Confirmed with Link: NHL & NHLPA Reach tentative agreement on 56 game schedule

[X66]

Ottawa can’t afford one team let alone two.

 

[Big Muddy]

Ya, with a Canadian division, winning the Canadian division should be easier than winning the Atlantic (no Boston & TBL). I think its the four top teams from each division that go into the playoffs, so if we can bag lots of points in a softer division, then maybe we take the #1 seed and square against the #8 seed (depends on how they structure it). Can't see the conditions getting any more favourable than they are now.

This proposed playoff format is even better for us. From TSN:

"If they can be, Canada will be guaranteed one team makes it to the NHL’s final four for the first time since Winnipeg in 2018. The first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs would be pure divisional play, with the first four teams in each division qualifying, followed by the four division winners squaring off in the semifinals. The semifinals will be seeded by regular season points."

NHL, NHLPA reach tentative deal on new season, but big hurdle remains - TSN.ca

I think this could be huge for us. Can't see our chances of going deep in the playoffs getting any better than this.

 

[Big Muddy]

I'm sure I'll take some heat for making this post, but IF the Leafs are lucky enough to bring home the Cup this year does that solidify Thornton, Spezza, and Tavares as locks for the Hall of Fame? Thornton should make it regardless, but I think this would put a borderline case like Spezza over the top and would solidify Tavares as a future HOFer.

This isn't a comment on our actual odds of winning, just a little thought exercise I dreamt up last night when I was falling asleep.

Another aspect of this would be whether most/some hockey fans put an asterisk on the winner of the Stanley Cup this year.

 

[Rob Brown]

Another aspect of this would be whether most hockey fans put an asterisk on the winner of the Stanley Cup this year.

No one has put an asterisk on the Lightning so I don't see why they would for this season.

Really, though, this is a great opportunity for the Leafs to build some confidence and at least make the final four. All six Canadian teams are beatable and so there is a big chance to do well this year.

 

[Mess]

This proposed playoff format is even better for us. From TSN:

"If they can be, Canada will be guaranteed one team makes it to the NHL’s final four for the first time since Winnipeg in 2018. The first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs would be pure divisional play, with the first four teams in each division qualifying, followed by the four division winners squaring off in the semifinals. The semifinals will be seeded by regular season points."

NHL, NHLPA reach tentative deal on new season, but big hurdle remains - TSN.ca

I think this could be huge for us. Can't see our chances of going deep in the playoffs will be any better than this.

Any Canadian team can only possibly play 2 of the 24 total USA based teams (Final 4 and SCF) ..

So it will always have lots of ???? and ***** attached should a Canadian team win because they will only face 8 teams max of the other 30 teams to win the Cup under this current format.

The last Canadian team to win the Cup was Montreal in 1993, so this format highly favours the Canadian Div to break that streak.

 

[Big Muddy]

No one has put an asterisk on the Lightning so I don't see why they would for this season.

Really, though, this is a great opportunity for the Leafs to build some confidence and at least make the final four. All six Canadian teams are beatable and so there is a big chance to do well this year.

Didn't quite a few people say that this years Cup was the most (or more) difficult to win? They had to play in a bubble, away from home for a long stretch, etc. I thought I heard that quite a few times.

 

[Big Muddy]

Any Canadian team can only possibly play 2 of the 24 total USA based teams (Final 4 and SCF) ..

So it will always have lots of ???? and ***** attached should a Canadian team win because they will only face 8 teams max of the other 30 teams to win the Cup under this current format.

The last Canadian team to win the Cup was Montreal in 1993, so this format highly favours the Canadian Div to break that streak.

Ya, I think it was a gift. This should be a big break for us. GLG.

 

[ACC1224]

Do the US teams play out of division games?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Any Canadian team can only possibly play 2 of the 24 total USA based teams (Final 4 and SCF) ..

So it will always have lots of ???? and ***** attached should a Canadian team win because they will only face 8 teams max of the other 30 teams to win the Cup under this current format.

The last Canadian team to win the Cup was Montreal in 1993, so this format highly favours the Canadian Div to break that streak.

There will be no question marks or asterisks. All 31 teams are playing under the exact same format and all are playing under the exact same rules. Literally the only change in the playoffs is getting rid of the Wildcard. The playoffs have been divisional based for the last like 5 years now. The team that wins the cup this year will still have to win 16 games. Any of the other stuff is just BS.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Do the US teams play out of division games?

Nope. Everything is in division until the final 4 of the playoffs.

 

[Big Muddy]

Do the US teams play out of division games?

From what I've read, they've said teams will play 9 or 10 games against divisional opponents. I have not seen any caveats or exceptions mentioned. So, based on that, I'd guess/assume that the U.S. teams are only going to be playing their divisional opponents during the regular season.

 

[Legion34]

Eh 2 of the 3 would end up playing each other in a normal year and the team that finishes first might get to play a team like Arizona instead of getting a strong wildcard team in a regular year.

oh fair enough. I was just thinking of this year where everyone was expecting a col vgk WCF

 

[Rob Brown]

Didn't quite a few people say that this years Cup was the most (or more) difficult to win? They had to play in a bubble, away from home for a long stretch, etc. I thought I heard that quite a few times.

Yeah, but going into it everyone had comments about how it wasn't going to be considered a real Stanley Cup win, and then after everyone said it was harder than normal. I expect this year will be viewed upon similarly, or at the very least the same as a normal year. No asterisk this year.

 

[PromisedLand]

This proposed playoff format is even better for us. From TSN:

"If they can be, Canada will be guaranteed one team makes it to the NHL’s final four for the first time since Winnipeg in 2018. The first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs would be pure divisional play, with the first four teams in each division qualifying, followed by the four division winners squaring off in the semifinals. The semifinals will be seeded by regular season points."

