There have been a lot of complaints from players and fans about the current playoff format (rightly so), but it is what it is and it doesn't look like it's going to be changed anytime soon.
That said, it's interesting to look at what the playoff matchups would be in the old 1-8 system. Of course, with realignment and only four divisions now, it's not true to the old format, but nonetheless, this is what the first round would look like:
The 1 vs. 8 and 2 vs. 7 series in each conference would both be the same, but the Leafs would face the Penguins and the Bruins would face the Flyers in the East.
Over in the West, Winnipeg would get San Jose and the Wild would face the Ducks.
Due to the fact that so many teams have moved and a new team has been added, it's a little more challenging to figure out what the matchups would look like in the old format with three divisions in each conference.
We're going to do our best, though, so stay with us if you can.
As you can see, Nashville would still face Colorado and Tampa would still face New Jersey. Vegas was added to the Pacific Division, so they would still face the Kings.
The Wild, on the other hand, would have finished first in the Northwest Division in the old format and third in the conference, setting up a date with the Sharks. The Jets would get the short end of the stick in this format and face the Ducks in the first round.
The East is a litter easier to digest because the conference standings perfectly reflect the matchups. Tampa won the Southeast, Boston won the Northeast and Washington won the Atlantic.
The matchups, then, would be Boston vs. Columbus, Washington vs. Philadelphia and Toronto vs. Pittsburgh.
So, what do you think of the matchups compared to the current ones. Let us know by tweeting us @BarDown or in the comments below.
(H/T: NHL.com)
