The Ditch part deux

They have yet to clinch. May not even clinch before the last day.

 

I wouldn't say big trouble though, definitely in the drivers seat. Three points up on both the habs and cbj with two games left.

 

ROW is an issue though. They get the Wings next at home. Not tough but they just lost to them in Detroit pretty handedly.

 

Odds are for the pens, both habs and cbj would have to pass them.

 

Big period coming up for the yotes, 1-1 third coming up.

 

Da da da daaa

2-1 Kingz

 

3-1, two mins left, yotes playing for their lives, 50 shots.

 

Final,

 

Avs also get an 18.5% chance at the first overall lottery pick as Sens finish dead last.

 

https://puckprose.com/2019/04/02/edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-vents-frustration-lost-season/

McDavid is getting more pissed over another wasted season !

 

If the Canes had a goalie they would be dangerous, even ken dryden could play goalie for them now.

 

The Canes made the playoffs with two career backup goalies, 9th in goals against. Imagine if they had Rinne or Vasilevsky in the net.

 

? They aren't in yet.

 

They hold the 1st WC with 2 games remaining...

 

They have the devils and flyers and both cbj and the habs have to pass them.

 

Report: NHL, NHLPA agree not to change playoff format...

The NHL’s current playoff format is reportedly sticking around, at least for one more season.

According to a report from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed to extend the format, as well as the current divisional alignment, for one more year. Even though it will continue to be a talking point, the earliest possible change to the format will not be until the 2020-21 season, if one even happens.

The NHL has used the current divisional format since the 2013-14 season.

It is set up so the top-three teams in each division are automatically in the playoffs, while the remaining two spots in each conference are Wild Card teams. The division winners play the Wild Card teams in Round 1, while the second and third place teams face each other.

It is a format designed to create and focus on rivalries, which it absolutely does and has given us some amazing early round matchups in recent years.

Critics of the format, however, don’t like that it can often times guarantee that a top-team in the league gets eliminated in the first-or second-round depending on the strength of the division the play in.

Last year, for example, Nashville and Winnipeg, the teams with the two best records in the league, ended up meeting in Round 2. It was a similar story the year before when Pittsburgh and Washington met in the second round.

This year, Boston and Toronto (the third and fifth best records at the moment) are slated to meet in Round 1, with the winner possibly having to play Tampa Bay (the best team in the league) in round two if it wins its first round series.

Lightning forward Steven Stamkos was one of the players that recently questioned the format.

“It is what it is,” said Stamkos, via TSN. “It has been that way for a while now. You’re going to have to beat the best teams to win anyways whether it’s the first round or the conference finals. I understand where they’re coming from from a marketing perspective, wanting to get some rivalries early on, but I think from a perspective of what you’re grinding 82 games for during a season is to finish as high as you can so you can have that advantage come playoffs.”

“I don’t think that’s an advantage to Toronto or Boston to be, what could be the top three teams in the whole league from one division, and then to have to play that team in the first round. I don’t think that’s right, and saying that you saw what [Pittsburgh] and [Washington] had to deal with for the last couple years. It is what it is. You can’t change it now, but I don’t think it’s the most fair in terms of why you play and the advantage you’re supposed to have come playoff time.”

It might not be ideal to have a top team go out early, but there are some fantastic possibilities for Round 1 matchups this season (Boston-Toronto is a given, as is San Jose-Vegas, and both should be amazing; Nashville-Winnipeg is also possibility) that are going to be incredible to watch. (PHT)

 

And I wouldn't talk a out how they are already in. Same with the Pens honestly.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that either cbj or mtl will be out. If one of the two passes either the Pens or Canes, it will be one and not both.

But I'll eat crow if I have too.

 

i like the old format of 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 etc.