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Originally Posted by TheLastPig
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His article is just bitching with no solutions. Division winners getting hosed? I think the 2nd seeds in the good divisions get hosed but that's me.
Then this:
"In the West, grueling opening-round travel might befall the No. 1 seed." As for this in the article. What's he looking at? Right now CHI would go to Nashville. That's a tough little over an hour flight there man. Now if the Ducks fall there, then yeah but right now, which is a lot of what he's basing this on, the Hawks have a nice travel deal.
Then, his bitching about how the big names could be out of it early. Yeah, cause that was never a problem in the old system. Remember that great 2003 WCF's between the Wild and the Ducks. No Avs, no Wings, no Stars, no Blues, no Vancouver with the Naslund, Bert, Morisson line. Or 2004 the Sharks and Flames I'm sure had great ratings. 2009 Canes and Pens for the ECF's? I'm sure your average fan was psyched about that one.
An don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the perfect system, but that last part is just funny. Top teams went out early all the time in the old days. If you want the top teams always there, go watch the NBA.
Now, I don't think there really is a perfect system though. 1-8 gives you the "fairness" of it in terms of records but then you can have teams traveling across the country for all 3 rounds, for team on the west coast or midwest for the Western Conference. Which was a big reason for this system. Not quite as big of a deal as it used to be when you had DET and CBJ (well DET since CBJ made the playoffs once in the West and ended playing DET) in the West but still not great but that's just the NHL and where teams are located.
The old system, when there were 6 divisions wasn't perfect either. The Southwest Div used to blow so you'd have the 8th best team in the East getting the 3rd seed. Or if you had 2 real good teams in one division, you get shafted with the 4th seed if lose the division. Happened to the Wings in 2000 and then had to start the 2nd round on the road in COL when they finished 12 points ahead of them. With only 4 divisions, it's less of an issue now though if they give the division champs the top 2 spots in the conferences.
I don't see the system changing anytime soon though. They won't go 1-4 in each division like the old days because when you have a situation when one division is a lot better. The NHLPA wanted it this way too.
They also probably won't go 1-8 again because of two things. The travel and the regular season format that is heavily weighted towards the division rivalries. I mean they want these teams fighting for playoff seeding against each other. I'm fine with 1-8 personally, but these things here is why I don't see it happening.