How I would fix the NHL playoffs.

[zulater]

I'm not writing this because the Pens are going to be one and done in yet another playoff season. I'm writing this because I think hockey has a real problem with the regular season being negated by higher seeded teams regularly beating lower seeded teams in the opening round of the playoffs. Just look at the eastern conference this year. Right now as it stands three of the top four seeds in the East will be golfing before April is in the books. And while the Devils are a lower seeded team than the Panthers, they accumulated more points in the regular season.

I don't think that resonates ratings gold. Losing the Rangers, Pens, Bruins, and President Trophy winning Vancouver in the first round of the playoffs marginalizes the regular season to the point of near irrelevance.

So here's how I would fix it.

1.) First scrap the divisions. Make it two 15 team conferences, with a balanced schedule. ( as best you can). 1 through 8 advance to the playoffs, as we have now.

Already things are better as you eliminate the chance that the 2nd and 3rd best team in the conference meet in the opening round.(witness Flyers -Penguins) Also you eliminate the chance that an inferior 3 seed will get home ice advantage over a team in a tougher division with more points. (Devils vs Florida this year for example)

2. Then I'd give an additional home game to the lower seeded team, but just for the opening round. In other words 5 home games to 2 in a seven game series for the superior regular season team.

3. Open the playoff series in the higher seeded teams building. Then the next 3 games go to the lower seeded team. Game 5 ( if needed) goes to the higher seeded teams building, then the final two games ( again if necessary) go to the lower seeded teams building.

I think many playoff series are lost on the opening game, where most of the pressure is on the team who had the better regular season. By doing what I propose here the pressure would all go on the higher seeded team in the first game.

Again this would only apply to the first round of the playoffs. Once you go to the second round and beyond you go back to the traditional 4-3 seven game series with the same format of home and away you have now.

What this would accomplish is it would make the regular season meaningful. Teams would play their ass off to avoid being a 5 seed or lower.

[oneforthetoe]

I agree with you often, but not on this. I like division play. IMO, it helps maintain better rivalries. MLB was thinking about the two 15 team conferences. I think that type of format hurts rivalries and favors bigger market teams. As you sais the Pens lost because their play - not because of any specific format.

[zulater]

I agree with you often, but not on this. I like division play. IMO, it helps maintain better rivalries. MLB was thinking about the two 15 team conferences. I think that type of format hurts rivalries and favors bigger market teams. As you sais the Pens lost because their play - not because of any specific format.

The NHL lost 4 out of it's top 5 teams in the east in the first round of the playoffs. This isn't an aberration , it happens most every year. Think ratings wont be affected?

There's no way the NFL or NBA would allow two of their top 3 teams in a conference to face off in a first round playoff match up. In fact it's not virtually impossible for it to happen in those league's, it is impossible.

You play 81 games for what? Basically nothing. The system stinks worse than the Penguins currently do.

[oneforthetoe]

The NHL lost 4 out of it's top 5 teams in the east in the first round of the playoffs. This isn't an aberration , it happens most every year. Think ratings wont be affected?

There's no way the NFL or NBA would allow two of their top 3 teams in a conference to face off in a first round playoff match up. In fact it's not virtually impossible for it to happen in those league's, it is impossible.

You play 81 games for what? Basically nothing. The system stinks worse than the Penguins currently do.

Zulater, there have been plenty of times in the NFL where the wildcard team was better than a division winner. Do the Cryhawks two years ago ring a bell? And I hope the NHL never takes advice from the NBA, which has more irrelvent teams, that will never amount to anything, than MLB.

Obviously, with the way the Pens and Red Wings played in their first round match-ups, neither team is deserving of being a top 3 team. They both got what they deserved, as will the Rangers and Bruins if they lose their respective series.

[zulater]

Zulater, there have been plenty of times in the NFL where the wildcard team was better than a division winner. Do the Cryhawks two years ago ring a bell? And I hope the NHL never takes advice from the NBA, which has more irrelvent teams, that will never amount to anything, than MLB.

Obviously, with the way the Pens and Red Wings played in their first round match-ups, neither team is deserving of being a top 3 team. They both got what they deserved, as will the Rangers and Bruins if they lose their respective series.

The Pens had a good enough regular season that they should have been able to avoid this tough a first round match up.

The Caps and Senators don't even deserve to be in the playoffs. Guarantee you the playoff ratings from this point on will be lower than whaleshit.

[oneforthetoe]

The Pens had a good enough regular season that they should have been able to avoid this tough a first round match up.

The Caps and Senators don't even deserve to be in the playoffs. Guarantee you the playoff ratings from this point on will be lower than whaleshit.

I agree there, but I don't think TV ratings should dictate playoff format. I guess we will agree to disagree.

BTW, I'm rooting for Nashvillie now, for no other reason than cut-in shots of Carrie Underwood.

[zulater]

I agree there, but I don't think TV ratings should dictate playoff format. I guess we will agree to disagree.

