Would 3rd straight Pens win over Caps make playoff format changes inevitable?

[illpucks]

Obviously CBJ can still win. But if Caps advance and lose 3rd straight time to Pens you gotta think head office will be looking at adjusting the format. Two good teams in division will always have to meet 2nd round, oppose to ECF/WCF in last format.

Bettman has been following the Caps-Jackets series so you gotta think it'll be discussed if it happens.

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[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Nah.

 

[Painful Quandary]

It's not the league's fault the Caps can't figure out how to beat the Pens.

 

[jetsforever]

That shouldn't have any effect.

 

[kyle o connor]

Bettman already signed off on changing it so he’d rather just stick his head in the sand to avoid flip flopping and admitting a mistake.

 

[illpucks]

It's not the league's fault the Caps can't figure out how to beat the Pens.

Ya, but that's beside the point. They wouldn't have to face the Pens. Pens might have end up facing another team that has their number instead of a team they beat up on year after year.

 

[Shockmaster]

They couldn't get out of the 2nd round in the old format either.

 

[Beau Knows]

Ya, but that's beside the point. They wouldn't have to face the Pens. Pens might have end up facing another team that has their number instead of a team they beat up on year after year.

I might be crazy, but my hunch is the Caps win this time (should they beat the Jackets).

 

[illpucks]

Bettman already signed off on changing it so he’d rather just stick his head in the sand to avoid flip flopping and admitting a mistake.

I remember a mid-season post on HF that said the league or players assoc. was looking into 1 vs 16 ?

 

[Spazkat]

Obviously CBJ can still win. But if Caps advance and lose 3rd straight time to Pens you gotta think head office will be looking at adjusting the format. Two good teams in division will always have to meet 2nd round, oppose to ECF/WCF in last format.

Bettman has been following the Caps-Jackets series so you gotta think it'll be discussed if it happens.

You make it sound as if this is a change Bettman can make and not something that the BOG and the NHLPA would need to agree to.

 

[Lights911]

Probably not

 

[justafan22]

The change is coming in the new CBA honestly. If enough teams complain about it, it will be a hot issue. especially if situations like the 2017 CBJ and 2018 TML happen again

 

[cneely]

Huh? Why?
It could be argued that the Bolts and the Leafs / Bruins are both better teams than the Pens and Caps.

 

[Sleepy]

Nah. Because next year they’ll just lose to the NYR for 3rd time.

 

[Finesse]

I might be crazy, but my hunch is the Caps win this time (should they beat the Jackets).

They're bound to do it at some point.

 

[Mr. Met]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here, Caps still need to make it past Columbus.

 

[illpucks]

Huh? Why?
It could be argued that the Bolts and the Leafs / Bruins are both better teams than the Pens and Caps.

And round 2 if they make it is BOS vs TBL. So best 2 teams meet by 2nd round.

 

[cneely]

And round 2 if they make it is BOS vs TBL. So best 2 teams meet by 2nd round.

It could be argued.
Point is we shouldn’t change the format because the Caps can’t win.
Hell, for the longest time, the Jets couldn’t even get in. Should we have changed the format then?

 

[AssaultPK]

I like the playoff format.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Ya, but that's beside the point. They wouldn't have to face the Pens. Pens might have end up facing another team that has their number instead of a team they beat up on year after year.

What happened to "to be the best you need to beat the best"

Changing stuff just so that the Caps don't get bent over by the Pens (as usual) is even more pathetic then the Caps second round play or lack thereof.

 

[Sticksandsun]

Nope

 

[Nick1219]

You don't think Bettman and the ownership group discussed this possibility prior to making the change in the first place? You make it sound like they overlooked this likely scenario.

The NHL made the decision that they'd risk having 1v2 and 3v4 in the Conference Semi's in order to keep things within the division for either travel and/or rivalries.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

I'll say this, due to how the current format is.

This is shaping up to be one of the best 2nd rounds in NHL history. I know that the best teams should be saved for the CF series, (arguably) but the CF are always big because they are the CF's. This way the 2nd RD is also bigger because of how its set up.

VGK vs SJ (Speed, and Skill) Two great stories, a franchise with a long recent history of never getting the big one vs a CInderlla (by defenition) team in every way but there home ice, always winning type of way.

WPG vs NAS/COL (IF NAS-. Don't have to go further, top two teams, even the reg season game in March was insane when both teams has nothing to play for.)

If COlorado well that's hust a huge CInderella story after a 48 pt season. Hamburgler?

PIT vs WAS/CBJ (2x Defending Champs vs rivals-Sid Ovi IV (3rd year in a row) or PIT-CBJ becomes more of a rivalry due to 2nd straight playoff meeting, lots of itrigue with Champs going for record 10th straight series win.

TB vs BOS/TOR (Two top teams in the East, or 2 of the top East teams) Should be a great 6-7 game series.



And look at the GOALTENDING.

Murray (going for 3 cups in 3 years)
Vaslievsky (Vezina finalist this year)
Hellebeuck (SP?) (Vezina finalist this year)
Rinne (Vezina finalist this year)
Holtby (last years Vezina winner, or year before?)
Rask (A top 5 goalie consistently for the better part of a decade went to Game 6 of finals in 13' vs CHI)
Fleury (3 Cups, if healthy could of won vezina)
Jones (Underrated, like most of the team and took his team to Cup final year before last)

Possible?
Andersen?
Bobrovsky (2x Vexina winner)
Hamburglar?





Is that not among the best goaltending in a 2nd round everz?

Say what you will about the format but that excites me as a fan of team not in the playoffs on the regular.

 

[BigEezyE22]

I remember a mid-season post on HF that said the league or players assoc. was looking into 1 vs 16 ?

Nobody is looking into it. Someone brought it up in a meeting and was subsequently called a moron.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Jesus h Christ.

No. It wouldn't.