Does anyone find it boring with the same result as last year?

[um]

These playoffs have been kinda ass, largely because of the format. Florida at least deserves to be in the finals, but that ECF was a round 1 quality matchup.

So was the WCF.

There's gonna be a powerhouse matchup early in the playoffs no matter what format you use.

Teams just don't value the regular season that much. Florida, Edmonton and everyone else were happy just making the playoffs.

 

[bicboi64]

Did Bennett elbow the entire core four, defense and bottom six in the head because that was a team effort series loss.

I'd cut you a bit more slack if Will hadn't won as many games as Stolarz, plus you can't just assume things would have been different since both goalies were on the same level.

Now as a nucks fan we got screwed last year going from Demko to Silovs yet we took them to game seven and my team didn't get blown out at home in game seven.

I read these type of posts and I instantly know who played organized sports at a high level and who didn't. Athletes know that an injury isn't an excuse you guys were up two zip and won one of the next five including two of some of the most pathetic playoff home games in recent memory.
I mean I hate the oilers with a passion, they took down the knights with ease and are up 3-1 against Dallas, with A skinner- Pickard duo, a Dcorp full of bottom pairing guys and a couple of #4's while missing their best Dman. In fact I'll go as far as saying the oilers are a lottery team without McDrai yet shocker, there best players show up, what a concept.

My guy, I'm not a leafs fan by any means, I'm a Sens fan. I hate TML and hope they finish 9th every year for the rest of their existence. But before I'm a leafs hater, I'm a hockey fan and I want to watch a game where teams are competing on equal footing.

Yes TML was absolutely dogshit in the majority of their series. It doesn't change how guys like Bennett have a history of illegal hits for which he's been suspended in the regular season, but has even more of those hits in the playoffs, and receives zero discipline. Same thing to a different extent with guys like Marchand, MTkachuk and Ekblad but they still get away with elbows, high hits, and other shitty things. Other teams aren't held to that same standard.

It doesn't feel like we're watching playoff hockey, it feels like I'm watching a manufactured product of 'tough and rough' hockey that one team is allowed to engage in, but others aren't, and it just has more players being injured. I'm still watching hockey because i enjoy hockey, but the way discipline is administered/not administered makes it boring.

 

[JKG33]

So was the WCF.

There's gonna be a powerhouse matchup early in the playoffs no matter what format you use.

Teams just don't value the regular season that much. Florida, Edmonton and everyone else were happy just making the playoffs.

The thing is, if Edmonton beats Dallas in round 1, we likely see a Colorado-Edmonton WCF. I dont know what the bracket would've looked like, but Colorado almost certainly runs right through anyone outside of Dallas in the west who seems to be their kryptonite. Edmonton/Colorado would've been a much more entertaining WCF.

Sure youre right, theres always powerhouse 1st rd matchups. But under the old format we were basically guaranteed to get two of the best possible teams in a conference final. Under this format, thats almost never been the case.

 

[Austerlitz]

It’s just boring teams. Who can really get excited about Florida, Edmonton, Carolina, Dallas

Yeah, who would want to watch a team with the two best players in the world putting up four goals a game in the playoffs and setting an NHL record for most consecutive post-season comeback victories.

 

[McFlyingV]

It’s just boring teams. Who can really get excited about Florida, Edmonton, Carolina, Dallas

This is a wild take from a Rangers fan.

 

[um]

The thing is, if Edmonton beats Dallas in round 1, we likely see a Colorado-Edmonton WCF. I dont know what the bracket would've looked like, but Colorado almost certainly runs right through anyone outside of Dallas in the west who seems to be their kryptonite. Edmonton/Colorado would've been a much more entertaining WCF.

Sure youre right, theres always powerhouse 1st rd matchups. But under the old format we were basically guaranteed to get two of the best possible teams in a conference final. Under this format, thats almost never been the case.

No, not almost certainly. Colorado has made it past the 2nd round once in the MacKinnon/Makar era.

 

[JKG33]

No, not almost certainly. Colorado has made it past the 2nd round once in the MacKinnon/Makar era.

Who besides the current WC finalists do you have beating them?

 

[um]

Who besides the current WC finalists do you have beating them?

It doesn't matter what we think. You play the games.

It may be LA in round 1.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Just wait 30 years from now when those who may be complaining about this nostalgically look back at the good old says of the mid 2020's and all those magically heated playoff rivalries.

 

[Pass the Saitl Sauce]

seems like it might be historic. hasn't been a finals rematch since oilers islanders. in 83 it was bruins/isles & oilers/hawks. in 84 habs/isles & oilers/n.stars.

