In the National Hockey League postseason, home ice actually doesn’t really matter too much.
I know, I know, it’s all any Blues fan is talking about right now — the Blues, it seems, have just got to get home ice against Minnesota. When it comes to the playoffs, home ice is discussed more than Vanilla and Smirnoff in their heydays. But history and data show that home ice doesn’t sway many series.
Of course, a team and its fans want home ice because of what it signifies. In addition to any perceived psychological advantage over an underdog team, you get to match any line change after a whistle, you get the first two games at home and, yes, if the series goes seven, you get to host the big one. And there’s the whole sleep-in-your-own-bed thing.
