[Athletic] Appetite to change the NHL playoff system is increasing

[StreetHawk]

6 games against division opponents (3x6 for 18).
4 games against conference opponents (4x12 for 48).
1 game against each alternate conference opponent, rotating home and away for each div every other year (ie 4 road vs pacific then 4 home vs pacific).
18+48+16=82.
22% of the season vs division, 19.5% vs alt conf, and 58.5% vs conference.

You are going with 8 divisions?

So we are back to the post lost season where you don’t get a home game against al teams? So McDavid only visits Toronto and New York every other year?

Don’t Expect that to go given that a lot of fans didn’t like that last time.

 

[Barrie22]

You are going with 8 divisions?

So we are back to the post lost season where you don’t get a home game against al teams? So McDavid only visits Toronto and New York every other year?

Don’t Expect that to go given that a lot of fans didn’t like that last time.

Its an idiotic schedule that is why. I guess it makes some fans happy so they can say so and so team hasn't lost to so and so team in 10 years on home ice. Just fail to mention its only a handful of games in those 10 years.

 

[mdm815]

For sure that’s something that will have to be considered. It’s definitely an issue missing out on star players live for a calendar year. At the same time it’s a balanced and simple schedule, with a clean format. Playing 40% of your season against the alternate conference is sort of it’s own problem too.

That’s a debate that while i prefer the clean schedule with a heavier emphasis on conference games, i see where fans (many) would prefer to get to see each team each year.

 

[Barrie22]

For sure that’s something that will have to be considered. It’s definitely an issue missing out on star players live for a calendar year. At the same time it’s a balanced and simple schedule, with a clean format. Playing 40% of your season against the alternate conference is sort of it’s own problem too.

That’s a debate that while i prefer the clean schedule with a heavier emphasis on conference games, i see where fans (many) would prefer to get to see each team each year.

How is it a balanced schedule if you only play 1 game versus the other conference per year?

 

[StreetHawk]

For sure that’s something that will have to be considered. It’s definitely an issue missing out on star players live for a calendar year. At the same time it’s a balanced and simple schedule, with a clean format. Playing 40% of your season against the alternate conference is sort of it’s own problem too.

That’s a debate that while i prefer the clean schedule with a heavier emphasis on conference games, i see where fans (many) would prefer to get to see each team each year.

Regardless how you break up a division, people need to think about regular season and playoffs together. Should play a schedule similar to the teams that you are competing for playoff spots with.

If you want 1-8 in a conference then you have to play a balanced schedule within the conference be fair. That determines the best 8 teams. But if you have to do home and awaynwith the other conference you only have 50 games left to play 15 teams. So it’s 3 each and 5 teams you play 4 times. Not exactly ideal.

If you go division based you play al other divisions twice each so that’s 48 games and you have 34 against 7 teams. So 5 eacxh with one team you get only 4 games.

My gut says that once Seattle is in, it will be division based playoffs and regular season.

So Toronto has to get used to having to go through TB to get to round 3.

 

[mdm815]

How is it a balanced schedule if you only play 1 game versus the other conference per year?

Bc playoffs are based on conferences and not league wide. Playing the majority of your games in your own conference leads to a better indication of your ranking within your conference. Not to mention the balance of playing each divisional opponent, conference opponent, and inter-conference opponent an equal number of times respectively.
Not ideal, but the scheduling debate is a question of balance vs exposure. Personally i think long term balance is more important, but the exposure aspect is undoubtedly an important one as well.

 

[Barrie22]

Bc playoffs are based on conferences and not league wide. Playing the majority of your games in your own conference leads to a better indication of your ranking within your conference. Not to mention the balance of playing each divisional opponent, conference opponent, and inter-conference opponent an equal number of times respectively.
Not ideal, but the scheduling debate is a question of balance vs exposure. Personally i think long term balance is more important, but the exposure aspect is undoubtedly an important one as well.

I could care less about division, conference and outer conference amounts as long as divisions play the same amount veruses the same team.

32 versus out of conference.
16 versus other division in conference
Leaves 30 games vs division 3 times each equals 24. So add 2 games to the schedule and you have 4 games each vs division.

