The Leafs win the cup, only to have an asterisk beside it in the history books.

Eklund: What team will be the surprise of the playoffs?
- Eklund

none because there will never be a playoff.

Agree with thechezman, pisses me off to see MTL in the playoffs ! It's a joke, why 24 teams !?!? There's 71 games played for nothing !?!? This league is a joke ....

There is currently 3 Abby's, 2 Wendy's, and 1 Popeyes on fire across America. But nothing from Ek. Time to get woke everyone!

Agree with thechezman, pisses me off to see MTL in the playoffs ! It's a joke, why 24 teams !?!? There's 71 games played for nothing !?!? This league is a joke ....
- milanlucic1717

Several teams were robbed of a chance to go on a late season run and potentially steal that final wild card spot. However unlikely it may have been.

So this 24 team format includes those teams along with all the teams that were already locked in position.

What’s so hard to understand about this??

COVID-19 will win it's first Stanley Cup!
- Hockeyfan39

Connor McCOVID-97

Seriously though, what would happen if a teams goaltending tandem contracts the COVID virus? It's pretty hard to say actually, with so many variables but if I have to venture a guess I would say Calgary.

this 5-game exhibition/tournament is a total crapshoot that decides if teams that earned their 5th seeds after 70ish games played get to contend for the Cup.. by playing against teams 7 and 10pts out of a wildcard spot after 70ish games played. Both teams will be ice cold. Why is a 5th seed subjected to this? They had 70 games to get AT LEAST 5pts from a Wildcard spot, and Chicago is 7 and the Habs 10! Pitt and Nash are 5pts ahead of the 6th seed.. firmly secure in their playoff birth.. yet there's a chance they could lose and be kicked because a team won 3 out of 5 after 2 months of no hockey. craziness.

Several teams were robbed of a chance to go on a late season run and potentially steal that final wild card spot. However unlikely it may have been.

So this 24 team format includes those teams along with all the teams that were already locked in position.

What’s so hard to understand about this??
- SimpleJack

you REALLY think Chicago was going to overtake 1 of the Wild, Jets, Flames and Canucks to grab a wildcard slot?... being 7 points out?? with those 4 teams within 3 pts of each other?
You REALLY think the Habs could just get hot for 11 games and get a wildcard spot over FOUR teams that are within ONE point of each other?? The 40-23-6 Penguins shouldn't have to beat the 31-31-9 Habs to advance to the playoffs.. they already earned their 40 wins, and the Habs earned their 31 losses. This is stupid.

The play-in round should be seeds 6-11.. not this nonsensical 5-12. just ridiculous.

Surprise would be Tarana going out in 3 straight. I figure they will squeak out 1 win.

Connor McCOVID-97
- Pat1993

Several teams were robbed of a chance to go on a late season run and potentially steal that final wild card spot. However unlikely it may have been.

So this 24 team format includes those teams along with all the teams that were already locked in position.

What’s so hard to understand about this??
- SimpleJack

Because a team that was in a solid play-off position has to play a team that was not going to go on your “late season play-off push”. And I am not only referring to my Pens. The Oilers, Carolina (who I think got screwed even harder) and others that are facing teams that are getting a second life to allow the NHL to make more $$$.

They should have cut it to the play in round consisted of Wild Card teams and the bubble teams and allowed only 16 teams in.

you REALLY think Chicago was going to overtake 1 of the Wild, Jets, Flames and Canucks to grab a wildcard slot?... being 7 points out?? with those 4 teams within 3 pts of each other?
You REALLY think the Habs could just get hot for 11 games and get a wildcard spot over FOUR teams that are within ONE point of each other?? The 40-23-6 Penguins shouldn't have to beat the 31-31-9 Habs to advance to the playoffs.. they already earned their 40 wins, and the Habs earned their 31 losses. This is stupid.

The play-in round should be seeds 6-11.. not this nonsensical 5-12. just ridiculous.
- MartysBetter88

6-11 makes for 6 teams. That means 3 teams emerge, to play 5 waiting teams.

If they had done 5-11, that would make for 7 teams, which is also odd, if you will forgive me.

4 -11 makes for 8 teams, that would have made for 4 teams emerging to play 3.

If you are ok with the first n teams getting byes, where n=2,4,... and 1 play-in elimination round for non-bye teams to determine the match-ups for the playoff teams, then you need 2n play-in teams, which will yield n victorious play-in-playoff teams.

If you further want to have a traditional playoffs with 16 teams, you want n+n=8 from each conference, which means you must have 8 play-in playing teams.

Dear cheezman. Remember when you thought the Devils would be good this year? Guess what? They suck !

Seriously though, what would happen if a teams goaltending tandem contracts the COVID virus? It's pretty hard to say actually, with so many variables but if I have to venture a guess I would say Calgary.
- Hockeyfan39

What would happen if they got hurt ?

