New Format Still Sucks

Cynick

Know-Nothing
Dec 24, 2008
3,727
453
Toronto
There's some exciting rivalry matches in the first round this year (plus one more if Florida can find a way to win tonight) but it could just have easily gone a different way with some of the outcomes yesterday. So, I agree the format needs to go. One reserved spot for the top team in each division and then the other 6 slots ranked by points. I hope the NHL fixes things when Seattle joins the league.
 
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CanadianPensFan1

Registered User
Jun 13, 2014
7,051
2,049
Canada
It didn't need to be said at all. It's already been said in dozens and threads.

Not to mention bettman JUST said yesterday that they aren't contemplating any changes to the format.

So why did this NEED to be said? Again?
 

Tripod

I hate this team
Aug 12, 2008
78,743
86,024
Nova Scotia
Pittsburgh had to play the presidents trophy winner in round 2 in 2016 and 2017, despite finishing 4th and 2nd overall in the league the last two years. Winners overcome.
Yeah, it sucks that marque matchups happen earlier than they should, but oh well. Still gotta win.
 

John Matthews

Registered User
Dec 4, 2017
382
164
On a computer
It had to be said. Absolute nonsense that there is zero chance at a TB-BOS ECF, and that Pittsburgh gets to avoid both until then.
lol last year the pens played 2 top 5 teams in the first two rounds. Ill fix your last sentence. TB and BOS get to avoid pittsburgh provided they can get past the leafs who are faster than both teams.... not to mention NJ has given TB fits all season long.

If you wanna complain about something complain about a team with more wins missing the playoffs due to the loser point.
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
185,657
37,449
While I agree with original conference format, I wish people would get over the fact that fairness in the standings is not the motivation for the playoff format, and the parity within the league on a given month let alone the year proves that it's not important either.
 

StreetHawk

Registered User
Sep 30, 2017
25,605
9,433
Yeah, it sucks that marque matchups happen earlier than they should, but oh well. Still gotta win.

NHL is the reverse of the NBA. NBA, lots of sweeps in rounds 1 & 2. Best teams make the Conference finals and the ratings spike in the finals.

NHL, best match ups are earlier and the finals isn't as marquee. Thus the sizeable difference between the NBA vs NHL finals ratings.

The issue for 1 vs 8 is the Western conference and the time zones. California or the Northwest is very far from Nashville. Lose an entire day basically to travel.
 

justafan22

Registered User
Jun 22, 2014
11,629
6,249
I just hate the format the way it is right now, because there's little chance of teams from one division playing another team in the 2nd round, which was the best part of the 1 v 8 system.
 

illpucks

Registered User
May 26, 2011
20,525
4,971
Pittsburgh had to play the presidents trophy winner in round 2 in 2016 and 2017, despite finishing 4th and 2nd overall in the league the last two years. Winners overcome.
The Presidents' Trophy winner had to face the best team in the league in round 2 despite winning Presidents'.

That is unfair.

Most points is not best team. I think it might be same situation this year where Jets are best team in the league and Nashville is forced to face them in round 2 despite winning Presidents'.
 
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Nick1219

Registered User
Mar 15, 2012
1,285
492
Still find it funny how butt-hurt some people are about these types of things. Divisional battles are great for hockey and make for tremendous viewing. Stop getting so worked up about the flaws and focus on the positives. There will always 4 amazing divisional matchups and possibly up to 8 depending how WCs play out in the 1st round. Same thing applies with the 2nd round.

Oh there won’t be a Boston/TB ECF? Too bad. They’ll play each other in Round 2. Who cares. There’s so much parity in the league that I’m fine with having to grind your way through your division to get into the big dance.

There is NOTHING on the planet that is comparable to the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
 

tony d

Registered User
Jun 23, 2007
76,590
4,549
Behind A Tree
There'd be people complaining about 1 vs. 8. I do expect some tweaks made when Seattle gets their team but for right now this is fine though I'd eliminate the wild cards if I was the league and have it straight 1 vs. 4/2 vs. 3 in each division
 

BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
24,281
21,610
Your matchups were it 1-8:

BOS/TB vs NJD
BOS/TB vs CBJ
WAS vs PHI
TOR vs PIT

NASH vs COL
WPG vs LA
VGK vs SJ
MIN vs ANA

Regardless of how it plays out today between Boston and Florida to decide the Atlantic match-ups, do folks really prefer to have 6 of the 8 series be two non-divisonal opponents if they went by their precious 1-8 format?

The match-ups as they will be in the current format look much more interesting to me.
 
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Filthy Dangles

Registered User*
Oct 23, 2014
28,353
39,702
I can't even remember honestly. But, With the old 1-8 format, was it reseeded or a winner of one series played winner of another series regardless of seeding?

Should be 1-8 and then reseeded.
 
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BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
24,281
21,610
Still find it funny how ********* some people are about these types of things. Divisional battles are great for hockey and make for tremendous viewing. Stop getting so worked up about the flaws and focus on the positives. There will always 4 amazing divisional matchups and possibly up to 8 depending how WCs play out in the 1st round. Same thing applies with the 2nd round.

Oh there won’t be a Boston/TB ECF? Too bad. They’ll play each other in Round 2. Who cares. There’s so much parity in the league that I’m fine with having to grind your way through your division to get into the big dance.

There is NOTHING on the planet that is comparable to the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Isn't that part of the problem?

That the 1st round is the most exciting/interesting/etc. round of the playoffs?

Shouldn't the playoffs be a gradual build round by round to the most exciting/interest part in the final round?

Whether it's the current format or the 1-8 format, this is how I see the playoffs in terms of interest/excitement

1st round - Most exciting

2nd round - Excitement drops considerably

3rd round - Excitement increases from Round 2, but not as high as Rd. 1

4th round - Excitment level drops again, below round 3 but more than round 2.
 

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