockey is the best postseason in sports. Ill fight to the death on that one.Thats why its time for more.Parity is at an all-time high. As teammate Pierre LeBrun likes to say, the standings are like a crushed beer can. At the end of this season, were going to look at a team that finishes No. 9 in the conference and think that it would have had a really good chance at causing damage in the playoffs.As of Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars are all outside a playoff spot. A good team is going to miss the postseason, a good team that could win a series or three if it makes it into the field.It makes the NHL absolutely primed for a play-in game.Let the No. 8 seed host the No. 9 seed in a game that allows the survivor to enter the big pool. Its not a novel idea.?Detroit Red Wings?GM Ken Holland pitched it in a recent interview with TSN. Lets not forget, this is the guy who gave us 3-on-3 overtime. So lets not just dismiss it.Its also been a part of baseball since 2012. The play-in game this year between the?San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets?on ESPN was the highest-rated wild-card game ever. It was the most streamed MLB event ever. It had an overnight rating of 5.8. The Stanley Cup finals averaged a 2.3. OK, that was low, but Im trying to make a point here.The drama would be irresistible. And it could be a way to get other networks involved and invested in hockey.Imagine a one-game playoff between?Steven Stamkos Lightning and Alex Ovechkins Washington Capitals, two teams with Stanley Cup aspirations. The current standings suggest it wouldnt be out of the question. Or what about a one-game play-in game between Connor McDavids?Edmonton Oilers?versus Patrik Laines?Winnipeg Jets?People would watch. People would most definitely watch.Arizona Coyotes?co-owner Anthony LeBlanc certainly has noticed the success in baseball and it has him intrigued.I can just look at baseball from a fans perspective, it keeps people engaged in their team longer. Theres a chance they can get that final spot, LeBlanc said. Our league tends to have some competition coming in for those last couple spots the last couple of weeks, but not always. I kind of like it.OK, so we have an owner who sounds like he could be on board.What about the greatest player of all time?The more people, the more teams you can get in the playoffs, I think the bigger the recognition for our game gets, Wayne Gretzky told ESPN.com. I think its good.He did add that the league is usually smart about these things. So if they like it, great. If they dont, there might be a reason.Theyre always very reasonable about doing their homework and background checks on what is really good for the game, Gretzky said. If thats what they decide, great.Currently, 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs. Thats 53 percent of the league. Adding a play-in game in each conference along with Vegas would mean that 58 percent of the NHL could claim a playoff appearance.Maybe that cheapens the playoffs. Considering the excitement that would go into an annual play-in night, its worth the trade-off.At least thats the thought here.Commish?Random musings dont always turn into reality, Bettman said. You may think you can create a new reality, but the fact of the matter is we think the structure we have now works extraordinarily well.Air Jordan Retro Clearance . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Wholesale Air Jordan NZ .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. http://www.nzairjordan.com/ . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Air Jordan For Sale NZ . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. Air Jordan Clearance Sale . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice.ATLANTA -- More than a week after getting bounced from the NBA playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks are still trying to figure out whos going to coach them next season. It might be Larry Drew, their coach the last three seasons. It might be someone else, since general manager Danny Ferry inherited Drew from the previous regime and made it clear hes looking at other options. At the moment, Drew remains in limbo. His contract expires at the end of June. Ferry has repeatedly praised the job Drew did while leading a team that had numerous players with expiring contracts. Despite the uncertainty, the Hawks made their sixth straight playoff appearance, though they were knocked out in the first round by the Indiana Pacers. That said, Ferry wants to make sure hes got the right guy on the sideline with massive roster changes looming this summer. "I have great appreciation and respect for Larry and how he led our team this season," Ferry said in a statement. "At the same time, it is my responsibility and in the best interests of the Hawks organization to consider all our options, and talk with other potential head coaches, before making a decision about who will lead our basketball team." The 55-year-old Drew was an assistant coach who moved up to take his first coaching job when Mike Woodson was fired in 2010. Drew has a 128-102 record and three straight playoff appearances, including a first-round upset of Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic his debut season. The Hawks were beaten in the first round the last two years, though this season just making the playoffs was considered a bit of a surprise after Ferry traded top scorer Joe Johnson as well as former first-round pick Marvin Williams, largely to dump two hefty salaries and acquire a bunch of players heading into the final year of their contracts. Atlanta got off a surprising start before sliding to the sixth seed after season-ending injuries to a pair of key backups, Lou Williams and Zaza Pachulia. The Hawks were beaten by the Pacers in six games and have only three players definitely under contract for next season. Drew coould not be reached for comment Monday but made it clear the day after the season ended that he didnt want his status to drag on for long.dddddddddddd "Nobody wants things to kind of linger," he said. "I love what Im doing, I enjoy what Im doing. This is what I do. Certainly, if it did not work out here, I would like to know so I can look elsewhere." Like the team, Drew has been exploring his options, feeling out other teams that are in the market for a coach. There are five openings at the moment, and could be more. Already, there have been reports Drew would be interested in talking with the Philadelphia 76ers if he doesnt stay with the Hawks. Meanwhile, its not clear what direction the Hawks are considering. Ferry could pursue an experienced coach such as Stan Van Gundy, though its not clear if the former Magic chief is interested in getting back in the game next season. Or the GM could pursue one of several assistants who are thought to be hot coaching candidates. Or, of course, he could stay with Drew -- thought to be the least likely option, especially for a team heading in such a radically different direction. "Larry and I have had open communication about this," Ferry said. "If Larry and I continue our work together, we ultimately will be a stronger organization because of our discussions and this thorough process." In his last public comments on his situation, Drew sounded like someone who didnt expect to return to Atlanta. "Whether Im back here or not, I dont know. But Ive had a great run here," he said. "I gave it my all. I can honestly look in the mirror and say the three years Ive been here as a head coach and my work here as an assistant, I put my all into it." Clearly, hes not ready to give up on being a head coach after waiting so long for his chance. "This is a very good gig," Drew said. "The pressure comes with it -- the highs, the lows, the emotional roller coaster -- all of that comes with it. But I enjoy what I do, and I would love to continue doing what Im doing." ' ' '