The standings are such a joke. Either adopt the expanded wildcard or get rid of it altogether

[al secord]

We need to bring back hockey pucks with streams of fire on them so I can see the game better.

 

[These Are The Days]

The 1-8 system was and still would be an improvement, but that's not because the current system is too tough to understand.

But... We're SUPPOSED TO face Detroit and Montreal a combined 4 times in 3 years.


But.... Rivalry!!

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

One of the best things about the sport was the playoffs, and the playoff format was a big reason for that. So.....they change it.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Because the average baseball and football fans who don't watch hockey already know what a wildcard is and this offers immediate familiarity and the idea of some exciting push for the playoffs. Especially since those new to hockey are probably more likely to give it a try during the playoffs.

I am acutely aware of how stupid this sounds. But I also know the NHL has spent more time and money than I can count to reach out to new audiences and grow the product. I doubt they just went ahead and destroyed the best playoff format they had just because it was time to do something new. I think it's the result of research

All in all they did it because they figured out it would make the most money and I do believe they purposely modeled themselves after successful leagues hoping for crossover due to said similarity

I would say you're overthinking it. The league already had 5 wild cards with the 1-8 format that rewarded division winners. They just didn't call them wild card teams.

The format wasn't changed just because they felt like it. Had the Thrashers not moved, everything would still be the same as it was as of the 2013 playoffs. At least before the Vegas and Seattle stuff. Throw some chaos in there, pull a thread too much, and before you know it, half the shirt is gone. Can't leave Winnipeg in the SE. Can't just simply replace Atlanta with Nashville. Can't just move one of Detroit or Columbus.

The issue with the standings isn't that it's complicated. It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out how it works. I mean, general sports fans will already be familiar, as the NFL and MLB have wildcard divisional systems too.

The issue is that it's not fair. It doesn't reward good teams. Teams with fewer points can actually be seeded higher than others. Or teams that are really 2-3 in the entire league may have to play a first-round matchup.

The league once guaranteed 1 of 6 expansion teams a spot in the Final, and that was pre-Bettman. Nothing has ever been fair. There was a league wide playoff at one time, and better teams might've had to travel more than worse teams in that scenario. Look at some of the crap the Norris division used to put out there, and a better Patrick division team would end up missing the playoffs. Detroit had to potentially play in 4 different time zones in the playoffs before winning the Cup, whereas most other 7pm EST teams had a bus trip.

how about the Atlantic and Central having the top 3 teams and they have to play each other in round 1 and 2...

NHL is a joke of a league.

The Oilers and Flames had to do that all the time in the 80's. Doesn't mean it's right, but it's not new.

Playoff format is a joke.A team with less points SHOULD NEVER be seeded higher then teams with more.

You can have more wins in baseball, and still have to play the play in wild card game, because you didn't win a crappy division. There have been playoff teams with fewer wins that had home field advantage in the NFL. The NHL used to have the 3 division winners as the top 3 seeds, which could lead to a team with more points starting on the road. The NBA used to have straight brackets, so if the 8th seed somehow managed to actually win, they wouldn't have had to play the highest remaining seed. They would've played the 4/5 seed, while 2/3 would be playing in the other series.

There hasn't been a playoff format that hasn't rewarded some team that didn't earn that reward. The last time it was a fair merit system in the NHL was 1967. Since then, nothing but compromise. Anywhere from 12-32 teams, in two different countries, spread out over 4 time zones. Try and make that fair across the board. Someone is going to get screwed somewhere.

 

[KingsFan7824]

One of the best things about the sport was the playoffs, and the playoff format was a big reason for that. So.....they change it.

If only the Thrashers had remained in Atlanta, none of this would've been necessary. Failing that, if only the Jets could've remained in the SE division.

 

[Sam Spade]

Now that the team I root for won, I don't care.

Seriously though, I think that play in game (8 v 9, 7 v 10) will be here as soon as Seattle starts up.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Playoff format is a joke.A team with less points SHOULD NEVER be seeded higher then teams with more.

I mean when we had 1-8 with three divisions I am pretty sure this has happened. Everyone always complained about that #3 vs. #6 matchup.

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

Make all the divisions separate conferences

Each conference is seeded 1-4

After the second round it gets reseeded

 

[M2Beezy]

I never realized until yesterday when I heard a comment from someone in the NHL (can't remember who) that the reason for having the playoff format the way it is, is to save travel time for some of the western teams. Not a fan of the format either but I guess that's why it's in place... or at least the reason given to the public.