84 game schedule and perfectly even schedule.

 

[StreetHawk]

I could care less about division, conference and outer conference amounts as long as divisions play the same amount veruses the same team.

32 versus out of conference.
16 versus other division in conference
Leaves 30 games vs division 3 times each equals 24. So add 2 games to the schedule and you have 4 games each vs division.

84 game schedule and perfectly even schedule.

Is the math right? It’s 48 games against the 24 non division teams in a home and away series.

You will have 7 teams within your division to play against, if we are talking when Seattle comes in. 4 games each is 28 games. Total is now 76 games. Still have 6 games left to get to 82.

 

[MessierII]

Should have left it the way it was before. 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, etc. I like the top two locking in spots as well.

That’s actually never how it was. You should know that as a panthers fan.

 

[mdm815]

I could care less about division, conference and outer conference amounts as long as divisions play the same amount veruses the same team.

32 versus out of conference.
16 versus other division in conference
Leaves 30 games vs division 3 times each equals 24. So add 2 games to the schedule and you have 4 games each vs division.

84 game schedule and perfectly even schedule.

Under a 2 conference 4 division format. Or do a 2 conference 8 division format, and keep 82 games. Which is what I’m a proponent of.
Pros:
•creates natural rivalries with your 3 divisional opponents.
•easy scheduling breakdown
•natural playoff bracket
•emphasizes divisional play without sacrificing the sanctity pf conference standings
•reduces travel

Cons:
•you only get to see western/eastern stars every other year.

 

[StreetHawk]

Under a 2 conference 4 division format. Or do a 2 conference 8 division format, and keep 82 games. Which is what I’m a proponent of.
Pros:
•creates natural rivalries with your 3 divisional opponents.
•easy scheduling breakdown
•natural playoff bracket
•emphasizes divisional play without sacrificing the sanctity pf conference standings
•reduces travel

Cons:
•you only get to see western/eastern stars every other year.

I think leaving the 4 divisions makes sense. Play the 3 other divisions in a home and away. That’s 48 games against the 24 teams. Play your 7 division opponents 4 times each for 28 games. You have 76 games. Great time for the nhl to reduce the season.

 

[blood gin]

I like the idea of locking in the two top spots and leaving the rest open. Expanding the amount of teams that get in though? Easy pass.

seconded

Don't need to expand it either.

 

[StreetHawk]

So long as we want to see each team visit another team each season, there’s no way to have a balanced conference schedule, which is the only fair way to determine who should qualify for the playoffs.

32 games against the other conference.

Have 15 other opponents in conference. How do you come to a schedule that is fair within the conference?

You can’t play them 4 times each to get 60 games then add the 32 out of conference games to end up at 92. Play until July.

3 times each is an odd number of 45 and gets 83 games total.

2 times each is 30, adding the other 32 is 62. Do we want to kill 20 games off the schedule?

So, I just don’t see any other option besides divisions playoffs and regular season.

Drop the regular to 76 games.

 

[mdm815]

Reducing the season isn’t really an option unfortunately. That’s 192 games lost over the whole league. While i wouldn’t mind it, and i know many want a shorter season, owners likely won’t go for it. Ironically that’s the same reason i think my idea won’t fly. Small markets are going to want the McDavids of the world playing there at least once a year.

 

[mdm815]

IMO the main sticking points to any format change are 1) travel/scheduling 2) exposure of talent, and 3) “spirit of competition.”

Probably in that order of importance in the leagues’ eyes as well. 4 divisions would be great if you scrap conferences. It handles problem 2 really well, is adequate for 3 but it is a huge challenge for problem 1.

2 conferences 4 divisions handles 1 really well, does a decent job with number 2 and is pretty meh for number 3 unfortunately.

And 8 divisions i think handles 1 and 3 admirably but pretty much kills number 2.

It really is a pick your poison scenario.

 

[Barrie22]

Is the math right? It’s 48 games against the 24 non division teams in a home and away series.

You will have 7 teams within your division to play against, if we are talking when Seattle comes in. 4 games each is 28 games. Total is now 76 games. Still have 6 games left to get to 82.

