NHL playoff format

[maurice93]

It seems that the NHL or media has not really created any awareness around the playoff format moving forward under the new divisions. Maybe its just me but I needed to do a bit of research a few weeks back to make sure I understand the new format... and I am not saying I have it with 100% confidence, but I am fairly certain I have it right.

But here are the current conference standings in the East Conference

1. Boston
2. Pittsburgh
3. Tampa Bay
4. Toronto
5. Detroit
6. Washington
7. Montreal
8. New Jersey
9. NY Rangers
10. Philly

Without doing any research, and working off what you have heard from media what do you think the matchups will be.

I am not trying to come off as a know it all (I had to check it up myself a few weeks ago. I am just wondering if there is a lack of awareness on this.

 

[shack]

It seems that the NHL or media has not really created any awareness around the playoff format moving forward under the new divisions. Maybe its just me but I needed to do a bit of research a few weeks back to make sure I understand the new format... and I am not saying I have it with 100% confidence, but I am fairly certain I have it right.

But here are the current conference standings in the East Conference

1. Boston
2. Pittsburgh
3. Tampa Bay
4. Toronto
5. Detroit
6. Washington
7. Montreal
8. New Jersey
9. NY Rangers
10. Philly

Without doing any research, and working off what you have heard from media what do you think the matchups will be.

I am not trying to come off as a know it all (I had to check it up myself a few weeks ago. I am just wondering if there is a lack of awareness on this.

I figure I'll need to know this before my playoff draft in April.

 

[maurice93]

I figure I'll need to know this before my playoff draft in April.

That's fine. But when you have a media does not even understand what teams would make the playoffs as today, and how many points its team is outside of the playoffs it is an issue.

 

[shack]

That's fine. But when you have a media does not even understand what teams would make the playoffs as today, and how many points its team is outside of the playoffs it is an issue.

Not that I knew it was anything other than similar to before, but how do you know the media doesn't understand it?

 

[maurice93]

In Ottawa this week, a radio host was saying that the Senators were one or two points behind the Rangers for the final playoff spot. They would actually be chasing Montreal for the last playoff spot, as three teams from each division get in. So they would have been 4 points out of a playoff spot.

I had also heard a media member state that only four teams make it from each division and it will be like the old days - that is when I did the research to see if that was the case.


Its 3 teams from each division, and 2 wildcards. The 2-3 teams in each division must face each other in the first round. The first place teams face the wildcards based on ranking.

It would result in some odd matchups based on conference standings:

You would have
#2 Pittsburgh vs #5 Detroit
#6 Washington vs #8 New Jersey

The thing I am still not sure about is whether these above matchups would feet the second round or if they intermingle with the other division.

 

[maurice93]

But Shack, you do have some pretty fair points as usual. Its only November... not March.

The only point of relevance currently is there is less room for a team in Northeast Division (Montreal, Toronto, Boston etc) to slip right now.

 

[smuddan]

Based on the standings as this am, to the best of my understanding the first round match ups will be as follows :

Boston (1st Atlantic) vs Montreal (2nd Wild Card)
Tampa (2nd Atlantic) vs Toronto (3rd Atlantic)

Pittsburg (1st Metro) vs Detroit (2nd Wild Card)
Washington (2nd Metro) vs New Jersey (3rd Metro)

In the second round, the top teams in each division will face the other two teams, matchups to be determined by the teams point totals. Top teams in each division will not face each other unless both reach Conference final.

 

[Ironhead]

I had the same question a couple of weeks ago.

This is the way I understand it.

(Dealing with just the East for this thread)
Top three teams in each division(total of six) Division leading team with most point is #1 seed, division leading team with second most points will be second seed.
The remaining four teams(two from each division) will be ranked by regular season points.
Rank all remaining teams by regular season points with the top two getting the wildcard berths.

So as of Nov 23 in the AM this is my opinion of how first round match ups would look like.

Boston A 30(division leader; currently % points #1)
Pittsburgh M 30(division leader; % #2)
Tampa Bay A 29
Toronto A 27(% points better then Detroit)
Washington M 25
New Jersey M 23
Detroit A 27(Wildcard 1)
Montréal A 26(Wildcard 2)

Boston(#1) vs Montreal(#8)
Pittsburgh(#2) vs Detroit(#7)

Tampa Bay vs Toronto
Washington vs New Jersey

 

[Ironhead]

Just took a quick look at the NHL standings .... Leafs holding onto(barely) the eighth playoff spot.

Pittsburgh M
Montreal A

Boston A
Detroit A
Carolina M
Washington M

Tampa Bay A
Toronto A