*edit* not the same 4 teams

Detroit vs Pittsburg vs hossa?

 

[Louskoolaid89]

Im fine with the same teams as long as it's entertaining. Edmonton Florida again is a great storyline and it's not like these teams didn't face challenges to get there again. Edmonton looked like toast after two games v.s L.A. So definitely not an easy path or boring to watch.

 

[JKG33]

It doesn't matter what we think. You play the games.

It may be LA in round 1.

They would've rolled Vegas the way Vegas looked these playoffs. They beat the wheels off the Jets last year and the Avs didnt even have a goalie then.

LA vs Colorado would've been a refreshing matchup as a Kings fan, but I cant tell you in good conscience that LA would've won that one.

Sure you play the games and all that, but its hard not to think we as hockey fans were robbed once again by this playoff format. Colorado/Dallas should not have been a R1 matchup. And Carolina should not have been a conference finalist.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

This is a wild take from a Rangers fan.

The Rangers draw interest, as do the Penguins, Bruins, Blackhawks, etc.

Nothing to do with the actual play on the ice.

 

[um]

They would've rolled Vegas the way Vegas looked these playoffs. They beat the wheels off the Jets last year and the Avs didnt even have a goalie then.

LA vs Colorado would've been a refreshing matchup as a Kings fan, but I cant tell you in good conscience that LA would've won that one.

Sure you play the games and all that, but its hard not to think we as hockey fans were robbed once again by this playoff format. Colorado/Dallas should not have been a R1 matchup. And Carolina should not have been a conference finalist.

Edmonton would have played Dallas in round 1 instead. And Edmonton is better than both teams.

It's an unavoidable thing. Maybe you could add byes, and teams will take the regular season more seriously. This is something I'm against, but I see no real solution to make the 82-game regular season more meaningful.

Florida and Edmonton (if they win), just made the finals, never having home ice advantage. This standings stuff matters very little.

 

[bert]

No I like watching the best teams win. They have been the two best teams assuming Edmonton makes it.

 

[bert]

Boring in what sense? I want to watch good hockey as a hockey fan. I couldn’t care less who plays (unless it’s my team of course).

The goal of the playoffs is to see entertaining hockey first and foremost, and to determine who’s the best team. If the best teams are the same as last year then they should be in the finals and that’s not boring. Two incredible teams will play these finals and it should be entertaining. It was an incredible series last year.

Florida and Edmonton might be the two most entertaining teams in the league. I’m watching that for sure. This is going to be an unreal series.

Start enjoying the hockey games and stop worrying about who’s playing.

Spoken like an actual hockey fan. Great to see. Not someone looking for an argument or is a massive homer and wishes their favorite team should be in.

Couldnt agree more. Its not boring at all when the best teams play against each other.

 

[McFlyingV]

The Rangers draw interest, as do the Penguins, Bruins, Blackhawks, etc.

Nothing to do with the actual play on the ice.

I suppose the two things are different if we're just looking at viewership numbers. I suppose you can find story lines boring and on ice play interesting, and vice versa. Personally the on ice product is more important to me than story lines and media hype, but I digress.

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

I thought there was supposed to by parity in the NHL. Yet we had the exact same final 4 matchups as last year. And now we have the same cup finals matchup as last year as well.

Are the Panthers and Oilers just THAT much better than everyone else? It just seems like you can skip the playoffs and wait for the finals. There aren't any upsets any more.

I don't know, it just seems boring to me. I would have liked to see some new teams do well. But it seems parity is gone.

Parity shouldn’t refer to results. It should refer to providing as even of a playing field as possible for all teams to have a fair chance.

In that regard, it’s pretty awesome when you see the same finals matchup on back to back seasons, because it’s relatively rare.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I suppose the two things are different if we're just looking at viewership numbers. I suppose you can find story lines boring and on ice play interesting, and vice versa. Personally the on ice product is more important to me than story lines and media hype, but I digress.

Well the on ice product hasn’t been that great these playoffs either, outside of those couple of crazy game 7s in round one.

 

[bert]

My guy, I'm not a leafs fan by any means, I'm a Sens fan. I hate TML and hope they finish 9th every year for the rest of their existence. But before I'm a leafs hater, I'm a hockey fan and I want to watch a game where teams are competing on equal footing.

Yes TML was absolutely dogshit in the majority of their series. It doesn't change how guys like Bennett have a history of illegal hits for which he's been suspended in the regular season, but has even more of those hits in the playoffs, and receives zero discipline. Same thing to a different extent with guys like Marchand, MTkachuk and Ekblad but they still get away with elbows, high hits, and other shitty things. Other teams aren't held to that same standard.

