Is this going to be the best playoffs ever

[PhysicalGraffiti]

Nothing with this crap format will ever be the best.

Awful matchups featuring the same teams playing each other way too often. Stale and boring.

 

[missionAvs]

This will be the best NHL playoffs in 2025.

 

[viper0220]

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

Very hard to top this.

 

[Team_Spirit]

No Chris Lee!

The odds just went up buddy

 

[saintflannel]

Is it?

i don't know but i like your optimism

 

[Strangle]

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

He basically just picked all the series with Canadian teams in them to ‘not be worthy of advancing’

 

[Nineteen67]

I can’t remember a 1st round where I’ve been less interested in this one.

 

[thebestnic]

I swear some people on these boards don't like hockey

 

[VaporTrail]

No the 2026 playoffs will be the best ever

 

[authentic]

Nah, 2008 was the best playoffs.

Incidentally, also the last time Detroit made the postseason.

Detroit was in the finals in 2009

 

[Johnny HFBOARDS]

All your teams suck except for mine.

 

[kp61c]

 

[Captain Controversy]

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.

Tell us you don't like the oilers without telling us you don't like the oilers.

 

[VaporTrail]

OP, you remind me of this guy

 

[Fatass]

Not too sure about the best ever but if two Canadian clubs play in the Cup Final it would be the most electric atmosphere since the 60’s. Those two cities would be absolutely crazy.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Tell us you don't like the oilers without telling us you don't like the oilers.

Don’t pretend like you wanted Vegas on Edmontons side of the bracket.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

This thread reminds me of a story. I was traveling on an official visit with a head of state to the Gambia, and our plane broke down. We had to drive across the country. We didn't have food and everyone got hungry at sundown. The Gambian minister who was our guide stopped the convoy in this random little town. No more than 12 buildings. Dude went door to door and 10 mins later came back with 8-10 sandwiches he had cobbled together on bread that a woman baked on a big stone in front of us.

The VIP we were with told the Minister "this is the best Sandwich I've ever had" and the Minister replied "Sir, you are just hungry".

We are just hungry for some playoffs.

 

[elmaco]

Yes.

 

[Silky Johnson]

I swear some people on these boards don't like hockey

Most.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Nothing with this crap format will ever be the best.

Awful matchups featuring the same teams playing each other way too often. Stale and boring.

It's always interesting to hear people say this.

This is how hockey was during the 80s. Bruins always played the Habs. Oilers always played the Flames. You had real rivalries build And in the 2005-2015 time period people were asking for it back.

Now people want 1v8 again. I don't think there is a solution where 40% of people won't complain.

 

[Sypher04]

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.

You keep saying stuff like this but it’s not really true. Toronto has beaten Tampa recently in the playoffs and are fully capable of beating Florida as well.

 

[authentic]

You keep saying stuff like this but it’s not really true. Toronto has beaten Tampa recently in the playoffs and are fully capable of beating Florida as well.

Even the first time we played Tampa we should’ve beat them really. Our core outplayed theirs in both series, on both sides of the puck.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

If we get Montreal-Toronto and Winnipeg-Edmonton in the conference finals, then yes

This board would melt

 

[Bradely]

What year had the best playoffs?

2011...

 

[Mr grumpy]

Like many. I would only want a leaf v oiler final for reading posts