2013-14 Playoff Format

[hf101]

Just in case any one was wondering....... This is the Playoff format in the Eastern Conference. 

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2013/7/19/4538774/nhl-playoff-format-realignment-postseason-system
 

Under this new system, the top three teams in each division will earn an automatic bid to the postseason. Each conference will be allotted two wild card playoff spots, which will be distributed to the two teams who had the highest point totals amongst non-playoff qualifying teams, regardless of division. The wild card teams will be matched against the teams with the highest points.

 

This will result in the following formatting per conference:

Atlantic Division

*No. 1 seed in division vs. Wild Card team
*No. 2 seed in division vs. No. 3 seed in division

Metropolitan Division

*No. 1 seed in division vs. Wild Card team
*No. 2 seed in division vs. No. 3 seed in division

The winners of those series will face each other for the division championship. The two division champions will then compete for the conference championship and the right to battle for the Stanley Cup against the winner of the opposing conference.

The 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 16.

 

 

 

[B21]

@hf101

 

I was wondering actually.  So the always fun "If the season ended today..."

 

BOS/CBJ

MTL/TB

 

PIT/TOR

PHL/NYR

 

So the 94 point Pens would play the 80 point Leafs while 79 point Flyers would play the 78 point Rangers.

 

Ain't life  a b----.

 

And the West....

 

STL/PHX

COL/CHI

 

ANA/MIN

SJ/LA

[radoran]

Just for the record, I pretty much hate this "system."

 

If the season ended today (we would all be very surprised) and there was a straight seeding method, Tampa, for example, with the fourth best record in the conference would host the Leaes. In this scenario, they are visiting Montreal (third best) and Tronno - with the fifth best record in the Conference - draws the Pens (#2) in the first round.

 

The Flyers - with the sixth best record in the Conference - host the Rangers (seventh). If the Flyers had the fourth best record and didn't have "home ice" I'll wager there would be some gnashing of teeth around here.

 

It's something of "bad luck" for the league that it is working out this way in the first year, but it is giving a lower-ranked team a potentially easier road to the Conference championship - potentially needing to face only one top seed.

 

Flyers, for example, could get there by facing the 7 and 5 seeds (if Tronno beats Pittsburgh) or 7 and 2. Tampa could have to beat 3 and 1 (could potentially be 3 and 8).

 

Further, there is a real possibility that all three teams from one division could have worse records than the other division...

[hf101]

So the 94 point Pens would play the 80 point Leafs while 79 point Flyers would play the 78 point Rangers.

 

hmmm.worried?  when is the last time the Leafs made it to the second round?

[Evilmonkey]

Just for the record, I pretty much hate this "system."

 

If the season ended today (we would all be very surprised) and there was a straight seeding method, Tampa, for example, with the fourth best record in the conference would host the Leaes. In this scenario, they are visiting Montreal (third best) and Tronno - with the fifth best record in the Conference - draws the Pens (#2) in the first round.

 

The Flyers - with the sixth best record in the Conference - host the Rangers (seventh). If the Flyers had the fourth best record and didn't have "home ice" I'll wager there would be some gnashing of teeth around here.

 

It's something of "bad luck" for the league that it is working out this way in the first year, but it is giving a lower-ranked team a potentially easier road to the Conference championship - potentially needing to face only one top seed.

 

Flyers, for example, could get there by facing the 7 and 5 seeds (if Tronno beats Pittsburgh) or 7 and 2. Tampa could have to beat 3 and 1 (could potentially be 3 and 8).

 

Further, there is a real possibility that all three teams from one division could have worse records than the other division...

i get where you are coming from but i look at the playoffs as a whole new game anyway iv seen 8th seeded teams dominate a top seeded team all comes down to what team wants it more

[Evilmonkey]

hmmm.worried?  when is the last time the Leafs made it to the second round?

2004 i think against the flyers roenick ended it that was the last time they made it past the 1st round i believe

Edited March 19, 2014 by Evilmonkey

[mojo1917]

PIT/TOR
PHL/NYR
 
So the 94 point Pens would play the 80 point Leafs while 79 point Flyers would play the 78 point Rangers.

