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

[PenguinSpeed]

If the Bruins win their series you are going to have the top 2 teams in each conference playing each other in the 2nd round. I think that will make it change. It will have nothing to do with Pitt and Wash.

They better put them on alternating days as I want to watch both series as these are going to be the best 2 series of these playoffs.

-The Penguins have the highest ratings in the entire NHL. Ill bet right now the Penguins Capitals have far higher ratings then any other series in the next round.

 

[valet]

what a take

brutal thread

 

[613Leafer]

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

That'd be a bad idea. The extra flight times, time zone issues, etc, would be annoying for everyone involved. It's fine to do it for the SCF, but you don't want half your teams early round away games to start at 10pm local time.

 

[izzy]

gotta beat the best team at some point to win the cup

 

[MadLuke]

. Two good teams in division will always have to meet 2nd round, oppose to ECF/WCF in last format.

Considering that it is the main goal of returning to the old format, to augment the chance to have the same team playing each other in the playoff more often I do not think that is seen has an issue.

 

[No More Subban]

Tampa
New Jersey

Boston
Columbus

Washington
Philadelphia

Toronto
Pittsburgh

^ Round 1 would have been the first round if only based only points. That looks pretty exciting with some fresh match ups. Though Pittsburgh and Washington still potentially would have played in the second round haha

Actually, no. If NHL were to do the 1-8 format, It would be like this..

1-8
4-5

3-6
2-7

Tampa
NJ

Toronto
Pittsburgh


Washington
Philadelphia

Boston
Columbus

West

Nashville
Colorado

Minnesota
Anaheim


Vegas
SJ

Winnipeg
LA

The league needs a change. Minnesota and Toronto should get home adv and no more Pens/Caps in the second round.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

Actually, no. If NHL were to do the 1-8 format, It would be like this..

1-8
4-5

3-6
2-7

Tampa
NJ

Toronto
Pittsburgh


Washington
Philadelphia

Boston
Columbus

West

Nashville
Colorado

Minnesota
Anaheim


Vegas
SJ

Winnipeg
LA

The league needs a change. Minnesota and Toronto should get home adv and no more Pens/Caps in the second round.

-Why would the league care if the Pens / Caps bring in the highest tv ratings over every other series? The league wants this matchup to happen. In Game 3 last year in this series there was almost 2 million viewers for a single game. You know how that compares to other teams? Minnesota and Winnipeg are struggling to break 200,000 / per game. 1 playoff game for Pittsburgh / Washington is more then the entire Minnesota / Winnipeg entire playoff series.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

The Atlantic and Central are the reasons for a format change, not the Pens Caps

 

[No More Subban]

-Why would the league care if the Pens / Caps bring in the highest tv ratings over every other series? The league wants this matchup to happen. In Game 3 last year in this series there was almost 2 million viewers for a single game. You know how that compares to other teams? Minnesota and Winnipeg are struggling to break 200,000 / per game. 1 playoff game for Pittsburgh / Washington is more then the entire Minnesota / Winnipeg entire playoff series.

I get that. And thats why they won't be changing things up anytime soon.

Same thing with Boston vs Toronto/Montreal. It just has to happen.

 

[Goodbahd]

No. Caps are an overrated regular season team, and always have been. If they were that good, then they would have no problem beating the Pens.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

I liked the way it was before counting division winners. 1 thru 8 in the conference period.

Having the 3 division winners as the top 3 seeds was just as bad as this. Being down to 2 divisions in each conference tho I wouldnt mind if they get top 2 seeds. Shouldnt be that much of a difference in points.

 

[Butch 19]

of course not.

what a stupid question.

 

[HunterSThompson]

Do you really think the league would want to make it harder for two rivals to meet in the playoffs? They like this.

 

[me2]

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.

Would have happened under 1-8 system anyway if both Pittsburgh and Washington won the 1st round. If the NHL tweaked it more, they would still have to meet in the conference finals if they won through.

 

[harmonica]

People just need to accept this series. There wasn't nearly as much complaining about last season when the Caps, Pens and Jackets were all top teams point wise in the league. However with the Leafs being in that situation this year, so many more people are complaining.

This bracket format is great for creating and maintaining rivalries and that's exactly why it was implemented.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

What's it have to do with Pittsburgh?

Honestly - the league did it this way to create rivalries. Arguably the *ONLY* rivalry that's come out of this playoff format so far has been Washington/Pitt. As far as the league is concerned that's a success. Just because Pitt won the first 2 (and would again this year in your hypothetical) doesn't mean it's something bad.

Those teams have been rivals since the 90's

 

[mouser]

It cannot be argued that the Atlantic teams had more points during this regular season... but as a Pens fan, I would still say that any of Bolts, Bruins or Leafs have to beat us in a playoff series for it to make any sense claiming or arguing that they are better than the two-times defending champions.

Suppose the point of the thread is that the Caps won the Metro three straight seasons now, two of those being back to back Presidents' Trophies, to then meet the would be Stanley Cup winners in the second round... that were btw. 4th and 2nd in the NHL during the regular season in those years. That was hard luck on the Caps, don't see how that is arguable.

Anyway, I very much doubt this leads to rule changes, but if it is possible to slightly tinker with the format so as to insure that you don't get a Boston-Toronto tie in round 1 when they had the 2nd and 3rd best records in the conference - I think that would be a good thing. Just like it was obscene that Pens-Columbus last year had the 2nd and 4th best records in the league, and fought to get the 1st ranked team in round 2. That just reeks.

Toronto had the 4th best record in the Eastern Conference. If we did a 1 v 8 seeding it would have been Toronto vs Pittsburgh.

 

[PrototypeX85]

The format should go back to the previous way regardless of how this series goes down. Put the division leaders up top, and seed the other six teams based on points.

 

[Tender Rip]

Toronto had the 4th best record in the Eastern Conference. If we did a 1 v 8 seeding it would have been Toronto vs Pittsburgh.

OK.... 4th then.... even on points with Caps in 3rd. I trust the argument holds just the same?

 

[PunkRockLocke]

I don't see the issue with the current format...

A team like the Capitals can't use it as an excuse. If you're going to win the Cup, you should beat any team in any round. Doesn't matter.

Also, having a fixed bracket is nice. 1v8 requires re-seeding which, although I didn't realize until it was gone, is lame.

 

[PunkRockLocke]

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.

This doesn't make any sense. If Washington were going to win a Cup they should be able to be Pittsburgh in any round. Losing to any team in any round, regardless of format, is and indication that you're not the best team in the league

 

[Honour Over Glory]

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.

Nah, not even a little bit.

It will however blow the Caps up, finally. Something they desperately need.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

This doesn't make any sense. If Washington were going to win a Cup they should be able to be Pittsburgh in any round. Losing to any team in any round, regardless of format, is and indication that you're not the best team in the league

To prove this further...

Pens beat the Caps, then faced the Sens, people thought that would be a cake walk but the Senators gave it to the Pens pretty good, they showed that to get to that deep in the playoffs is no fluke and they played their hearts out. The Sens showed more fight than the Caps did, you don't make it that far thinking you have an easy opponent. Not when the playoffs starts. When you think that, you're the one that suddenly sits on the brink of elimination wondering what all went wrong.

IF you can't beat the next opponent regardless of seeding, you don't deserve to go any further than you did. Simple as that.

 

[Saekk]

Support.

I fear for the minds of the Caps fans, pretty sure they can't take it any longer.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Your problems here would be a welcome dilemma to us.

Signed,
Buffalo Fans