NHL, NHLPA reach tentative deal on new season, but big hurdle remains - TSN.ca

I think this could be huge for us. Can't see our chances of going deep in the playoffs will be any better than this.

May be I am confused but how is this possible?

under normal circumstances top 3 teams from each of 4 divisions qualify (12 teams) and then we have wildcard for other 4 spots

Using eastern conference as example: Top ranked team from the two divisions (atlantic, metropolitan) play the wild cards; and then no2 and no3 seeded teams play each other

Suppose canadian division doesn't win the wildcard spot and they only have 3 teams that qualify A,B,C

Team A plays a wildcard and say they get knocked out in round 1

Team B wins over Team C in the 1st round;

Now Team B is the only team from the Canadian Division remaining; and if they lost in the 2nd round; how is it that they are making conference finals?

Did they change the rules of playoffs?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

May be I am confused but how is this possible?

under normal circumstances top 3 teams from each of 4 divisions qualify (12 teams) and then we have wildcard for other 4 spots

Using eastern conference as example: Top ranked team from the two divisions (atlantic, metropolitan) play the wild cards; and then no2 and no3 seeded teams play each other

Suppose canadian division doesn't win the wildcard spot and they only have 3 teams that qualify A,B,C

Team A plays a wildcard and say they get knocked out in round 1

Team B wins over Team C in the 1st round;

Now Team B is the only team from the Canadian Division remaining; and if they lost in the 2nd round; how is it that they are making conference finals?

Did they change the rules of playoffs?

There is no wildcard. 4 teams make the playoffs from each division and you play out of your division for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

 

[Rob Brown]

May be I am confused but how is this possible?

under normal circumstances top 3 teams from each of 4 divisions qualify (12 teams) and then we have wildcard for other 4 spots

Using eastern conference as example: Top ranked team from the two divisions (atlantic, metropolitan) play the wild cards; and then no2 and no3 seeded teams play each other

Suppose canadian division doesn't win the wildcard spot and they only have 3 teams that qualify A,B,C

Team A plays a wildcard and say they get knocked out in round 1

Team B wins over Team C in the 1st round;

Now Team B is the only team from the Canadian Division remaining; and if they lost in the 2nd round; how is it that they are making conference finals?

Did they change the rules of playoffs?

There are no wild cards this year.

Four divisions, top 4 in each division make the playoffs. That's the usual 16 teams. Then the first two rounds are within your division - 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3. Winners play eachother. Winner of that moves onto the final 4 against winners of the other divisions.

 

[Big Muddy]

There will be no question marks or asterisks. All 31 teams are playing under the exact same format and all are playing under the exact same rules. Literally the only change in the playoffs is getting rid of the Wildcard. The playoffs have been divisional based for the last like 5 years now. The team that wins the cup this year will still have to win 16 games. Any of the other stuff is just BS.

Ya, I'm not sure about that. With this format, its divisional play right through the regular season to the end of the 2nd round (and the beginning of final four conference final). This format got us away from some tough competition. I can't imagine fans from other teams in the U.S. not recognizing this, and/or making an issue of it. That seems more real world.

 

[Big Muddy]

Yeah, but going into it everyone had comments about how it wasn't going to be considered a real Stanley Cup win, and then after everyone said it was harder than normal. I expect this year will be viewed upon similarly, or at the very least the same as a normal year. No asterisk this year.

As (or prior to) the playoffs began, people were commenting that is was an unusual year for sure with unusual circumstances. But in the end, the idea that this was the toughest Cup to win seemed to be where people landed.

 

[PromisedLand]

There is no wildcard. 4 teams make the playoffs from each division and you play out of your division for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Ohhh.... that makes sense

So they will play 56 games among each other (Leafs plays 56 games against just the canadian division teams)

Other Canadian teams: Habs, Oilers, Sens, Jets, Canucks, Flames (6 teams)

So how would Leafs divide 56 games against the 6 teams?

play 9 games against all the other 6 teams (54 games); I guess 4 games each with the last change; but who gets the last change for the 9th game?


and then two additional games against who? to get to the total of 56 games


And then I guess they continue to play playoffs against each other. Hopefully, they build up some kind of rivalry and hatred playing against each other so much (regular season and playoffs); that will be fun to watch

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Ya, I'm not sure about that. With this format, its divisional play right through the regular season to the end of the 2nd round (and the beginning of final four conference final). This format got us away from some tough competition. I can't imagine fans from other teams in the U.S. not recognizing this, and/or making an issue of it. That seems more real world.

The reality is people would find a reason to question it no matter what. That is actually real world. The US teams are in no different a situation then the Canadian teams are in. That is just a fact. All 31 teams are playing this season under the same set of rules with the same path to win a title. Some teams in the states have been gifted a far easier path deep in the playoffs as a result while others a much harder one. That is just life.

 

[Big Muddy]

There is no wildcard. 4 teams make the playoffs from each division and you play out of your division for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Not what I read. The first two playoff rounds are played withIN the division. I copied part of the TSN article that said that in a post above (#77).

 

[Big Muddy]

The reality is people would find a reason to question it no matter what. That is actually real world.

Agreed. You are a reinforcing a point that I was making.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Not what I read. The first two playoff rounds are played withIN the division. I copied part of the TSN article that said that in a post above (#77).

That's what I was saying. Wording just different.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Agreed. You are a reinforcing a point that I was making.

Not really though. People would find reasons to question if the Leafs won in a regular year....that doesn't lend validity to it. Random people bitching and moaning on the internet means jack.

 

[Big Muddy]

That's what I was saying. Wording just different.

???

Thought you said this: "4 teams make the playoffs from each division and you play out of your division for the first two rounds of the playoffs."