Map your dream playoff bracket

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GIN ANTONIC

Registered User
Aug 19, 2007
19,530
16,021
Toronto, ON
Map out a playoff bracket based on what you think would make the best matchups for each round. If you want to hype your favourite team then that's fine but really try and think from a neutral perspective what what make for great matchups each round.

ROUND 1
1 TORONTO vs WC2 OTTAWA
2 WASHINGTON vs WC1 CAROLINA
A2 FLORIDA vs A3 TAMPA
M2 NEW JERSEY vs M3 NEW YORK R

1 WINNIPEG vs WC2 MINNESOTA
2 EDMONTON vs WC1 CALGARY
C2 DALLAS vs C3 COLORADO
P2 LAS VEGAS vs P3 LOS ANGELES

ROUND 2
A1 TORONTO vs A2 FLORIDA
M1 WASHINGTON vs M2 NEW YORK R

C1 WINNIPEG vs C2 COLORADO
P1 EDMONTON vs P2 LAS VEGAS

ROUND 3
A1 TORONTO vs M1 WASHINGTON

C1 WINNIPEG vs P1 LAS VEGAS

FINALS
E1 WASHINGTON vs W1 LAS VEGAS

WINNER
WASHINGTON CAPITALS

-----

2018 Cup Finals rematch with the same result. Old man Ovi breaks Gretzky's record this year and wins his 2nd cup against the villainous Vegas Golden Knights.
 
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Yeah. One fan base thrilled, one fan base devastated, everyone else cheering for a meteor. Toronto v. Winnipeg with the Jets winning? Outstanding. Edmonton vs. anyone with anyone but Edmonton winning? Excellent. Caps vs. anyone with Ovi winning? Well, that's what I want.
I'm hardcore Canes fan living in Toronto and I'm even good with Ovi winning it all again this year (as referenced in my bracket). If Canes don't make it out of the East they are probably the only other realistic team that I could stomach. Columbus or Ottawa would be fun but that ain't happening.

Would dream of an all Canadian Conference final. Would be amazing knowing Canada gets the cup no matter the outcome.

Toronto vs Ottawa
Calgary vs Edmonton.
COVID 2.0 would happen before we get to this scenario
 
It would take too long to make up a fake bracket for every team.

For me, as a Leafs fan, I'd love to see them get through a few rival reams on their way to the SCF. Boston or Ottawa in round 1. Maybe Tampa or Florida in round 2.
 
I'm hardcore Canes fan living in Toronto and I'm even good with Ovi winning it all again this year (as referenced in my bracket). If Canes don't make it out of the East they are probably the only other realistic team that I could stomach. Columbus or Ottawa would be fun but that ain't happening.


COVID 2.0 would happen before we get to this scenario
lol. Dream as in the thread title. I know it’ll never happen though haha.
 
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trying to keep things fairly realistic:

TOR vs OTT
FLA vs TBL

WSH vs NJD
CAR vs CBJ

WPG vs UTH
DAL vs MIN

VGK vs COL
EDM vs LAK
------------
TOR vs TBL
WSH vs CBJ

WPG vs DAL
COL vs EDM
-------------
TBL vs either WSH or CBJ
WPG vs EDM
-------------
WPG over TBL

A lot of real rivalries in the first round and avoid having the two stories of the season in WSH and CBJ play each other off the bat. Reward serious teams like WPG, TBL, COL that actually go for it and try to win. Winnipeg wins their first cup in what is likely their last real shot at it.
 
Ok so the OP did preface "Dream"

ROUND 1
1 TORONTO vs WC2 OTTAWA- Ottawa wins in 3
2 WASHINGTON vs WC1 CAROLINA- Carolina wins in 4 and PLD gets gout and alice in wonderland syndrome
A2 FLORIDA vs A3 TAMPA- Florida in 7
M2 NEW JERSEY vs M3 NEW YORK R - both teams lose to a 2012/2014 La Kings hybrid team

1 WINNIPEG vs WC2 MINNESOTA- The Peg wins in 5
2 EDMONTON vs WC1 CALGARY- Calgary upsets and wins in 4
C2 DALLAS vs C3 COLORADO- Colorado wins a 7 game cage match intensity playoff round with 2 lines brawls and one unplanned pregnancy
P2 LAS VEGAS vs P3 LOS ANGELES- LA in 4 (suck it Vegas)

ROUND 2
A1 OTTAWA vs A2 FLORIDA- Florida in 5
WC1- CAROLINA vs M2 2012/2014 La Kings hybrid team- Kings forfeit... Canes in 0

C1 WINNIPEG vs C2 COLORADO- Colorado in 6
WC! -Calgary vs P3 LOS ANGELES- LA in 3

ROUND 3
A2 Florida vs WC1- CAROLINA-Florida in 6

C2 COLORADO vs P3 Los Angeles- LA IN 7

FINALS
E1 Florida vs P3 Los Angeles- Bugs Bunny separates Florida from the lower 48 and the Kings win on a technicality

bugsbunny-florida.gif


WINNER
LA KINGS!
 