6-11 makes for 6 teams. That means 3 teams emerge, to play 5 waiting teams.

If they had done 5-11, that would make for 7 teams, which is also odd, if you will forgive me.

4 -11 makes for 8 teams, that would have made for 4 teams emerging to play 3.

If you are ok with the first n teams getting byes, where n=2,4,... and 1 play-in elimination round for non-bye teams to determine the match-ups for the playoff teams, then you need 2n play-in teams, which will yield n victorious play-in-playoff teams.

If you further want to have a traditional playoffs with 16 teams, you want n+n=8 from each conference, which means you must have 8 play-in playing teams.
- PT21

It should have just been a 7,8,9,10th place wild card round robin to get the 7 and 8 spots, with the 7 and 8 having some sort of advantage.

It's utterly ridiculous to think that Montreal would go over .700 while 5...FIVE TEAMS...would have to play below .333.

Chicago had better odds but not by a lot.

It should have just been a 7,8,9,10th place wild card round robin to get the 7 and 8 spots, with the 7 and 8 having some sort of advantage.

It's utterly ridiculous to think that Montreal would go over .700 while 5...FIVE TEAMS...would have to play below .333.

Chicago had better odds but not by a lot.
- JLO961

4 team round-robin has problems for elimination too. The potential for ties are strong.

Besides, then each team plays thrice. What happens to the 6 playoff teams? If they don't play, then they don't get any competitive tune up. If they play round robin they end up playing 5 games apiece, which is almost twice as much as the play-in teams. Players could get hurt etc in largely meaningless games

One way to factor in the regular season record without changing # of teams might be something like this: divide play-in teams in 2 groups, have round robin play in each group, and then consider x*regular season p/g and (1-x)*play-in p/g.

x could be 0.5, 0.25 etc.

That's a bit abstract for fans to know who needs to win which game though. A calculator would have to be set up.

The current format is less fair but more thrilling and more simple though. Nothing abstract about win and you are in.

Rangers have owned Carolina all year, BUT Carolina’s probably going to come back with a healthy Hamilton & Pesce. If Carolina gets decent goaltending, they could make a push.

Montreal doesn’t score enough IMO for Pittsburgh to be worried about them. Chicago can’t contain both McDavid & Draisaitl

What might be interesting is a look at the teams not getting a play in. Will these ‘top’ teams face each other as tune up games? Is there a potential for a warm up game becoming the precursor to a late round match up that might be worth checking out?

Ignoring the other 20 teams, a round robin of Boston, Tampa, Philly and Washington would be worth watching knowing that most likely these teams will meet in the later rounds. The same could be said for St Louis, Colorado, Dallas and Vegas but the character of hate in the eastern conference has always been palpable.

Hope Ek and the Buzztron weren't victims of all the rioting last night. Looked pretty wild. Oh well, at least we don't have to worry about social distancing anymore.

6-11 makes for 6 teams. That means 3 teams emerge, to play 5 waiting teams.

If they had done 5-11, that would make for 7 teams, which is also odd, if you will forgive me.

4 -11 makes for 8 teams, that would have made for 4 teams emerging to play 3.

If you are ok with the first n teams getting byes, where n=2,4,... and 1 play-in elimination round for non-bye teams to determine the match-ups for the playoff teams, then you need 2n play-in teams, which will yield n victorious play-in-playoff teams.

If you further want to have a traditional playoffs with 16 teams, you want n+n=8 from each conference, which means you must have 8 play-in playing teams.
- PT21

good point good point

I have no idea whether the younger teams will take a step forward but if you're going to mention the mediocre younger teams like AZ and the Rangers what about the team that had the youngest average roster in the league at the start of the season and also holds the 3rd best record in the league?

good point good point
- MartysBetter88

Yeah, I was pissed at the start about the format too, and something like Habs beating Pens in what is essentially a crapshoot after such a long layoff.

Still not thrilled, but I do see more of the logic for the current format that eluded me initially.

These playoffs will never happen

you REALLY think Chicago was going to overtake 1 of the Wild, Jets, Flames and Canucks to grab a wildcard slot?... being 7 points out?? with those 4 teams within 3 pts of each other?
You REALLY think the Habs could just get hot for 11 games and get a wildcard spot over FOUR teams that are within ONE point of each other?? The 40-23-6 Penguins shouldn't have to beat the 31-31-9 Habs to advance to the playoffs.. they already earned their 40 wins, and the Habs earned their 31 losses. This is stupid.

The play-in round should be seeds 6-11.. not this nonsensical 5-12. just ridiculous.
- MartysBetter88

Since the league wasn't able to finish 82 games, something has to be done as compensation (or lawsuits can ensue).

The league's solution makes the most logical sense. Generate revenue, generate hype, compensation for not completing the season (now I know forum posters aren't the most intelligent people), hence all the backlash.