NHL playoffs are often a riveting time that hockey fans trek through for two solid months. The best teams in the NHL duke it out over a long period of time to determine who will hoist the coveted Stanley Cup. Sometimes the best teams play each other rather early in the playoffs. The NHL playoffs currently start as a divisional contest compared to previous years with a wildcard-heavy playoffs. There are complaints with the current playoff format. These complaints will gain traction if the current standings hold out. The Dallas Stars are one of three Central Division teams that are top-3 in the entire league standings. Either zero or one of these top-3 teams will make it out of the second round. The Stanley Cup Final should consist of the best two teams in the NHL, not those who had an easier path to get there.
Hot Central
The red-hot Minnesota Wild are 8-1-1 over their last 10 games. Few teams have a better previous 10 games than the Wild. They’ve gained only three points on the Dallas Stars during this 10-game span, and are still three points behind. The Wild have the 3rd best record in the NHL, but could start the playoffs without home ice advantage. The Colorado Avalanche have lost fewer games than the number of months into the season. They are averaging less than 1.00 regulation losses per month. Their 29-2-7 record is the best point total in NHL history for any team through the Christmas break. These three teams combine for a 78-19-20 record. Everyone else in the Central holds a .500 record or worse. The current playoff format means two or three of these top three teams will end their season before the Western Conference Final.
Current Format
We are now 13 years into this current playoff format. The NHL wanted a division-heavy First Round series. The top three teams in each division qualify before two other wildcards in each conference. This is a fixed bracket system, meaning teams are not reseeded past the First Round. There is a possibility that the best teams in the NHL can play in the Second Round. Several disadvantages put teams on a tougher road. One example is the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Dallas Stars faced off against the St. Louis Blues in the Second Round. The Stars held the 2nd-best record in the NHL that season while the Blues finished 3rd. The other series featured the #11 San Jose Sharks and #14 Nashville Predators. The Blues beat the Stars and the #5 Blackhawks previously, both in seven games. The two seven-game playoff rounds wore the Blues down when the Sharks beat them in six on their way to the Stanley Cup Final.
This system has its flaws. The two best teams in the NHL should play in the Stanley Cup Final. Better-seeded teams are often punished because of the fixed bracket. The Stars played the Avalanche in a First Round series last season. This resulted in a Stanley Cup Final-caliber series. More times than not, any playoff series brings fiery intensity regardless of who is playing. Some teams get royally stiffed in this format. Last season, the Calgary Flames finished with 96 points, 15th best in the NHL. Two Eastern Conference teams qualified for the playoffs after finishing with five fewer points than the Flames. There must be a discussion to make the playoff format better.
Before the Lockout
Entertaining playoffs fill the history books before the 2013 NHL Lockout. That format consisted of the three division winners in each conference securing the top three seeds. Five wildcard teams followed to fill seeds #4-#8. One team could end their Quarterfinals not knowing who they played next. Every team received a reseed after the Quarterfinals. This is the way it should be, not having #2 and #3 face off in the Second Round. There is a possibility that the #1 Colorado Avalanche and #2 Dallas Stars face off in the Second Round, if the standings remain the same.
Way Back When
Long-time hockey fans will remember back when the playoffs featured #1/#16. #2/#15 etc. matchups. The Minnesota North Stars qualified for their first Stanley Cup Final in 1981. 1981 is also the last year used for this format. Their path to the Islanders in the Final consisted of Boston, Buffalo, and Calgary. The 2013-current format is designed for divisional matchups in the playoffs for rivalries. It does not matter who a team plays in the playoffs; four to seven games against anyone will make them rivals. Take this format and plug it into previous years. The 2022-2023 #8 Stars team starts their playoffs at home against the #9 New York Rangers. This provides an opportunity to play teams in the playoffs you’ve never seen in the postseason before. That 2016 season starts them off against the Detroit Red Wings. If you take this format to the eight teams that won a First Round matchup that season, the Stars play Round 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. #1 Washington should not have played #4 Pittsburgh while the #2 Stars entered a cage match against #3 St. Louis.
Imagine a Stars/Avalanche Stanley Cup Final. The storylines from such a series will thrill hockey fans into must-see television. The old 1/16 format resulted in Stanley Cup Finals like Canadiens/Rangers, Flyers/Islanders, and Canadiens/Bruins. Any playoff series is a thrilling affair. Imagine the Stars playing the Pittsburgh Penguins or New Jersey Devils in a First Round playoff series. This playoff system should not feature the best teams facing off early in the playoffs. Imagine the standings now. The Avalanche start off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Old rivals meet again in a Stars/Ducks series. The Minnesota Wild and Buffalo Sabres could start a new rivalry by the end of that series. Viewers will tune in for any combination of a Stanley Cup Final or First Round matchup. The trio of Stars/Avalanche/Wild will feature incredible teams ending their playoff runs early after a defeat from the other. Now picture a Stars/Wild or Stars/Avalanche Western Conference Final. Talk about a marquee matchup. Changing the playoff format opens a plethora of possibilities for a wild array of new NHL rivalries.
Photo Credit: @DMN_Stars
Dallas Stars Nation Blogger. You can time how fast I skate with a calendar. Lifetime GAA about 12.50.
Tags: calgary flames Carolina Hurricanes Colorado Avalanche dallas stars Game 7 Hockey Minnesota North Stars Minnesota Wild New York Islanders New York Rangers nhl nhl playoffs Stanley Cup Final Stanley Cup Playoffs
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