Tag: nhl playoffs

Toronto and Edmonton In Desperation Mode As They Try To Stay In Round 2 Contention

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By NHL Public Relations

May 10, 2023

The Maple Leafs and Oilers currently trail their Second Round series and look to capture crucial Game 4 victories against the Panthers and Golden Knights, respectively, while Florida aims to record its seventh straight win and reach the Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history (also 1996).

Toronto is one of the four franchises in NHL history to win a playoff series by overcoming a 3-0 deficit, after recording the first-ever instance against Detroit during the 1942 Stanley Cup Final. The Islanders (1975 QF vs. PIT), Flyers (2010 CSF vs. BOS) and Kings (2014 R1 vs. SJS) all followed suit, with Philadelphia and Los Angeles going on to reach the League’s championship series.

The Panthers are one win away from sweeping the 50-win Maple Leafs after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the 65-win Bruins in the First Round. Florida can become the fourth team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to sweep a best-of-seven series at any point in a postseason after entering the playoffs as the League’s lowest-seeded team – the Panthers would join the Canadiens (2021 R2 vs. WPG), Predators (2017 R1 vs. CHI) and Blues (1993 DSF vs. CHI).

Individuals in the Panthers-Maple Leafs series were involved in each of the three previous instances where the NHL’s lowest-seeded team completed a best-of-seven sweep. Florida forward Eric Staal can achieve the feat for the second time in three postseasons after helping Montreal do so in the 2021 Second Round – the others are Toronto teammates Erik Gustafsson (2021 R2 w/ MTL) and Calle Jarnkrok (2017 R1 w/ NSH) as well as Maple Leafs president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan (1993 DSF w/ STL).

Vegas and Edmonton have combined for 22 goals through three contests, with the Golden Knights getting a 6-4 win in Game 1 as well as a 5-1 victory in Game 3 and the Oilers earning a 5-1 triumph in Game 2. Should this pattern continue, Vegas and Edmonton would join the Second Round between Carolina and New Jersey as the second series this postseason to feature at least one team scoring five or more goals in each of the first four games.

Connor McDavid returns to the ice for Game 4 after being held off the score sheet in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs for just the second time and ninth time overall in 2022-23. McDavid (69-99—168 in 91 GP) sits two points away from becoming the fifth different player in NHL history with 170 in a regular season and playoffs combined, a feat only Wayne Gretzky (10x; last: 1990-91), Mario Lemieux (3x; last: 1995-96), Mike Bossy (1981-82) and Jaromir Jagr (1995-96) have accomplished to date.

Morgan Rielly (3-8—1 in 8 GP) is one game shy of establishing a franchise playoff record for longest point streak in a playoff year and can become the eighth different defenseman in NHL history to record a point streak of nine or more games in a single playoff year, joining: Al MacInnis (17 GP in 1989), Bobby Orr (14 GP in 1970 & 13 GP in 1972), Denis Potvin (12 GP in 1976), Larry Murphy (9 GP in 1995), Brian Leetch (9 GP in 1994), Larry Robinson (9 GP in 1978) and Pierre Pilote(9 GP in 1961).

Source: media.nhl.com

The NHL Needs To Address Format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Eventual Stanley Cup Finals Winner

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2023

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff CanucksBanter

May 6, 2023

The NHL is in need of addressing the format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the eventual Stanley Cup Finals winner.

The league has achieved, for the most part, parity amongst its teams, allowing for pretty good regular season Division, Conference play, and Inter-Conference games.

With the abundance of American based teams, I believe the chance for a Canadian team to rise from a 30 year hibernation and win the prized championship trophy, last achieved by the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, may take a few more years, or still could be achieved this season: if the “upset” trend of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continues through to the Stanley Cup Final.

To hasten that possibility, at risk of upsetting my American neighbors, I would suggest a little tweak, which would benefit all teams, especially those rebuilding or retooling.

What would it involve? Warning, it’s radical:

*An Inter-Conference Round 3 of the NHL Playoffs with the top seeded team of the Western Conference playing the lowest seeded Eastern Conference team; the top seeded team of the Eastern Conference playing the lowest Western Conference seed.

*The winners of the Inter-Conference Round would play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage to be determined.

*The Inter-Conference Round Losers would play the best of 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Background

Presently, regular season play results in:

  • Top three teams in each division of each conference advancing to the playoffs
  • Two additional top Wild Card teams from the remainder of the teams in each conference also advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs first round play.

There are seven NHL Canadian based teams in the National Hockey League. Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg in the Western Conference. Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto in the Eastern Conference.

For each season, there are any number of teams tweaking their rosters within a league imposed Cap, so from minor to major, based on each teams competitive circumstances, retooling, tweaking, and rebuilding does occur.

The two conferences play a large part in the ability of teams to successfully achieve winning the Stanley Cup. But that influence can be tweaked as well.

The Idea

Obviously, the regular season is long as it is, but historically the Eastern Conference divisions have faced considerable competition in vying for playoff spots, with some not making it, even though having better records then a Western Conference opponent.

I would like to see an Inter-Conference Round at Round 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:

*The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs would begin with Round 1 and Round 2 as they do presently, but Round 3 would be an Inter-Conference Round: WC top seed plays EC lowest seed; EC top seed plays WC lowest seed. Top seeds would have home ice advantage.

*Inter-Conference Round winners would play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage to be determined.

*The Inter-Conference Round Losers would play the best of 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The addition of an Inter- Conference Round would add a component that no other sports league has: Inter-Conference play to determine the final two teams for a league championship, and a short 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the playoffs.

Why? Besides reasons listed above……and…

To start with, to reward teams that have played well enough all season to compete for a shot at the Stanley Cup.

Also, Canadian NHL based teams need a helping hand to counter the 25 American based NHL teams.

If the NHL goes Global, with additional teams, the NHL Playoffs format would need tweaking, and my suggestion would start it off.

Never too late.

The ultimate prize in the NHL, the reason for a grueling regular season, is to not only to make the playoffs but benefit from one’s play, based on earned merit, such as seeding, but also Conference, Inter-Conference and League superiority, to take that playoff run for the Stanley Cup.

I would suggest no team in the NHL feels the ultimate goal is to win their Division, Conference, or Presidents Trophy. Those represent goals of achievement to an end, that end being holding the Stanley Cup as an NHL champion.

Too often in the NHL, teams that start the season with the endorsement of NHL writers, broadcasters, commentators, color analysts, and pundits —as the “favorites” to make the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup, are not always correct.

Teams that start the season well, don’t always finish as they begin. Others are “late bloomers” and finish strong, sometimes to make the “show”, other times 1, 2 or 3 points short of “making the dance”.

In conclusion, and in review, my suggestion is simple:

  • Top three teams in each division of each conference advancing to the playoffs, as it stands now
  • Two additional top Wild Card teams from the remainder of the teams in each conference also advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs 1rst round play.
  • The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin with Round 1 and Round 2 as they are presently, but Round 3 would be an Inter-Conference Round: WC top seed plays EC lowest seed; EC top seed plays WC lowest seed. Top seeds would have home ice advantage.
  • Inter-Conference Round winners would play in the Stanley Cup Finals. Home ice advantage to be determined.
  • The Inter-Conference Round Losers would play the best of 3-game series to determine 3rd place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Just saying…..