Yeah but doesnt always work that way. What if Nashville is 1st place in the conference and therefore plays the 2nd wildcard team and lets say its Vancouver. That aint no pretty less travel reward for first place Nashville

 

[KingsFan7824]

Make all the divisions separate conferences

Each conference is seeded 1-4

After the second round it gets reseeded

They played with that idea 6 years ago. I'm for it. Spreads the potential travel a bit. Increases the different possibilities for the Final.

Yeah but doesnt always work that way. What if Nashville is 1st place in the conference and therefore plays the 2nd wildcard team and lets say its Vancouver. That aint no pretty less travel reward for first place Nashville

That's why there was no wild card initially. Then there was for various reasons, which linked the Central and Pacific divisions, and that's when Det and Clb made sure they got into the East.

 

[crackdown44]

I mean when we had 1-8 with three divisions I am pretty sure this has happened. Everyone always complained about that #3 vs. #6 matchup.

Yup I can remember the last playoff seed being decided by the 10th-11th placed team trying to jump into 3rd lol

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

They played with that idea 6 years ago. I'm for it. Spreads the potential travel a bit. Increases the different possibilities for the Final.

If they did this when Seattle joins
2 games against every out of conference team (48 games)
4 games vs every inner conference team
(28 games)
So 76 games which I think would also improve the quality of the league, 82 games becomes such a grind and there needs to be more time between games

I think the way that the nhl proposed it a couple seasons ago made more out of conference games so the pa turned it down

This would make less travel everywhere and less games which players prefer

 

[Ravenscar]

Yeah but doesnt always work that way. What if Nashville is 1st place in the conference and therefore plays the 2nd wildcard team and lets say its Vancouver. That aint no pretty less travel reward for first place Nashville

True but the tradeoff is they are playing a weaker team, which should you win the series means you are guaranteed a easier travel time in the second round, which may have not been the case under 1-8 seed. What if after Vancouver, Nashville end playing another Pacific team depending on who wins and reseeding. From the 2-3 perspective you may end up playing a strong team ex. 2nd vs 3rd best in conference but its still in the same time zone and should you win you either get the 1st team, again the same timezone or WC travel but a weaker team.

 

[Ravenscar]

To the OP first of all, I get your point that it seems Pittsburgh is 3 points out of WC while at the same also tied for 3rd place in Metro. So a new fan would be confused. But you just need two minutes to read the rules and understand.

Expanded wildcard where 4 vs 5 play to determine who gets the 4th seed is very unfair because over 82 games 4th team proved itself to be better than 5th. Why give 5th another chance at it? What if 4th place team has injuries yet somehow managed to hold on to the 4th due to early wins but come the match against 5th they get exposed and loses. It is unfair that way.

 

[Gnashville]

I never realized until yesterday when I heard a comment from someone in the NHL (can't remember who) that the reason for having the playoff format the way it is, is to save travel time for some of the western teams. Not a fan of the format either but I guess that's why it's in place... or at least the reason given to the public.

That is the reason, teams play over 3 different time zones and it brutal travel in the west. It’s amazing a Western Conference team even wins a Cup after all the travel and time adjusting. Think of it this way the Eastern Conference team plays it’s first game in a different time zone in the Stanley Cup Finals whereas it’s possible a Western team plays in it’s fourth time zone by then.

The NHL still screws it up by forcing 9:30 PM local start times upon Central Time Zone teams. As someone with the Predators pointed out the parts of State of Tennessee is in the ETZ and those games start at 10:30 and it ruins the ratings for them in the state because nobody wants to stay up for a game that is still in the 3rd period past midnight and that kids are already in bed when the faceoff starts.

 

[KingsFan7824]

If they did this when Seattle joins
2 games against every out of conference team (48 games)
4 games vs every inner conference team
(28 games)
So 76 games which I think would also improve the quality of the league, 82 games becomes such a grind and there needs to be more time between games

I think the way that the nhl proposed it a couple seasons ago made more out of conference games so the pa turned it down

This would make less travel everywhere and less games which players prefer

They had the home and home with teams outside of your division. That's how they were going to keep Det and Clb in the Central. They couldn't agree on what to do for the 3rd round, but re-seeding the 4 teams was an idea that was mentioned.

They'll throw in 6 extra division games to get 82. Maybe 2 more against the 3 teams geographically closest to you, or 3 against the 2 teams closest to you in the standings the previous year, or whatever. Nobody wants to lose that 6 games of money.

 

[aufheben]

Yeah but doesnt always work that way. What if Nashville is 1st place in the conference and therefore plays the 2nd wildcard team and lets say its Vancouver. That aint no pretty less travel reward for first place Nashville

There’s no format that would always work out that way.

 

[Grimmas]

But the 4th and 5th place team just played 82 games to determine who was better. I don't get the desire to give the 5th place team here yet another shot after they've already had 82 of them.

More money.