Thoughts on playoff expansion?

[btimbit]

Too many teams make it as is. Leave it alone and with 32 teams it'll be about right

[Strange Brew]

I don’t know how you do it, and in truth you probably just can’t force it to happen, but winning the regular season title needs to have more prestige. If you are going to force an 82 game schedule on us, it should be more than a precursor to the games that count.

Expanding the playoff tournament could be fun, but not the way the league is set up now. Change to a 62 game schedule, play each team twice with a few more days off during the season and maybe getting creative for the playoffs would be cool.

[ForeverFlameFan]

16 in 16 out. That’s perfect.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Rando

Works for now but soon there will be 32 teams. Then we need to go to 32 -16 - 8 - 4 - 2 - 1.

By 2116, the NHL will expand to 64 teams for 200th anniversary. 64 -32 -16 - 8 - 4 - 2 - 1

The round of 32 teams is the regular season.

[BeltlineFan]

Can I get an explanation on the poll question? I assume a 'play in' wild card format is different from the wild card format we have now?

[Cycling76er]

Originally Posted by BeltlineFan

Can I get an explanation on the poll question? I assume a 'play in' wild card format is different from the wild card format we have now?

Likewise. Came to ask this very question. Please explain the poll question.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by BeltlineFan

Can I get an explanation on the poll question? I assume a 'play in' wild card format is different from the wild card format we have now?

In baseball, the wildcard teams play each other first to determine which team gets to join everyone else in the first round. I imagine the idea would be something similar to that.

A major difference between baseball and hockey being that a much smaller percentage of the league makes the first round of the playoffs

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Wild card games diminish the value of the regular season. Non starter.

I think it's done the opposite in baseball. Division titles are much more important now that a wild card spot only gets you a play in game. If done right, you could make the regular season more meaningful for teams at the top, if falling out of the top 2 means a play in game, and it would make for more meaningful games for more teams on the cusp.

Go straight wins/losses and add a play in game to account for any teams who think they may have got jobbed by having a bad shootout record.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

I think it's done the opposite in baseball. Division titles are much more important now that a wild card spot only gets you a play in game. If done right, you could make the regular season more meaningful for teams at the top, if falling out of the top 2 means a play in game, and it would make for more meaningful games for more teams on the cusp.

Go straight wins/losses and add a play in game to account for any teams who think they may have got jobbed by having a bad shootout record.

I think you are missing the fact that the play-in came with an extra wild-card spot in baseball. Before, it was all the division winners and the one team that was best-of-the-rest. Now, you can be second best-of-the-rest in the regular season and still get a chance to play your way in.

[Table 5]

The only thing I want to change about the playoffs is for them to start about a month earlier.

[Bingo]

Changed the poll question.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I love the excitement of a play in game. Expand by one team on both sides and do that. One game showdown to get in. It's awesome.

[CalgaryFan1988]

^^

Would definitely create more exciting games towards the end of the season.

You'd have teams battling to finish 7th (to avoid the one game showdown).

Then you'd have teams battling to finish 8th and 9th to be able to play the one game showdown.

And would actually make a lot of sense for teams that finish higher to have a couple extra days off to rest from injuries for the playoffs to begin.

There is a definite need to cut down on "off" days in between games once playoffs begin though, the season is far too long.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I love the excitement of a play in game. Expand by one team on both sides and do that. One game showdown to get in. It's awesome.

Disagree for hockey unless there was a much more substantial change to the playoff format. In baseball, it's still two of the top teams playing each other, because they are stuck in divisions with a powerhouse. In hockey, when half the teams already make it, it would be two borderline teams and the game would really only be meaningful to the teams involved. I think it would take away from the excitement of the end-of-season race for the last spot.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

^^

Would definitely create more exciting games towards the end of the season.

You'd have teams battling to finish 7th (to avoid the one game showdown).

Then you'd have teams battling to finish 8th and 9th to be able to play the one game showdown.

And would actually make a lot of sense for teams that finish higher to have a couple extra days off to rest from injuries for the playoffs to begin.

There is a definite need to cut down on "off" days in between games once playoffs begin though, the season is far too long.

One of the great things about hockey playoffs is anyone can win once you're in. It's a big grind for everyone and I don't think it would be right to give an advantage to the top teams beyond home ice advantage and opponent match-up.

[the2bears]

I don't like any idea that lengthens the play-offs. Long enough as it is. This means no extra rounds for wild cards for me.

[Hockey Fan #751]

I really like the idea mentioned above that if any two teams have the exact same number of points that they should play a play-in game. I think it's a great thing that the WHL does.

[Fan in Exile]

Seriously? God no. And they should shorten the season as well.

[dammage79]

This topic makes me very very annoyed with Elliott Friedman. I feel like this has been his baby for a long time. Love the guy, he's great at his job but his constant droning about expanded playoffs annoys me to no end.

I mean, hes been on this since Vegas came into the league.

[GirlySports]

if you do 1v16 you'd have to do 2-3-2 series to reduce travel