Most of it is right lol. Could be wrong in 1 spot but let me check again.

Sharks schedule just to make it easy for me.

16 teams in the eastern conference. 32 games.

8 teams in non division conference 16 games.

7 other teams in division x 5 games is 35 games total.

So the schedule would need to go to 83 games with a 32 team league.

Keep the divisional playoffs.

Play every team in the league atleast once at home and away.

Or if you wanted to play more conference play make the divisional season series to 4 games per and bump up the non divisional conference up to 3 games each.

 

[ole ole]

Don't agree with adding playoff teams. 16 is enough. The playoffs last too long as it is.

Frankly I'd be happy to see the top 16 (points wise) in the league (forget about Conference and Division standings) make the playoffs where best plays worst.

Based on last years standings the first round would look like this:

Predators (1) vs Panthers (16)
Jets (2) vs Devils (15)
Lightning (3) vs Blue Jackets (14)
Bruins (4) vs Flyers (13)
Knights (5) vs Kings (12)
Capitals (6) vs Sharks (11)
Leafs (7) vs Penquins (10}
Wild (8) vs Ducks (9)

This is the way i would like it.

 

[StreetHawk]

This is the way i would like it.

So how do you setup your regular season to have a 1 vs 16 setup?

3 games against 31 teams would be 93. 2 against all 31 is 62.

Is it fair to have Edm play Cal more times than Tor plays them if it’s a few for all? Should be the same schedule for everyone if that is the case.

 

[LeafShark]

Because of aggregate travel and... frankly.... demand.... divisional playoffs in the first round is just about ideal.... yes this means that you'll get plenty of Boston vs Toronto type situations, but it can't exactly be eliminated... and really its the second round that hurts the competitiveness the most.

In the second round, the division is supposed to "finish out" leaving the winners of each division. However, some divisions are more competitive than others. This is why in the second round, it should move into conference seeding and structure. The logical progression after this is to have the third round league seeded and structured. This way the division and the conference can be narrowed down, but never "finished out" leaving the best possible Stanley Cup final amongst the 30 teams with a substantially reduced "penalty" for winning a tough division. The "Group of 4" playoff structure is the "best of all worlds".

 

[Drake1588]

The only thing I really dislike is that they aren't calling the divisions Adams, Patrick, Norris and Smythe -- and I say that as a Capitals fan, whose team ran up against the Pens a round too early for two years in a row, falling in 2016 and 2017, before finally ousting them in the same second round this past season. You could make a strong case that this might have been a conference final in all three years, with the prior format.

It's rarely perfectly balanced, so some division's fans have a grievance every year, but with time the hatred will return under the divisional playoff format. Hatred is everything in sports. My read is that it's too early for the playoff hate to have set in, and so all we see right now is the imbalance.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

That’s actually never how it was. You should know that as a panthers fan.

So, it never was 1 vs 8, etc.?

 

[Alf the dwarf]

If you can't win the games, you don't deserve to advance. If opening on the road ruins your teams morale so badly, you have a mentally weak team.

Yeah, leafs are mentally weak, think about that!!!

 

[BigEezyE22]

Most of it is right lol. Could be wrong in 1 spot but let me check again.

Sharks schedule just to make it easy for me.

16 teams in the eastern conference. 32 games.

8 teams in non division conference 16 games.

7 other teams in division x 5 games is 35 games total.

So the schedule would need to go to 83 games with a 32 team league.

Keep the divisional playoffs.

Play every team in the league atleast once at home and away.

Or if you wanted to play more conference play make the divisional season series to 4 games per and bump up the non divisional conference up to 3 games each.

Can't go to 83 bc some teams will get 41 home games and some 42. That wouldn't fly.

 

[MessierII]

So, it never was 1 vs 8, etc.?

No division winners got top 3 regardless of points.

2011-2012 NHL Hockey Standings

In 2012 the panthers were seeded 3rd with 94 points despite several other 100 point teams in the conference.

 

[Barrie22]

Can't go to 83 bc some teams will get 41 home games and some 42. That wouldn't fly.

That is easily fixed. Teams with the 42 home games share the profits with the teams that had 41.