4th place in the Central is likely to finish with more points than 1st place in the Pacific
But Pacific winner gets home ice
The whole division playoff format is just dumb… Like DAL-MIN is a ridiculous match up for the first round. They should play 1-8 or even, I know crazy, 1-16.
Rather 4-16 round robin then play 3,2,1.
I like 1-16. Some people like the rivalries that develop, but I think the variety in matchups would be more interesting. But I guess some locations could get stuck with awful travel setups.
1v16 is a non-starter because of the travel, like you could potentially have EDMvCAR going on at the same time as BUFvMTL.
Personally I don’t have an issue with divisional match-up. The first round of the NHL playoffs is the biggest spectacle in all of sports and having the gauntlet of the Central this year or whichever division is dominant in any particular year makes it even more exciting.
I can see the advantages of the 1v8 format but all it really does is move those pivotal matches to the second round instead of the first.
Why?
Like it said
If they finish with more points than the Pacific division winner … which it looks very much they can/will… the Pacific division winner will get home ice despite Utah having more points on the season
I feel like utah should get home ice if this occurs
But that’s not how the playoff seeding setup. Why bother having divisions then?