Article: The Wild Can't Scapegoat the NHL's Playoff Format This Season

[Chris Schad]

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[MNCountryLife]

Personally I don't like the format.  I prefer the seeded option. Get the best teams to the 2nd round.  Current format penalizes certain teams for being in the same division.

[0 Stanley Cups]

I wish the NHL would go back to the old 1-8 format, it gets boring watching the same teams battle, if they play teams they don't see as often maybe there might be a few more upsets.

Also, the worst part is that for some reason the Wild's playoff games get pushed back to an 8:30PM start time anyway even though it's in the central time zone, which absolutely sucks and makes no sense!

[IllicitFive]

I egt wanting to promote more rivalries, but I don't think my hatred for the avs is anymore or less than it was in 2013. Who in MN doesn't hate everything Stars? Rivals will happen anyway in division, quit punishing teams for getting a 3 seed vs a wild card and playing in an easier division come playoffs. 

[Burnt Toast]

I’d like to see the 1 vs 8 format reinstated. I think that’s the fairest/funnest postseason setup. I want to see new and different matchups all across the league. I am looking forward to having the LTIR playoff loophole closed. It should change the dynamics in this year’s postseason. 

[raithis]

1 hour ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

I wish the NHL would go back to the old 1-8 format, it gets boring watching the same teams battle, if they play teams they don't see as often maybe there might be a few more upsets.

Also, the worst part is that for some reason the Wild's playoff games get pushed back to an 8:30PM start time anyway even though it's in the central time zone, which absolutely sucks and makes no sense!

8:30pm start if you are lucky.  Sometimes it's been later than that.

I get that the Eastern teams are going to get the earlier slot and the networks figure that the West Coast will be fine because it's not late for them, but most of the teams in the Western Conference tend to come from the Central.

Hell, most of the entire league is in the Eastern and Central time zones, so it makes more sense to start the games earlier, so the second game isn't as late.

And while that would make sense, the underlying reason is that there are simply more people on the East and West Coast and fans in Minnesota get shafted on playoff start times because there's more money to be made on scheduling the Western Conference team to start at 8:30pm instead of starting the Eastern Conference game even earlier.

I feel like it has a lot to do with catering to sports betting, but if I'm honest with myself, it's been going on since before sports betting was so intertwined with the league, though that's not to say that it wasn't intertwined with the networks and still partly the reason.

[Scalptrash]

Everyone wants the traditional format reinstated, except Bettman. Another egomaniac too proud to swallow his pride.

5 hours ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

Also, the worst part is that for some reason the Wild's playoff games get pushed back to an 8:30PM start time anyway even though it's in the central time zone, which absolutely sucks and makes no sense!

We all know that 8:30 means 9. Kind of hard to grow the sport when kids can't watch the playoffs. My son, who loves and plays hockey, could care less about the Wild making the playoffs, he can never stay up to watch any games.

Gary and the NHL could care less about flyover country and will ensure the cup never gets here.