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Time To Fix The Playoff Format |
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With the second round quickly coming to its conclusion, I would like to revisit the end of the season playoff format argument.
Many in the Eastern Conference were clamoring for change when the Maple Leafs had to square off with the 2-time defending Stanley Cup Champion, Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. The same argument in the Western Conference with the Wild facing St. Louis in round one.
Minnesota and Toronto have both been building to compete when the games really mattered and each had record breaking regular seasons, only to face their same first round fate.
Now this is not a boohoo session for teams that came up short by any stretch. This is all about what is best for the NHL. We all know as the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be the best postseason tournament, culminating with the toughest trophy to win being hoisted in the end.
The fact is that these first round series are entertaining, absolutely! However they would be even more entertaining if they had come in the later rounds with each team having developed some forward momentum after winning a series or two.
There is also the creation of series' between teams that quite honestly would both be underdogs in any other matchup, but one team gets to move on.
This is not a slam on any of these teams but any true fan knows this to be the truth. Edmonton against Los Angeles in the first round is a perfect example. I realize that Edmonton won last night and they are moving on to the Western Conference Final, meanwhile Colorado has their hands full with St. Louis.
Good for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but remember we said the same a year ago for sure fire hall of famer, Carey Price.
The game is all about entertainment, I get it. It is also about money and now the sports betting element has become enormous throughout all sports. Fantasy games, betting lines, individual prop bets, and of course, the bracket challenge.
So if the seeding option was considered it would really make the bracket challenge all the more difficult to administer. However, is the NHL really catering to a bracket challenge, or os it all about what is best for the fans, the league, and the growth of the game?
The Central Division is notoriously strong, and produces five of the eight playoff teams in the Western Conference more times than not. This playoff format is not conducive for producing the best playoff matchups period. As the playoffs move forward the series actually are often not as competitive as the first round.
Just look at it, five seven game series out of eight in round one, two six game series, and one sweep. Round two, where it should be tightening up we have already witnessed a sweep and a less than spectacular five game series which ended last night with Edmonton sending their provincial rival Flames packing.
Let's go to that Flames Oliers series. Anyone who thought that resembled an NHL playoff series in any fashion has not watched Stanley Cup playoff hockey in decades. The first game was an absolute joke with 15 goals scored. Add in last night's debacle with each team scoring two goals in a span of 1:11 in the second period.
Entertainment? That is mid January regualr season hockey, not late May Stanley Cup Playoff Hockey.
So the argument usually dies down once the playoffs begin and "it is what it is" the brush off excuse bandied about. But is it really?
Does the NHL want non-competitve second round series and potential conference finals? What about a team making it to the Stanley Cup Final that has no business being there. No that would (Montreal 2021) never happen!
Time to fix the playoff fornat!!!
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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