Is this going to be the best playoffs ever

[Lt Dan]

What year had the best playoffs?

2014

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Matchups look amazing.

 

[JKG33]

Nah. Divisional format is shit. Too many matchups where two teams deserve to advance (VGK/STL, COL/DAL, FLA/TB) or neither team does (LA/EDM, WPG/MIN, TOR/OTT, CAR/NJ)

 

[JaegerDice]

I maintain the 2013 playoffs were the best as a direct result of the shortened season. Every team was almost completely healthy and played the whole season, including the playoffs, as a sprint rather than a marathon.

The NHL playoffs are usually great, but its tough to get the best product, especially in later rounds, when the season is so many games.

Also, my team won in 2013.

 

[Quatre Vingt Treize]

1971 known as best playoffs ever

 

[Seras]

Nah. Divisional format is shit. Too many matchups where two teams deserve to advance (VGK/STL, COL/DAL, FLA/TB) or neither team does (LA/EDM, WPG/MIN, TOR/OTT, CAR/NJ)

Doesn't really matter in the long run, have to beat the best team to win the cup

 

[JKG33]

Doesn't really matter in the long run, have to beat the best team to win the cup

You're right, but it makes for a shitty fan experience when the heavyweight matchups are in rd 1 and then some snoozer matchups are in rd 2 & 3

 

[Shark Finn]

2008 to 2011 was 4 years of greatness. Best product

2008: Detroit beats Pittsburgh
2009: Pittsburgh beats Detroit
2010: Chicago beats Philadelphia
2011: Boston beats Vancouver

Especially 2011

 

[Seras]

You're right, but it makes for a shitty fan experience when the heavyweight matchups are in rd 1 and then some snoozer matchups are in rd 2 & 3

I can see that viewpoint, but if there's one thing the NHL playoffs and all the brackets from all the experts has shown is that anything can happen in any series.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Doesn't really matter in the long run, have to beat the best team to win the cup

Nope. Plenty of teams have won Cup where they got very favourable matchups. See Habs in 1993 and Tampa in 2021.

 

[Ugene Magic]

What year had the best playoffs?

2016.

 

[Seras]

Nope. Plenty of teams have won Cup where they got very favourable matchups. See Habs in 1993 and Tampa in 2021.

One way to look at it. Another way would be they had to beat the team which arose to the challenge and won those unfavorable matchups.

My fave matchups have always been the avs wings matchups of the late 90's/early 00s with St Louis, Jersey and the pens mixed in

 

[Fatass]

Only two original six clubs (if Habs get in) making the playoffs equals not the best. Need those clubs and their larger fan base.

 

[JKG33]

One way to look at it. Another way would be they had to beat the team which arose to the challenge and won those unfavorable matchups.

My fave matchups have always been the avs wings matchups of the late 90's/early 00s with St Louis, Jersey and the pens mixed in

Look at Dallas vs Edmonton last year. Arguably the 3 legit contenders in the west were Dallas, Vegas, Colorado. Dallas played both of them and then looked like a corpse in rd 3. Meanwhile Edmonton got their usual 1st rd bye and then got to play a shit Vancouver team who was using a 3rd string goalie. They got to come in fresh after a very easy first two rounds compared to Dallas, and it showed.

So there is something to be said for a team getting it done on the weak side of the bracket, while another team does the dirty work on the other side.

I don't see a scenario that extreme this year, since Dallas/Colorado only have to worry about each other until a potential WCF vs Vegas. And Tampa/Florida shouldn't have much to worry about besides each other. But the thing is, both of those matchups will be war, and will wear down the winner enough that it could affect their next round.

 

[Sypher04]

Nah. Divisional format is shit. Too many matchups where two teams deserve to advance (VGK/STL, COL/DAL, FLA/TB) or neither team does (LA/EDM, WPG/MIN, TOR/OTT, CAR/NJ)

I don’t love the divisional format at all, but your assertion here that none of the 8 teams in the second bracket deserve to advance is nonsense

 

[JKG33]

I don’t love the divisional format at all, but your assertion here that none of the 8 teams in the second bracket deserve to advance is nonsense

Obviously a couple of them would still advance under the old format. But you cant tell me that Edmonton/LA would beat Colorado/Vegas, and one of Toronto/NJ would be guaranteed to be eliminated if they played each other.

 

[HansonBro]

 

[Johnny Tomala]

No. You can't have best playoffs with this terrible playoffs format.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

The division format is crap. If you are in a stacked division it's two tough rounds followed by possibly a conference finals where the opponent has more gas left in the tank.

It might not work like that, but that's the situation that this format can create.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

The 90's had amazing commentary. So memorable and just elevates the action on the ice.

 

[the valiant effort]

The 90's had amazing commentary. So memorable and just elevates the action on the ice.

The ‘90s (not just the ‘90s) also saw the players collectively expel every last ounce of energy during the playoffs. Today’s “average” player does not apply the same level of abandon, and the product automatically pales in comparison.

Canucks/Rangers game 7, for example, was some of the most insane hockey ever played. 31 years and multiple eras ago. Not an ounce of effort left on the sidelines.

 

[Grifter3511]

You're right, but it makes for a shitty fan experience when the heavyweight matchups are in rd 1 and then some snoozer matchups are in rd 2 & 3

For sure. Can't have those shitty western conference champions making it to round 2.

 

[Acallabeth]

Why not?
1st round matchups are already very exciting.
A generation of superstars at the zenith of their primes, but a lot of young talents will join too, even Demidov.
Great personal stories of players looking to take their legacies to the next level or shake the underachiever label off.

 

[ijuka]

So how many playoffs have there been by now, like 100?

Mathematically, there's like a 1% chance for this current season's playoffs to be the best playoffs ever. But like 40% of people are voting yes.

Recency bias, I guess.

 

[voyageur]

What year had the best playoffs?

1993.

Some great series. Canadiens coming back from 0-2 on the Nordiques, with some OT heroics.

May Day.

Jets and Canucks had a great series with a controversial ending.

Leafs and Red Wings go to game 7 OT. Borschevsky with the heroics.

Round 2 saw the two time defending champs, 119 point Penguins go down in game 7 in the biggest upset in NHL history, losing to the Turgeon-less (dressed but barely played game 7 thanks to Dale Hunter's goon tactics) 87 point Isles, led by Al Arbour, Ray Ferraro, David Volek's OT heroics, and Glenn Healy's game of his life in goal.

Kings and Canucks was a dandy series. Leafs and Blues go 7, and John Tavares made commercials about winning 2 rounds.

Round 3 had one of the greatest Conference finals in history with the Leafs and Kings going to game 7, and Gretzky getting (away with) the best against Doug Gilmour.

First time a Southern market makes the Stanley Cup final, and Gretzky's last Stanley Cup appearance.

Montreal with more OT heroics, in a record playoffs for OTs, setting a record that will never be broken, and bringing home Canada's last Stanley Cup.

Honorable mention to 1981, last year for 1-16 playoffs, which saw the upstart Gretzky, Coffey, Moog led Oilers knock off the Canadiens, and Glen Somnor wear an eye patch behind the bench after being contacted by a psychic to break a 14 year curse for the Minnesota North Stars of losses in the Boston Garden. The upstart Nordiques take defending finalists Flyers to 5 games. And the Calgary Flames make it to the Final Four in their inaugural season.

Though for Flames fans 1989 Lanny Mc Donald that's their year. Last all Canadian Stanley Cup final.