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Re: The Official NHL 2022-2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread
I watched the Maple Leafs win the Cup in 1967. I was 12 years old at the time and I watched it on TV, on Hockey Night In Canada of course, with my grandmother and my uncle.
I'm telling you this to let you all know that I am not a troll. I'm not a hate'r. I grew up playing hockey both in the rink and on the street. Everything hockey was my world up until the age of 19 when, during a game, I took two slapshots to my knee in the exact same spot. I had to be carried off the ice and that was the end of my hockey days.
I stopped watching the NHL playoffs years ago. I follow the season, but when the playoffs come round, I shut off the hockey news. I'll peek at box scores every few days, maybe, but that's it. And that's because the NHL playoff format doesn't just suck, it's the worst playoff format in all of sports, by light years. And it PO's me so bad that I can't stomach it.
Ideally, conference and division considerations should be placed aside once the season comes to an end. All 16 teams should be paired up in the playoffs according to season PTS, GF, GA, etc. That said, no other sports league does that, so one can't really expect the Bettman brain trust -- especially them -- to be that progressive.
At the very least though, matchups should be all-conference. That wouldn't be my choice but it would make some sense when compared to other sports leagues.
But all-division matchups? Are you kidding me? How does an all-division/all-conference/conference vs conference format make any sense if the goal is to treat the fans to a championship final that showcases the two best teams in the league? It doesn't take a math genius to see that the odds of the best teams meeting in the Stanley Cup finals are reduced by half as a result of the conference format, and then reduced by half again because of the division matchup format.
But for me it's more than just math. It's history. Yes I'm a Boomer, and yes TO is my team even though I grew up in Edmonton and watched Gretzky live and think he's the greatest ever. But TO is my team, and I watched many games in the absolute shrine that was Maple Leaf Gardens. I own home and away jerseys of all Original Six teams. And not the chintzy Fanatics rip-offs, I mean the NHL-authentic versions. (Sport Chek post-season sales... watch for them.)
I don't have a lot of time left on this planet (thank god I sometimes think, ha!), and so for the love of everything Johnny Bower, could we PLEASE have the opportunity to watch Toronto and Montreal face off against each other in the Stanley Cup finals, one more time? Or how about either team vs the NY Rangers? Or classic Habs vs Bruins, oh man! Or a Detroit and Chicago final? I'd even welcome Edmonton vs Vancouver even though Canucks is maybe the dumbest mascot name ever. And yes, Oilers ain't the best either I'll admit, but their history and success at least makes up for that. Sort of.
There was a time in hockey when the best two teams would meet at the end of the long, long season. And we Canadians would rejoice: Stanley Cup time had arrived! We were sad as well of course given winter was over, and six months of lousy hockey weather lay ahead (not my joke so can't take credit). Still, we'd excitedly gather around our TVs to watch the best of the best of the best skate for glory. And that's not possible anymore if those teams are, A: in the same division, and B: in the same conference.
Bonus trivia question as a reward for reading this rant: What does Charlton Heston have in common with the NHL's playoff format?
Answer:
It's a madhouse!! A MADDD-house!!!
Last edited by Brucie; 04-16-2023 at 06:33 AM.
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04-15-2023, 03:59 PM
