Play off seeding?

[fuddy]

Can someone please explain the logic with this?

Habs/Rangers go to war. Pens/Jackets both with higher point totals also have a brut first round matchup and then the Sens get the Bruins????

The 6th and 7th conference placed teams face off?

Now the best 2 teams in the East play now instead of the Conference finals!

What a stupid set up!

Fudd

[SeanFTW]

Re: Play off seeding?

I don't particularly love it either, but they have set a record for most OT's in a round, so maybe it is doing its job of more parity and creating more rivalries.

[3 off the tee]

Re: Play off seeding?

I don't particularly love it either, but they have set a record for most OT's in a round, so maybe it is doing its job of more parity and creating more rivalries.

If it's divisional rivalries they want, there shouldn't be two wild cards - it should be straight 1-4 divisional matchups. Had it been straight 1-4 the matchups in the east would have been Habs-Leafs (That would have been great...bring some real life back to this rivalry!!!), Bruins-Sens, Caps-Rangers, Pens-Jackets.

However, had it been conference seedings 1-8, matchups would have been Caps-Leafs, Pens-Bruins, Jackets-Sens, Habs-Rangers in the east (So no divisional matchups).

Really, they should fully divisional matchups or fully conference seed based match-ups. The hybrid that they have created is a mess. The Metropolitan teams have fair reason to be annoyed with the current playoff format. As fuddy pointed out, the Pens and Caps shouldn't have to meet until the conference finals. Blue Jackets got rewarded for a really strong season with a first round matchup with the defending champs.

At the end of the day, you have to win 16 games to win the cup, and that will never change. However, I suspect that the NHL will have a look at, and adjust, the current playoff format because it is stupid.

[Weirfan]

Re: Play off seeding?

No system makes everyone happy. Some advocate reseeding the teams after each round and top plays bottom. Gives the teams who finished higher an advantage.

My daughters league ( PWHL) does this , it sucks if 15 upsets 2 in first round then gets the top seed round 2. They do this for round of 16 and round of 8.

[3 off the tee]

Re: Play off seeding?

Found another flaw in this playoff system...even though the Rangers finished with more points (102) than the Sens (98), Ottawa gets home ice for their series because they were the "higher ranked" team in the Atlantic playoff bracket.

I'm sure the Rangers won't mind though...they're the best road team in hockey.

[pugs]

Re: Play off seeding?

Found another flaw in this playoff system...even though the Rangers finished with more points (102) than the Sens (98), Ottawa gets home ice for their series because they were the "higher ranked" team in the Atlantic playoff bracket.

I'm sure the Rangers won't mind though...they're the best road team in hockey.

Like most, I think the rankings really make no sense. I would think the Rangers ownership would be pretty pi**ed at the way the rankings work...they could possibly lose the revenue from not having the extra home game (or two) if the series goes more than four games.

[Jeffc]

Re: Play off seeding?

Like most, I think the rankings really make no sense. I would think the Rangers ownership would be pretty pi**ed at the way the rankings work...they could possibly lose the revenue from not having the extra home game (or two) if the series goes more than four games.

on the other hand, playing Ottawa vs Pitt or Wash in the 2nd round probably gives them a better chance of advancing to the conference final.

[pugs]

Re: Play off seeding?

on the other hand, playing Ottawa vs Pitt or Wash in the 2nd round probably gives them a better chance of advancing to the conference final.

That's true. Definitely an easier match-up for the Rangers...but Ottawa did look really good against the Bruins.

[SoooSIRIUS]

Re: Play off seeding?

The system is supposed to create divisional rivalries but this year it eliminated the possibility of 2 true rivalries that would have happened without the crossover. Montreal vs Toronto and Washington vs Rangers (played each other in the playoffs 5 times since 08 with Caps not qualifying 1 of those seasons).

I had thought I heard rumblings the first year of this system of them eliminating the crossover when there are 4 teams from each division. Although if 5 teams from one division are better then the 4th team from the other, the 5th team would take the final spot.