New playoff seeding format

[mcleex]

Okay so let me get this straight, under the new format for playoff seeding, the top 3 teams from each division are guaranteed spots 1 to 6 in the conference, and then spots 7 and 8 are wildcard which means the next 2 best teams get them?

So Philly has 3 less points than us, but because they are 3rd in their division and we are 4th in ours they get 6th and we are placed into a wildcard slot. Am I understanding this correctly?

If this is the case I find it absolutely ridiculous. Assume we had the same amount of games played and the Flyers had 3 less points than us, they would automatically finish higher because they are 3rd in their division.

Why did the NHL choose this format, it does not make any sense to me is there a specific reason for it? I just find it completely unacceptable that a team with LESS points can finish higher than a team with more points than them in the standings. It is a flawed format, and of course since we are in the Atlantic division we are stuck with a harder vision to finish top 3 in.

Am I understanding this correctly or .. ?

It doesn't help the fact that Yahoo sports has us slotted in 7th and then the official site of the NHL has us slotted in 5th place


Anyone else not really content with this?

Click to read more...

 

[Gobias Industries]

It is the case. By making divisions more meaningful, you foster better rivalries.

If you want to make the playoffs, or get a higher seed, do better within your division.

 

[Hurt]

I'm confused as well. The conference standings on the NHL site would put us 5th but if you click on 'wild card'

http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?season=20132014&type=WC#&navid=nav-stn-conf

We would technically be 7th since we aren't top 3 in our division.

 

[NaiveLeafsFan]

Click the Wild Card seeding for NHL.com, that's the correct playoff format, well besides 1-6 being reorganized.

 

[Gobias Industries]

This isn't really confusing.

4th in the division means at best you'll be a 7th seed.

 

[Hurt]

Also, it shows we're still a ways away from feeling 'safe'. All 3 teams above us in our division have played less games and have the same points or more than us. We need to keep winning at all costs to avoid falling out of a playoff spot before the Olympic break.

 

[mcleex]

Under this format, a team could potentially miss the playoffs, while having more points than the 6th place team. It might be rare .. but COULD possibly happen

Imagine a 9th place team with more points than 6th place

 

[Gobias Industries]

Under this format, a team could potentially miss the playoffs, while having more points than the 6th place team. It might be rare .. but COULD possibly happen

Imagine a 9th place team with more points than 6th place

Didn't we all already imagine this in Feb, then Mar, and then Jul?

 

[HenryH]

Two divisions: top 3 teams in each are ranked 1-3. The next two teams get the wild card spots.

Division leader with the most points plays the wild card team with the least points. The other division leader plays the wild card team with the most points. The ranks 2 and 3 teams in each division face off against each other.

 

[The CyNick]

People really need to stop looking at the playoffs in the sense of conferences.

It's now basically division based.

1 plays wild card A/B and 2 plays 3 in each division.

The conference thing only comes into play for the wild card spots. Top two of the teams 4th and lower get these spots.

It's no longer about 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, etc. And even the media still talks about "7th and 8th place". So right now, Philly gets the Rags, pitt get cbj, habs get tbay, we get the B's.

What even I'm not 100% clear on is the scenario if we were WC 2 and CBJ was WC 1. Since Pittsburgh is the top division winner would we crossover to the Metro division and CBJ cross to the Atlantic. Or would they just let the teams stay in their divisions? I swear I've heard it explained both ways.

 

[Gobias Industries]

If you really want to get mad, complain about the 8/14 vs. 8/16 playoff spots between conferences.

 

[Diatomic]

This isn't really confusing.

4th in the division means at best you'll be a 7th seed.

Assuming right now who would we face in the playoffs? since were 4th in the division (1st wildcard spot) that's what I personally don't get

 

[Schennanigans]

It's terrible. Who's bright idea was this?

Assuming right now who would we face in the playoffs? since were 4th in the division (1st wildcard spot) that's what I personally don't get

We'd face the #2 seed, 2nd wildcard faces #1. So we'd play Boston again.

