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Review of the new NHL Playoff Structure

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mrquincy

mrquincy

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I have just had the realization that I am not really familiar with how the NHL playoff's are going to be structured so I thought I would share what I am learning as it is getting close to the Post-Season.

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http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=685005


"The Stanley Cup Playoffs will still consist of 16 teams, eight in each conference, but it will be division-based and a wild-card system has been added.

The top three teams in each division will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season points and regardless of division. It will be possible, then, for one division to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends just three.

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."
 
I see this move as shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. Okay, probably not a perfect metaphor but it is pretty pointless to me.

The change I would like to see is reseeding before the semi-final so that the final is not automatically east versus west. If the two top teams happen to be from the same conference - let's call it, oh, say, the west - this opens up the possibility that you could have the best teams facing each other in the final. Better competition and also, better chance of a bitter rivalry being thrown into the mix.

I recall MANY times in the past where some great rivals would meet in an exciting, passionate semi-final - only to qualify for a lacklustre final against some generic qualifier from the other side. Like the days when Detroit was in the west and they had their heated thing against Colorado. They would have an incredible semi only to have the qualifier go and play Florida or some damn thing. Big letdown.

Many other examples from the past.

To have those kind of rivals meet in the final, with all their hatred and the cup on the line - that's what I think they should at least allow the possibility of.
 
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