 

so you're saying you'd rather play the Rangers ?  Start tanking  .Sam Hinke has posted a blueprint here http://www.nba.com/sixers/2014-15-season-tickets-sale-now

 

this format is dumb, i hope they go back to division winners and then most points; there was nothing wrong with that.  

I want the best teams in the tournament.  the league gains nothing by having an 85 point Caps team in the tourney whilst a 92 point Detroit team hits the links.

[radoran]

i get where you are coming from but i look at the playoffs as a whole new game anyway iv seen 8th seeded teams dominate a top seeded team all comes down to what team wants it more

 

Well, sure - and that's always a possibility (I note that in the second to last line). The Cup Playoff is the best annual tournament in the world.

 

But, let's take that to the next level, then.

 

Straight seeding, say all of the lower seeds (as current) win. Your team is then hosting Columbus in the Conference Semis.

 

In this scenario, if they beat Pittsburgh, they're visiting a squad (Flyers or Rangers) that had a worse record than you.

[Evilmonkey]

Well, sure - and that's always a possibility (I note that in the second to last line). The Cup Playoff is the best annual tournament in the world.

 

But, let's take that to the next level, then.

 

Straight seeding, say all of the lower seeds (as current) win. Your team is then hosting Columbus in the Conference Semis.

 

In this scenario, if they beat Pittsburgh, they're visiting a squad (Flyers or Rangers) that had a worse record than you.

 

i almost wish they would just say screw divisions when it came to playoffs most points plays least points the whole way screw the wild card and top teams in there division 

[radoran]

i almost wish they would just say screw divisions when it came to playoffs most points plays least points the whole way screw the wild card and top teams in there division 

 

I would say that's more "fair" - but if they are going to have "divisions" then I don't have an issue giving a "division winner" a playoff spot. I just don't think it should be the guaranteed #2.

[Lightning fan]

This may be helpful.

 

http://www.nhlplayoffsbracket.com/2014/

[hf101]

This may be helpful.

 

http://www.nhlplayoffsbracket.com/2014/

 

nice

[jammer2]

 If the Leafs beat the Pens, it will be a LONG summer for those guys on here!!!  LMAO.

[Vanflyer]

COL/CHI

 

If the standings stay that way, that is going to be a monster first round series. 

 

I also like the B's / Columbus matchup. But the Col / Chi will be the one to watch. Both teams are highly skilled and hate each other. Col has Chi's number this year, but in a playoff series, all bets are off. 

[ihabs1993]

I like the concept of it. Who knows, this could start some unconventional divisional rivalries, such as Montreal and Tampa Bay who are slated to play each other in the first round right now. It puts a greater importance on inter-divisional play.

I'm not going to make a complete judgement of it until I see how it functions in real time.

[jammer2]

  I'm not at all afraid of the NYR, but I would like to see a LOT more interesting matchups. I want the divisions gone altogether. Just have a straight up top 8 teams meet, 1-8 2-7 and so forth. It would mix things up and make things much more interesting. The thought of meeting Toronto, Montreal....those match ups would be guaranteed good hockey, the Rangers might make things boring, trying to play a tight defensive game to protect Lundy. 

 

  An even more radical idea is to gut the Conference idea when the playoffs start and go based on pts for the whole league. So we would get a straight up 1-16, 2-15.....*that* would make for some wicked hockey...and fresh hockey. This scenario pays more homage to the regular season.

[jammer2]

  OK....under the throw out the conference idea, the matchups would look like this (roughly, a few teams are tied, and I'm assuming the tie breaker would be head to head, but to tired to research that further...

 

Series #1

Blues vs Washington...Hmm, little Halak revenge here??  Lot's of great storylines here...

 

Series #2

Boston vs Columbus....would be a tight checking and 3 games a goal or less for most of the games.

 

 Series#3

Anaheim vs Phoenix

[Polaris922]

@jammer2

As opposed to...? Lol. They're always long summers!

[brelic]

It's almost exactly like it was before they scrapped the whole Patrick, Adams, Smythe, and Norris divisons. 

 

From each division, it was 1 v 4, 2 v 3, and then the winner of those matchups played each other for the divisional title. Then the divisional winner played the other division winner from the conference, then the conference champs played for the Cup.

