Playoff Format: Do you like it?

[LGR4GM]

The current playoff format in the NHL, do you like it?

[pi2000]

No.

In fact. I have a special kind of, hate, for it.

[Sabel79]

I see what they're trying to do (better match-ups early on and rivalry series) but it's a convoluted mess and was a repair made to a system that wasn't really broken.  

[MattPie]

I think most of the time it's not a big deal when the divisions are fairly balanced. Not so much when the series look like 1-8, 4-7, 2-3, and 5-6.

Edited December 19, 2018 by MattPie

[WildCard]

Poll?

[woods-racer]

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

Poll?

 

The dance type?

 

I here you can find them in supermarkets. Just keep looking. ?

[Assquatch]

I like Schopp's idea of 1-16 (or 1-8 from each conference) and the top seed chooses whom to play, then the next highest team chooses their opponent and on down. Travel expenses be damned

[Doohicksie]

Well, as a Sabres fan I don't know much about it.  I understand that after the season ends, certain teams keep on playing?  Is that it?

[LTS]

No comment.  ??

[inkman]

I have no idea how the current system works as I'm not entirely certain what the playoffs are. 

[JohnnyK]

I would also like 1-16, so the season matters more

Edited December 21, 2018 by JohnnyK
spelling error/grammar

[SwampD]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way it is now.

If it ever went to 1-16, then they should just get rid of divisions and conferences altogether, because they would serve no purpose.

[mjd1001]

I'm OK, with it...when the playoffs roll around, I don't lose sleep over it...I just watch the games.  But I think I'd prefer the 1-8 in each conference system...and just get rid of divisions totally.

[LGR4GM]

11 hours ago, SwampD said:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way it is now.

If it ever went to 1-16, then they should just get rid of divisions and conferences altogether, because they would serve no purpose.

There is a ton wrong with the way it is now. It should be reseaded after each round and should be based on the Conference. So 1-8 in the east and 1-8 in the west. Division are and have been dumb since you no longer play the teams in your division more times. Division are pointless. And the current playoff format is making the regular season more pointless. 

[Eleven]

17 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

no longer play the teams in your division more times

Yes they do.

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Yes they do.

Don't they play them 4 times? 

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Don't they play them 4 times? 

Yes, but they only play the other teams 2 or 3 times.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Eleven

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Yes, but they only play the other teams 2 or 3 times.

I thought they played everyone in the same conference 4 times. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by LGR4GM

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

I thought they played everyone in the sane conference 4 times. 

Nope.  Just 3.  Which means one home game for some teams and two for others.  Which itself is imbalanced.  Which is why I'm meh on the whole playoff format thing; it's all imbalanced anyway.  Just beat the teams on the path and win the Cup.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Eleven

[SDS]

What is the modern day justification for divisions and conferences?

Travel was a big issue back in the day. The world is smaller now. 

The English Premier league works well without them.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

What is the modern day justification for divisions and conferences?

Travel was a big issue back in the day. The world is smaller now. 

The English Premier league works well without them.

The EPL doesn't have a playoff system to decide the champion, though.  I think that may be part of the issue / tradition with the NHL.

I suppose you just rank 1-16 and let them go ... 1 vs. 16 etc ...

 

[josie]

My personal gripe is that there are too many games. By the time we get to the Final, the teams are beat-up and tired and I've found the hockey to often be more lackluster than expected for the Best Of The Sport. Best of 7 is just too many for the first couple rounds. Best of 5, then maybe 7 for the final... I mean sure, you get that incentive to sweep so you get a break, it's all about endurance, travel will suck either way, blah blah but I like good, energetic hockey. And a half injured, exhausted team slogging it out in round 2 just makes it look hard and arduous rather than powerful and awesome. 

 

but everyone else is talking seeds, so ignore if I'm off topic 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, josie said:

My personal gripe is that there are too many games. By the time we get to the Final, the teams are beat-up and tired and I've found the hockey to often be more lackluster than expected for the Best Of The Sport. Best of 7 is just too many for the first couple rounds. Best of 5, then maybe 7 for the final... I mean sure, you get that incentive to sweep so you get a break, it's all about endurance, travel will suck either way, blah blah but I like good, energetic hockey. And a half injured, exhausted team slogging it out in round 2 just makes it look hard and arduous rather than powerful and awesome. 

 

but everyone else is talking seeds, so ignore if I'm off topic 

Totally on topic. I think round 1 should be 5 games. That is if they get the seeding fixed. Then go from there. 

[WildCard]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Totally on topic. I think round 1 should be 5 games. That is if they get the seeding fixed. Then go from there. 

Playoff hockey, besides the seeding, is by far the best playoff format in sports. 4 seven game series? A 2 month long gauntlet for the most revered trophy in sports? It's amazing

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Playoff hockey, besides the seeding, is by far the best playoff format in sports. 4 seven game series? A 2 month long gauntlet for the most revered trophy in sports? It's amazing

I like most of it but I think the first round should be shorter. If you can't win in 5 then go home. I always feel like there are several teams that go 7 games and several that go 4 or 5 games so it really screws it up. Especially now with the seeding.