Should the NHL Consider Going Back to this Postseason Style?
Without a doubt, the NHL boasts some of the most exciting playoffs in the entire sports world. But is there room for improvement in the NHL postseason?
Is It Time to Shake Things Up?
The current "battle within your division" format feels outmoded, and the 2023 playoffs serve as a perfect illustration. Consider some of these second-round matchups:
In the Western Conference, top seeds Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers face off in the second round, while the 4th place Dallas Stars take on the 7th place Seattle Kraken.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the 2nd seeded Carolina Hurricanes and 3rd place New Jersey Devils clash in one series, while the Maple Leafs (4th) confront the Florida Panthers (8th).
A Blast from the Bubble Past
This raises a compelling query for Gary Bettman and the NHL::
This proposal involves shortening the regular season, with the top four teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences automatically qualifying for the playoffs and participating in a mini round-robin.
The remaining seeds, 5 through 12, from each conference would then compete in a best-of-five series to advance and challenge the top four teams. (For example, 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, and so on.)
Do you think this playoff structure would be more appealing?
As read on Bruins Insider - Should the NHL Bring Back This Specific Playoff Format?.
| POLL | ||
4 MAI | 80 ANSWERS Should the NHL Consider Going Back to this Postseason Style? Should the NHL use the bubble-style playoff format again? | ||
| Yes | 35 | 43.8 % |
| No | 45 | 56.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