It doesn't feel like we're watching playoff hockey, it feels like I'm watching a manufactured product of 'tough and rough' hockey that one team is allowed to engage in, but others aren't, and it just has more players being injured. I'm still watching hockey because i enjoy hockey, but the way discipline is administered/not administered makes it boring.

Svechnikov ran Bob 10 times harder than Bennett did. Every team does it florida is just better at it. I am also a sens fan but i dont agree with the narrative that florida is allowed to get away with it more than other teams. The difference is they are better at it, their entire team does it and they are good at killing penalties so they dont care. This isnt new either the heaviest and most physical teams almost always win. Obviously you need skill too but when people say 'buy in' it usually means its a team thats willing to play a selfless physical brand of hockey while each player embraces their roles.

 

[JKG33]

Edmonton would have played Dallas in round 1 instead. And Edmonton is better than both teams.

It's an unavoidable thing. Maybe you could add byes, and teams will take the regular season more seriously. This is something I'm against, but I see no real solution to make the 82-game regular season more meaningful.

Florida and Edmonton (if they win), just made the finals, never having home ice advantage. This standings stuff matters very little.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who agrees with you more that standings dont matter more than I do.

But that said, locking teams into a quadrant of the playoff bracket is just plain stupid. Rivalries my ass, let those happen naturally. Edmonton/Dallas haven't been in the same division yet despite this have met in the playoffs an absurd amount of times. Good teams find a way to each other under the old format.

Nobody wants to see LA/EDM for a 5th time next year. Or two dawgs from the central going at it again too early. Or the same tired combination of the metro with NYR/CAR/NJ always facing each other.

 

[McFlyingV]

Well the on ice product hasn’t been that great these playoffs either, outside of those couple of crazy game 7s in round one.

Dallas has had some fun series with Col and WPG. Edmonton is always exciting to watch. Florida is always exciting to watch. You could definitely say Carolina has been boring because they faced a crippled NJ team followed by a pretender WSH team, and then didn't do much in the conference finals. Overall maybe the Conference Finals have been duds if Edmonton ends up winning in 5 because they weren't close enough to create that excitement for outside fanbases. But the finals should be exciting hockey. It certainly was last year.

 

[um]

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who agrees with you more that standings dont matter more than I do.

But that said, locking teams into a quadrant of the playoff bracket is just plain stupid. Rivalries my ass, let those happen naturally. Edmonton/Dallas haven't been in the same division yet despite this have met in the playoffs an absurd amount of times. Good teams find a way to each other under the old format.

Nobody wants to see LA/EDM for a 5th time next year. Or two dawgs from the central going at it again too early. Or the same tired combination of the metro with NYR/CAR/NJ always facing each other.

Agreed that brackets aren't ideal. I wish they'd do away with them.

But the heavyweight matches like Dallas vs. Colorado or Florida vs. Tampa are unavoidable, simply because there's more than 4 good teams in each conference. It's a good thing.

 

[bert]

Well the on ice product hasn’t been that great these playoffs either, outside of those couple of crazy game 7s in round one.

Couldnt disagree more the speed and pace of the third round was noticably faster than round 2. Which historically hasnt been the case teams are continuing to elevate. Maybe your favorite team wasnt in it so you dont like it? I dunno but the hockey has been fantastic.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

My guy, I'm not a leafs fan by any means, I'm a Sens fan. I hate TML and hope they finish 9th every year for the rest of their existence. But before I'm a leafs hater, I'm a hockey fan and I want to watch a game where teams are competing on equal footing.

Yes TML was absolutely dogshit in the majority of their series. It doesn't change how guys like Bennett have a history of illegal hits for which he's been suspended in the regular season, but has even more of those hits in the playoffs, and receives zero discipline. Same thing to a different extent with guys like Marchand, MTkachuk and Ekblad but they still get away with elbows, high hits, and other shitty things. Other teams aren't held to that same standard.

It doesn't feel like we're watching playoff hockey, it feels like I'm watching a manufactured product of 'tough and rough' hockey that one team is allowed to engage in, but others aren't, and it just has more players being injured. I'm still watching hockey because i enjoy hockey, but the way discipline is administered/not administered makes it boring.

I agree with your post almost entirely, but not this:

"TML was absolutely dogshit in the majority of their series:"

They were a period away from going up 3-0 against Florida (with a 2 goal lead). Not sure how that could be considered dogshit for the *majority* of the series. Yes, they blew it but they had the likely back-to-back Cup winner in a stranglehold.