There are some things that NHL fans would love to see changed, and right at the top of the list is the format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The current setup frustrates a lot of Boston Bruins fans and some players around the league.
Greg Wyshynski and Kristen Shelton of ESPN did a roundtable with some players, and they answered several questions on several topics. One of the topics was on the Stanley Cup Playoff format, and Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar said what a lot of fans and some players are thinking.
Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar says out loud what some NHL players and fans are thinking about the postseason
Right now, the current NHL playoff format does not benefit anyone. It is the top three teams in the two divisions in both conferences, and then two wild-cards. A lot of fans and some players wish it went 1-through-8 in each conference. Makar told ESPN what a lot of fans are thinking.
"I feel like all the players want back to 1 to 8. I think that's a thing that we'd like, but I get it. I understand the playoff format now. It makes the road harder sometimes."
"I mean, if you're from Edmonton or L.A., I'd say so, yeah. Sometimes you get a good matchup and sometimes you are playing a top-six team with another top-six team like we did this past year. That's the way she goes."
Seeding teams 1-through-8 in each conference makes too much sense. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are the single-best postseason of any sport, and going to the 1-through-8 format would only make it that much more exciting for everyone. It feels like some teams are getting penalized for having good seasons right now, and there are some first-round matchups (remember Colorado and Dallas last year in the first round?) that fans would love to see at least one or more rounds later. Cale Makar speaks for most NHL fans and said out loud what a lot are thinking.