BTW, I'm rooting for Nashvillie now, for no other reason than cut-in shots of Carrie Underwood.

For the NHL being relevant to the general sports public should matter more than to any other league.

[polamalubeast]

I am very agree with Zulater

it was ridiculous to see two of the top 5 team(PHI and PIT) in the league faced in the first round

In 2010, Montreal and flyers had finished 7th and 8th and they are faced in the Conference final!

if the Capitals, Senators and Panthers win in first round, the Senators and Panthers will be faced in 2nd round! ... embarrassing!

[oneforthetoe]

For the NHL being relevant to the general sports public should matter more than to any other league.

I'll settle for no interuption in play over the next few seasons with labor strife.

[86WARD]

In 2010, Montreal and flyers had finished 7th and 8th and they are faced in the Conference final!

This is what makes playoff hockey great. Almost every single hockey game in the playoffs is a great game. Teams step up and more times than not, the team that wants it more takes it. Some of the great teams in the NHL aren't built for a 7-game series...so you should punish the ones that are and reward the ones that aren't? There are players that come out of the woodwork to be playoff stars...it's what is great about the sport. I wouldn't change one thing about the playoffs.

The NHL hasn't been "relevant" since Gretzky and Lemieux and to some extent Lindros left...yet it's surviving...

[ALLD]

I believe Roger Goodell could have the whole NHL straightened out like he did with the NFL.

[Count Steeler]

Pittsburgh 12-4 at Denver 9-7. 2011 playoffs.

The crime is not that the lower ranked teams are winning, the crime is the disappearance of the "better" teams. At least in the NHL you have 7 games to get it together. Sorry, if you let a lower ranked team beat you, you have no one to blame but yourself.

The 82 games do mean something, they give you the ranking in the playoffs.

[Devilsdancefloor]

i like ti the way it is now. i dont watch much of the eastern conference unless they are play the hawks, but i think you are going to have years when a certain team or teams get hot at the right time. plus if you look at the central division in the east the teams are (except for columbus) are within 8 points of each other and the same with the atlantic in the east, so you are going to have what is happening now since they are truely not that far apart to begin with. I say leave it alone it is not broken. im to lazy to look, but i cant remember the last president trophy winner that took lord stanleys cup home (im guessing it is the dead wings.)

[zulater]

Pittsburgh 12-4 at Denver 9-7. 2011 playoffs.

The Steelers had the 3rd best record in the AFC and played the team with the 6th best record.

If you were looking for an NFL equivalent for the Pens -Flyers first round match up, you would have had the Steelers and Ravens playing each other in the Wild Card game.

And I'm not making excuses. The Pens were clearly outplayed. I'm just saying the NHL is doing itself no favors by matching up the teams with the 2nd and 3rd best record in the conference in the first round of the playoffs. NBC will be the one hurt most by the Pens early exit.

The 82 games do mean something, they give you the ranking in the playoffs.

Which adds up to one extra home game in the playoffs. Whoppee!

[zulater]

If by chance the Capitals beat the Rangers in their series deciding quarter final game. That will mean that 10 of the top 11 teams based on regular season play will be eliminated before the conference finals. The Devils, 4th in their division during the regular season, will be the team with the highest point total left of the final four. 4 mediocre teams left to decide your champion. I really don't see how that serve's a sport well?

[Count Steeler]

If by chance the Capitals beat the Rangers in their series deciding quarter final game. That will mean that 10 of the top 11 teams based on regular season play will be eliminated before the conference finals. The Devils, 4th in their division during the regular season, will be the team with the highest point total left of the final four. 4 mediocre teams left to decide your champion. I really don't see how that serve's a sport well?

And it is 1 vs 7. Credit to the 7 for getting this far. If the 7 beats the 1, what is the NHL supposed to do? Spot the 1 2 goals in every game.

The regular season decides the seeding. After that it is fair game. Hence the term the 2nd season.

[X-Terminator]

If by chance the Capitals beat the Rangers in their series deciding quarter final game. That will mean that 10 of the top 11 teams based on regular season play will be eliminated before the conference finals. The Devils, 4th in their division during the regular season, will be the team with the highest point total left of the final four. 4 mediocre teams left to decide your champion. I really don't see how that serve's a sport well?

You had a point for the first round, but after that, sorry, it doesn't hold water. Even in your scenario, teams would be re-seeded after round 1, meaning that a lower seed can still beat a higher seed. That's the cards that they were dealt, and if the Rags don't win, it's their own fault. I'm sure the league wouldn't be happy with not only the higher seeds being gone, but all of the big-ticket teams would be gone as well. All that would be left are smaller-market teams that nobody cares about outside of their cities, and that is going to destroy ratings. In that case, they'd better hope the Rangers win, but beyond that, there's absolutely nothing they can do about a 1 seed losing to a 7 seed in the 2nd round.

[zulater]

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I hope the Caps crush the Rangers tomorrow! I'm so sick of that hypocritical whining piece of shit Tortorella! Fuck that asshole!