The NHL faces equality issues in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; is a change back necessary?

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Chris Gerics
September 16, 2024 (4:45 PM)

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The NHL has a problem with equality. It feels like every year there are less and less surprises come playoff time, so is it time for the league to switch back to something better?

As a Maple Leafs fan, the playoffs feel like Groundhog Day; the same results over and over. Sure, Toronto hasn't been as successful scoring in the playoffs as they do in the regular season, but is it actually their fault? Well, yes partially. But there's a lot more behind it, and perhaps a reason why Toronto hasn't made it to a third round in their entire franchise history.

The NHL wanted to provide a bit more parity when it comes to teams being in the playoffs. They still want half the league in the playoffs, however they want to do so in a way which handicaps teams in a way where top teams are struggling to find a spot they'd otherwise have clinched. In this current format, the top 3 teams in each division would secure playoff spots filling in 12 spots, and the remaining teams are filled in with four wild-card spots to make up the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In this format, we see consistently top teams fighting each other in the first round of the playoffs, and while it surely does make for entertaining hockey, it doesn't really showcase the dominance of these teams. For example, Tampa Bay, Boston, and Toronto have always found themselves fighting with each other in the first round, or even to secure a playoff berth; but all of these matchups warrant being called a Conference Finals battle. It's reminiscent of when St. Louis and Chicago faced off in 2016, a battle of two heavyweights which could easily have been that year's Western Conference Final if another model was implemented.

There needs to be some change. If the league were to revert to their old format, I feel it would give the league a lot more opportunities for surprise matchups, underdog stories, and allow a more standard, although fairer bracket.

Before 2013-14, the NHL used a playoff system where instead of two divisions, they had three. It allowed the top team in each division to grab hold of a playoff berth while the next five teams based on points in each conference. Then the format would be #1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, #3 vs. #6, and #4 vs. #5; and while people will argue that it's unfair that teams who are ranked so low are going to get dominated; many times throughout history an underdog team led their team to the Stanley Cup. I remember when teams like the 2005-2006 Edmonton Oilers came out of nowhere to make it to a Finals that no one saw coming vs. Carolina. The Hurricanes themselves made a Cinderella run to the Finals vs. Detroit in 2002 which unfortunately came to an end with a loss; but goes without saying, it feels like these are few and far between now.

There's been a few first round upsets over the decade but history has shown that a lot of these moments where teams end up being able to sneak in are previous to 2013.

TSN's Travis Yost put out an article which included data regarding the frequency of the same teams either making the playoffs, or if they'll miss another year and the results are intriguing. Out of the 16 teams that made the playoffs last year, 13 returned from 2022-2023; and post-pandemic we've seen a consistency with who earns their shot. Prior to 2013 the data shows that the amount of playoff repeaters was much lower; which leads to different teams and more interesting matchups. Even betting markets understand this parity issue, as they've had 15 of the 16 teams who made the playoffs last year, repeat this year. Only Minnesota appears on the list who didn't make it, usurping the New York Islanders.

So the question is: Should the NHL move back to a more traditional playoff bracket; one that brought them so much success and one that they used for 25 years?

Yes. Yes they should.