Quote:
Originally Posted by InvisibleSoul
#6 should have a tougher opponent than #5, but yet, #6 New Jersey gets to play Florida (91 points), while #5 Philadelphia has to play Pittsburgh (102 points).
That's not right.
I mean, in its best interest, #5 Philadelphia should TANK the remaining games to try to drop a position because #6 has a much easier opponent than #5 does.
When something like this happens, you know there's a flaw in the system.
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I have no problems with the system as it is at all. The first round is where some of the best hockey is played IMO, often times the teams and games will just degrade going through each round that when teams reach the finals they aren't really at 100% and the finals aren't all that great to watch. I loved watching teams like Detroit and SJ get knocked out early back when they were dominant. Even in an ideal world where 1-8 is ranked based on points alone, there will always be upsets in the first round. Once the playoffs start, all bets are off and its anybody's game. Especially in today's NHL with the parity and dilution of talent, even a bad team is not consistently bad every game and they can beat a top team who is slacking off.
Then there is the natural ebb and flow of the teams and standings. This season can be viewed as an abnormality since the system has seemingly 'worked' for a while now. So while the SE and NW division is weaksauce this year, in a few years it may be a completely different story.