 

[Rob Brown]

Under this format, a team could potentially miss the playoffs, while having more points than the 6th place team. It might be rare .. but COULD possibly happen

Imagine a 9th place team with more points than 6th place

You realize that the old divisional system could have seen a 9th place team with more points than a 3rd place team, right?

This really isn't anything new or shocking.

 

[Gobias Industries]

What even I'm not 100% clear on is the scenario if we were WC 2 and CBJ was WC 1. Since Pittsburgh is the top division winner would we crossover to the Metro division and CBJ cross to the Atlantic. Or would they just let the teams stay in their divisions? I swear I've heard it explained both ways.

From NHL announcement of wild card - Mar 14, 2013

The seeding of the wild-card teams within each divisional playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The division winner with the most points in the conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the fewest points; the division winner with the second-most points in the conference will play the wild-card team with the second fewest points.
The teams finishing second and third in each division will play in the first round of the playoffs. The winners of each series will play for berths in the conference championship series.

 

[Rob Brown]

Assuming right now who would we face in the playoffs? since were 4th in the division (1st wildcard spot) that's what I personally don't get

Boston.

 

[Gobias Industries]

Assuming right now who would we face in the playoffs? since were 4th in the division (1st wildcard spot) that's what I personally don't get

We'd face the 2 seed, Boston.

 

[egd27]

Assuming right now who would we face in the playoffs? since were 4th in the division (1st wildcard spot) that's what I personally don't get

Boston as they are the division leader with the fewest points (Leader B) and we are the Wild Card A team.

First Round is:

Division Leader A vs Wild Card B

Division Leader B vs Wild Card A

Atlantic 2 vs Atlantic 3

Metro 2 vs Metro 3

edit for Mess: I am aware that there have been an uneven amount of games played and this is for illustration purposes only

 

[Diatomic]

Boston as they are the division leader with the fewest points (Leader B) and we are the Wild Card A team.

First Round is:

Division Leader A vs Wild Card B

Division Leader B vs Wild Card A

Atlantic 2 vs Atlantic 3

Metro 2 vs Metro 3

edit for Mess: I am aware that there have been an uneven amount of games played and this is for illustration purposes only

Ok makes sense thanks

 

[The Podium]

Say that we end up with more points than Philly for example that ends the season 2nd in the Metro and we meet them in the conference finals, do we get home ice advantage since we had more points or do they since they are in a higher seeding according to this system?

 

[Patience]

What I'd like to see is if there is a wild card from each division then that division's wild card stays in that division regardless of point totals. Or maybe it already works this way?

 

[Quarter]

Say that we end up with more points than Philly for example that ends the season 2nd in the Metro and we meet them in the conference finals, do we get home ice advantage since we had more points or do they since they are in a higher seeding according to this system?

Philly, probably, given that they weren't a wild card team.

 

[Loosie]

Under this format, a team could potentially miss the playoffs, while having more points than the 6th place team. It might be rare .. but COULD possibly happen

Imagine a 9th place team with more points than 6th place

And how many times under the old format has there been complaints about the 3rd seed potentially having fewer points than the 9th place team? Nothing new here.

I'm not sure where all the confusion is coming from. Top 3 from each division makes it in , then 2 wildcards. Diviosn leader with most points plays wild card with least point, other division leader plays other wild card.

The only thing I haven't seen yet is how the second round and beyond works is there reseeding? Or is it still 'divisional' at that point?

 

[KuleminFan41]

I really dislike having 3 from each, should be 2 at most imo. You want the best teams in the playoffs, not ones that are gifted a playoff spot because of a weak division potentially

 

[Gobias Industries]

Say that we end up with more points than Philly for example that ends the season 2nd in the Metro and we meet them in the conference finals, do we get home ice advantage since we had more points or do they since they are in a higher seeding according to this system?

I doubt it.

The top 2 seeds seem set, and then after divisional playoffs I think it will be based on points outside of those two.