 

The only difference is the addition of a wild card for the bottom two teams, 

 

Personally, I like this "new" old idea that will reignite divisional rivalries in the playoffs. 

 

At the end of the day, you have to beat 4 teams and win 16 games for the Cup. It will still be as intense as it always has been.

[radoran]

It's almost exactly like it was before they scrapped the whole Patrick, Adams, Smythe, and Norris divisons. 

 

I'd personally be happier - slightly - if they had gone back to the "old" division names

 

They had eight fewer teams then, and even then there were concerns that you always saw the same teams in the playoffs.

 

The wild card does make it possible that teams can change divisions - so there is that - but I think the Southeast had shown and the Metropolitan is showing the weakness of the division-oriented format.

 

At this point the previous 3 and 4 seeds in the East are facing each other in the first round, with the previous 4 seed not even getting home ice. While the previous 5 seed Flyers have home ice in the first round.

 

Which is, you know, great for the Flyers and all - this season - but I think if they were in Montreal's position (the previous 4 seed) we might be hearing more concerns expressed around here...

[B21]

 

  An even more radical idea is to gut the Conference idea when the playoffs start and go based on pts for the whole league. So we would get a straight up 1-16, 2-15.....*that* would make for some wicked hockey...and fresh hockey. This scenario pays more homage to the regular season.

 

Using the standings as 0f 4:35 PM today and using the same format of who qualifies from each conference.....

 

 

1 - Boston

16 - Columbus

 

8 - Tampa Bay

9 - Los Angeles

 

4 - Pittsburgh

13 - Minnesota

 

5 - Anaheim

12 - New York Rangers

 

 

2 - St. Louis

15 - Phoenix

 

7 - Colorado

10 - Philly

 

3 - San Jose

14 - Toronto

 

6 - Chicago

11 - Montreal

 

The division winners play the 4 wild cards with the best division winner getting the worst wild card. The rest are seeded by points.

 

Yeah - that actually is kinda cool.

[jammer2]

@B21   I would LOVE it if they changed to this format. Was never a huge fan of the East vs West thing. This would make it wide open and get some fresh new life into the playoff match-ups. It puts more importance on the regular season, and evens things out, so if the West has more teams that point wise are deserving, they get in and the weaker East teams go home...that's the way it should me IMHO.

 

 I dunno about you, but after playing a team 6 or 7 times including exhibition season, I don't really want to see a 7 game series. I'd much rather watch a Flyers vs Avalanche first round match up that Flyers vs NYR...it just gets old with these division rivals....new blood would be a welcome addition.

[Lightning fan]

Is Detroit getting their injured guys back for the playoffs, assuming they make it? If so, a Bruins - Wings series would be fun to watch.

[brelic]

I would not like the 1-16 playoff seeding for selfish reasons. I just can't watch late games on the west coast. I don't mind doing it for the SCF, but I would never do it for 4 rounds, not even for the Flyers. I'd be wiped the next day at work.

 

Also, I think the regular season schedule would have to change if you wanted such a format... they would need to play western conference teams at least twice as often as they do now. Otherwise, the standings are more of a reflection of intra-conference play.

 

It does open up some interesting possibilities, especially when you think about the SCF. LA vs Ana? A very real possibility. STL vs Chi? A battle of Pennsylvania for the Cup?

 

I guess I'm a traditionalist when it comes to conferences

[yave1964]

I like seeding 1-8, period.

 

  So lets say we have Pittsburgh 1, Boston 2.

       Then we have     Toronto  7     Columbus 8.

 

  So in the first round you have automatic divisional match ups between teams 2-3 regardless of record but you would have Pittsburgh/Toronto and Boston/Columbus when with a simple flip flop you have them playing within their division.

  Either go to a simple 1-4 from each division and play each other in the first two rounds or go division winners followed by 3-8 in order. The current system has #3 Tampa forced to play #4 Montreal which is a distinct disadvantage over teams 5-6 playing each other. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it is flawed and needs readdressed.

  But that it one lovely thing about the schizophrenic sport we all love, if you do not like something, stick around a little bit, they will change it.