<p>Today, the National Hockey League announced cancellations of games through December 30. Rather than re-hash all of that, I think it&#8217;s fair to look at where the NHL knows that a real shortened season doesn&#8217;t at all benefit the game. Gary Bettman said this last week:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<p>Gary Bettman said last week NHL wants a minimum 48-game schedule for &#8220;integrity.&#8221; A 28-gamer was on the table during talks Feb 2005.</p>
<p>— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) <a data-datetime="2012-12-10T19:16:38+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/278216674283507712">December 10, 2012</a>
</p></blockquote>
<p><script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>So, if we&#8217;re to look at a 48-game schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs, what could it look like? The crack team at The Leafs Nation put together a sample schedule:</p>
<table class="tableizer-table">
<tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>Day</th>
<th>Date</th>
<th>Opponent</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>January 12</td>
<td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>January 14</td>
<td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>January 15</td>
<td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>January 17</td>
<td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>January 19</td>
<td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>January 21</td>
<td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>January 24</td>
<td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>January 26</td>
<td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>January 27</td>
<td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>January 29</td>
<td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>January 31</td>
<td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>February 2</td>
<td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>February 4</td>
<td>Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>February 6</td>
<td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>February 9</td>
<td>Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>February 12</td>
<td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>February 16</td>
<td>Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>February 18</td>
<td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>February 20</td>
<td>Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
<td>February 22</td>
<td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>February 25</td>
<td>Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>February 27</td>
<td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
<td>February 29</td>
<td>Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>March 1</td>
<td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>March 4</td>
<td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>March 6</td>
<td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>March 8</td>
<td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>March 11</td>
<td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>March 13</td>
<td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>March 15</td>
<td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>March 18</td>
<td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>March 20</td>
<td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>March 22</td>
<td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>March 24</td>
<td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>March 26</td>
<td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>March 27</td>
<td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>March 29</td>
<td>Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>March 31</td>
<td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>April 5</td>
<td>Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>April 7</td>
<td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
<td>April 9</td>
<td>Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>April 10</td>
<td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>April 12</td>
<td>Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
<td>April 14</td>
<td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
<td>April 15</td>
<td>Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
<td>April 17</td>
<td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
<td>April 19</td>
<td>Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
<td>April 20</td>
<td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Lots of Saturday night games here, and lots of games against divisional opponents.</p>
<p>Anyway, that&#8217;s just one example.</p>

<p>Today, the National Hockey League announced cancellations of games through December 30. Rather than re-hash all of that, I think it's fair to look at where the NHL knows that a real shortened season doesn't at all benefit the game. Gary Bettman said this last week:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<p>Gary Bettman said last week NHL wants a minimum 48-game schedule for "integrity." A 28-gamer was on the table during talks Feb 2005.</p>
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) <a data-datetime="2012-12-10T19:16:38+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/278216674283507712">December 10, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p><script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>So, if we're to look at a 48-game schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs, what could it look like? The crack team at The Leafs Nation put together a sample schedule:</p>
<table class="tableizer-table"><tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>Day</th>
            <th>Date</th>
            <th>Opponent</th>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>January 12</td>
            <td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>January 14</td>
            <td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>January 15</td>
            <td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>January 17</td>
            <td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>January 19</td>
            <td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>January 21</td>
            <td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>January 24</td>
            <td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>January 26</td>
            <td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
            <td>January 27</td>
            <td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>January 29</td>
            <td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>January 31</td>
            <td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>February 2</td>
            <td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>February 4</td>
            <td>Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
            <td>February 6</td>
            <td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>February 9</td>
            <td>Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>February 12</td>
            <td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>February 16</td>
            <td>Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>February 18</td>
            <td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
            <td>February 20</td>
            <td>Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
            <td>February 22</td>
            <td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>February 25</td>
            <td>Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
            <td>February 27</td>
            <td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Friday</td>
            <td>February 29</td>
            <td>Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>March 1</td>
            <td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>March 4</td>
            <td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>March 6</td>
            <td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>March 8</td>
            <td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>March 11</td>
            <td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>March 13</td>
            <td>@ Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>March 15</td>
            <td>Montreal Canadiens</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>March 18</td>
            <td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>March 20</td>
            <td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>March 22</td>
            <td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>March 24</td>
            <td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
            <td>March 26</td>
            <td>Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>March 27</td>
            <td>@ Buffalo Sabres</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>March 29</td>
            <td>Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>March 31</td>
            <td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>April 5</td>
            <td>Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>April 7</td>
            <td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Wednesday</td>
            <td>April 9</td>
            <td>Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>April 10</td>
            <td>@ Boston Bruins</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>April 12</td>
            <td>Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Monday</td>
            <td>April 14</td>
            <td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuesday</td>
            <td>April 15</td>
            <td>Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Thursday</td>
            <td>April 17</td>
            <td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Saturday</td>
            <td>April 19</td>
            <td>Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
<tr>
<td>Sunday</td>
            <td>April 20</td>
            <td>@ Ottawa Senators</td>
        </tr>
</tbody></table><p>Lots of Saturday night games here, and lots of games against divisional opponents.</p>
<p>Anyway, that's just one example.</p>

What a 48-game Maple Leafs schedule could look like

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