I'm including the potential conference rankings to show (once again) how stupid this format is.

R1:

3. EDM vs 6. COL
4. VGK vs 7 LA

1. WPG vs 8. STL
2. DAL vs 5. MIN

1. WSH vs 8. NYR
5. CAR vs 6. NJ

2. FLA vs 7. OTT
3. TOR vs 4. TB

R2:

4. VGK vs 6. COL
2. DAL vs 8. STL

5. CAR vs 8. NYR
2. FLA vs 4. TB

R3:

2. DAL vs 4. VGK
2. FLA vs 8. NYR

R4:

2. FLA vs 4. VGK

Avoids heavy matchups in rd 1 like FLA/TB & COL/VGK, potential Tkachuk Bowl in rd 1, LA loses to someone different, Edmonton actually has to play a legit contender in rd 1, Binnington makes Hellebuyck his bitch again, Miller and Shesterkin carry the Rags through a shitty Metro division, two very good round 2 matchups (FLA/TB & VGK/COL), and a beauty of a SCF rematch.
 
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I'm including the potential conference rankings to show (once again) how stupid this format is.

R1:

3. EDM vs 6. COL
4. VGK vs 7 LA

1. WPG vs 8. STL
2. DAL vs 4. MIN

1. WSH vs 8. NYR
5. CAR vs 6. NJ

2. FLA vs 7. OTT
3. TOR vs 4. TB

R2:

4. VGK vs 6. COL
2. DAL vs 8. STL

5. CAR vs 8. NYR
2. FLA vs 4. TB

R3:

2. DAL vs 4. VGK
2. FLA vs 8. NYR

R4:

2. FLA vs 4. VGK
Idk man, I'm really looking forward to playing Washington and Carolina again like we did last year.
 
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Playoff hockey is going to be great regardless of the matchups or who wins or loses. The only thing that is worth dreaming about is my team winning. Since they already went 16-4, my dream is now perfection.
There are absolutely degrees of how good or bad matchups are. The point of the thread is to discuss what those look like. Saying I want my team to win every game for the rest of eternity is not even worth typing out and sharing with the internet which is an incredibly low bar.

Also totally recognizing that you're not the only one doing the 'My team wins it all' with no other thought about the exercise but those are all Leafs fans and I don't have the energy to respond to all of them
 
There are absolutely degrees of how good or bad matchups are. The point of the thread is to discuss what those look like. Saying I want my team to win every game for the rest of eternity is not even worth typing out and sharing with the internet which is an incredibly low bar.

There's been a lot of very entertaining playoff series over the years that were bad matchups on paper, and a lot of good matchups on paper that ended up being boring to watch. Why would I waste my time trying to predict which will be which, with no way to determine whether my answers result in more entertaining hockey? I'd much rather dream of my team winning, and if that's not possible, give me bad matchups on paper that result in upsets and 8 seeds going to the Finals.
 
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There's been a lot of very entertaining playoff series over the years that were bad matchups on paper, and a lot of good matchups on paper that ended up being boring to watch. Why would I waste my time trying to predict which will be which, with no way to determine whether my answers result in more entertaining hockey? I'd much rather dream of my team winning, and if that's not possible, give me bad matchups on paper that result in upsets and 8 seeds going to the Finals.
Because that's the point of the thread, and you're crazy if you think certain matchups like WPG vs COL, DAL vs COL, FLA vs TB, NJ vs NYR, EDM vs CGY don't have more juice to them than Vegas vs Minnesota or something.

Any series COULD be amazing but this is about writing it down on paper and discussing it so if you're not gonna do that then why are you here?
 
There's been a lot of very entertaining playoff series over the years that were bad matchups on paper, and a lot of good matchups on paper that ended up being boring to watch. Why would I waste my time trying to predict which will be which, with no way to determine whether my answers result in more entertaining hockey?
Don’t post in the thread then
 
Because that's the point of the thread, and you're crazy if you think certain matchups like WPG vs COL, DAL vs COL, FLA vs TB, NJ vs NYR, EDM vs CGY don't have more juice to them than Vegas vs Minnesota or something.

Any series COULD be amazing but this is about writing it down on paper and discussing it so if you're not gonna do that then why are you here?


I responded to a Buffalo fan making a joke about the Sabres, making another joke that was still topic adjacent, at worst. That would have been the end of it, but you took yourself way too seriously and decided to call me out for some reason. That's literally the only reason I'm still here. Had you just ignored my joke and moved on, you could have spent all of this time gazing into your crystal ball and discussing whatever juice you think you can see with people that actually want to participate in your thought exercise.

Don’t post in the thread then

Don't quote me and I won't.
 

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