Expanding the playoffs is ****ing insane.
That's because the current format allows for divisional crossover. A better system for rivalries would be for the 4th & 5th place teams in each division to play a best-of-three wildcard series ... and then face the top seed in their division. This will increase chances of rivalries, keep travel to a minimum, and force teams to defeat their own divisions and conferences before earning the right to play for The Cup.
The whole 1-8 or 1-16 seeding system just dilutes any possibility of rivalries whatsoever.
I absolutely hate the H/A vs everyone. Too many games of the schedule eaten up.
I like the 4x4x4x4 format. Although you’d have a LOT of issues reaching a consensus on the groups.
I’d probably go:
MON-BOS-TOR-OTT
NYR-NYI-NJD-PHI
TB-FLA-PIT-WAS
CBJ-DET-BUF-CAR
VAN-EDM-CAL-SEA
SJ-ANA-LA-VGK
ARZ-COL-NASH-DAL
MIN-WIN-STL-CHI
But more importantly,
6 games vs 3 division = 18
4 games vs 12 conference = 48
1 game vs 16 other conf = 16
82 Games.
I do not want the playoffs expanded, but if they do I would want this format.
4 divisions of 8. Team 4 plays against team 5 in a 3 game series for each division. Winner plays against the 1st place team. Then just keep everying the same.
Schedule would be play every team home and away for 62 games. Then the remaining 20 against your division.
As would I, someone (you?) earlier mentioned having a 1-4 divisional round followed by a 1-4 conference round followed by a 1-4 league round followed by the Stanley Cup Finals. I'd enjoy that.Would really like to have any two teams play in the final though... East vs West all the time is getting boring.
Would really like to have any two teams play in the final though... East vs West all the time is getting boring.
Throwing out there a pretty crazy idea.
How would a Memorial Cup style format work with each of the divisional champions. Have the playoffs as usual with 8 teams from each conference with more divisional focus like how it is currently. Each of the divisional champions qualify for the "Stanley Cup Tournament." You can have a home and away game against each of the other teams. A tie breaker game can be played between the 2nd and 3rd place teams if needed, with the winner playing the 1st place team for the Stanley Cup. You can have either have a 1 game knockout final or a best of three.
Justification:
- This format will help keep 4 markets more heavily invested in the Stanley Cup. You can also draw in alot of casual fans to tune in to a one game knockout final versus a seven game series that currently only draws casuals from the teams involved.
- Helps separate the NHL product from the other NA leagues we are competing with.
- 13 guaranteed games(6 per team played) or 14 if tie breaker is needed. With guaranteed number of Stanley Cup games played to each team to help sell games at a premium.
I've suggested, and am glad to see it might actually be adopted, that the Wild Card remain in the division once Seattle shows up.
1,2,3 make it....4 & 5 play a Wild Card series. Best of 3 or 5.
So you'd have 4 shortened Wild Card series' all within the division, then after the final 4 playoff teams are decided....all 8 of the matchups will be divisional.....then the second round will be divisional.
I'm giddy just thinking about it. Every year 5 of 8 divisional teams will play in some sort of playoff series against each other. The heated rivalries will be back in no-time.....every divisional regular season game will be huge.
If the NHL actually does this (which I STRONGLY believe they should)....I think the younger fans won't know what to do with themselves....they'll see an intensity in NHL games they likely haven't witnessed yet. And I'd assume the tv ratings for these divisional matchups would also rise considerably. Rivalries used to be that even if you couldn't care less about the teams....you'd watch, because you knew they hated each other and you knew it would be an incredibly intense game.
Damn I hope they actually do this....within 2 years of a divisional wild card series....the increase in intensity of divisional games would be drastic.
The argument is that it makes the regular season more exciting. Whether Vegas plays the #7 or the #10 out West makes little difference to the Knights.I just dont see the point of following the season in the same interest if that many bad teams will make the playoffs.
This does nothing to actually make the playoffs better.
NHL announced today of a possible 83rd game between Florida and Philly if they are tied. I wouldn't mind making such a game take place whenever 8 and 9 are tied in points; existing tiebreakers like ROW can be used to determine home-ice or weed out a tied 10th place team.Expanding the playoffs is ****ing insane.
The season would have to be shortened a bit to accommodate this. Trim the fat of the pre-season, 80 games only?
Even if you do the 3 game series in only 4 days, you leave the winner of a full 3 game series playing the division winner in what, 2 days?
I suppose you could start the division winner series later than the 2/3. I'm a proponent of a small shrinking of the schedule anyway - give the players a little more rest, end the playoffs a little earlier.
Having the SCF compete with the NBA Finals is a losing proposition.
Expanding the playoffs is a terrible idea