Great Teams, Bad Brackets: What’s Wrong With the NHL Playoff Setup

The point system

I have heard nothing but complaints about the NHL point system. I’ve witnessed it too many times: When the game is tied late in the third period and neither team is willing to take a chance, I’m waiting for the game to go to overtime. The NHL will never change because they want as many teams in the playoff hunt at the end of the season as possible. Fans will continue to walk through the gate as long as their teams remain in the playoff hunt.  

The system of three points for a win, two for an overtime win, and one for an overtime loss has some merit. It separates the haves from the have-nots. It motivates teams to win in regulation. I’m okay with it, but to be honest, I like having a sense of meaning at the end of the season.

What is the biggest challenge going into the playoffs?

The biggest complaint is that the Avalanche, Wild, and Stars are in the same division. As a result, two of them will be out in the first two rounds. This has to be fixed; the league must consider 1-8. There’s a better chance we would have had a better final.

I understand the NHL’s decision. They do not want to remove rivalries from the playoffs. Clearly, Colorado, Minnesota, and Dallas are the three best teams in the West. Losing two of those three teams in the early round is clearly an error in judgment.

Final

The playoffs have been fun to watch this year, especially in the East. It is wide open with no clear favorite. I know most people favor the Tampa Bay Lightning. I think the Buffalo Sabres could beat Tampa in a seven-game series. In the Metro, obviously, Carolina is the team to beat. They will have an easier route to the final than Tampa or Buffalo. And in any case, it will be fun for the fans to watch.

In the West, you can pick any one of Minnesota, Colorado, or Dallas. You have to be happy for Utah fans, because it will be easier for them to reach the final than for the other three teams, because Utah will be the top wild-card team and play the Pacific Division, which is clearly the weaker division.

As for the Pacific division, it looks like the Anaheim Ducks are in first place, followed by the Oilers and the Knights, who are falling all over each other not to win, although the Oilers had a huge win over Utah on the road.

Leafy-Like Hockey: Just Enough Hope to Avoid Real Change

We all know Berube’s days are numbered. It is only a matter of time, right? It may not be right, but it’s easier to fire the coach than all the players. But in this case, wouldn’t it be nice to fire some of the players and the General Manager?

Isn’t it so Leafy-like?

The Leafs, of course, won in Boston the other night. They probably played their best game of the season. The Maple Leafs have developed a terrific penalty kill and scored a short-handed goal in Boston. Then, of course, they backed up that victory by beating the Rangers. You can thank Woll for that, achieving 40 saves for that victory. Someone forgot to send Woll the memo about tanking.

Matías Maccelli

Keeping up with the theme of Leafy-Like: Does the play of Matias save him from the dungeon of the off-season? Admittedly, the winger’s play has vastly improved of late, but this does not excuse his absence when the season still mattered. So Leafy-Like for him to show when we still want him in hibernation.

Austin Matthews

Matthews’ season has been marred by injury issues throughout. Which brings up the question: What would a healthy Matthews like now? The team is expected to meet with Matthews to discuss his future this offseason. Wouldn’t it be Leafy-Like for the team to leave it up to Matthews and then chicken out, not changing anything?

Final word

This has been a season to forget. The Maple Leafs have appeared disinterested in the game most of the season. Whether this is a coaching change (which will happen) or a dressing room problem (which needs to be addressed), it has to be fixed. Going on with the Leafy-Like theme, they will fire the coach and dabble with the lineup while totally ignoring the r-word (rebuild ). Maybe if you ignore it, it will go away.

Randy

What the New York Islanders Need to Do to Make the Playoffs

Everyone knows how wild the East is. We have the Wings, Habs, Sens, Bruins, and Pens, along with our Isles, all fighting over four spots. I have been telling people the Isles are locked in. My source says, no, they’re not.

I am hoping for the Isles to play to win, not to lose. There is a big difference. They were playing as if it were inevitable they would lose. I’m so tired of the Isles acting like they are afraid of their own shadow.  

What needs to happen for the New York Islanders to make the playoffs?

Ilya Sorokin

Ilya has to be a standout. They need the best from him. Clearly, he will have to steal a couple of games for the Isles to make it to the playoffs. He will have to play most of the games as Big Save Dave, since he hasn’t been Big Save Dave lately. The biggest concern here is wearing Ilya out. The Islanders have to step up and figure out how to lighten the load of shots fired at him on a per-night basis.

Here are a couple of suggestions to keep Sorokin from getting tired.

Defense

The biggest defensive problem is too many giveaways in the defensive zone. The Islanders have to be focused and responsible on defense. This means there has to be more communication and to stop being so fancy with the puck. Stop throwing the puck up the middle. Start using the boards to get it out of the zone.

Penalty Killing

First of all, the most obvious path is not to take the stupid penalties. But when they do take the penalty, the New York Islanders have to improve their penalty kill; they have been sloppy, leaving the man uncovered in the slot. The New York Islanders have to cover that middle zone. Too many teams are playing in the middle, and nobody is covering them, making it easy to score on the New York Islanders’ penalty kill.

The Final Word

I conclude by noting that the Isles need to score more goals. Specifically, the top line needs some support. Luke Schenn has to take the bull by the horns and take over the scoring support. Holmstrom is going to have to take it to another level.

If the Isles can achieve these goals, they will be able to take a run at the playoffs. 

Randy 

Spin the Wheel: How Many Games for This One?

Everyone is talking right now about the NHL’s safety protocols. Or as people like to say—well, no, I’m not allowed to say that, this is a family blog. In all seriousness, I wonder what kind of statement the NHL is making lately with its latest game suspensions.

Radko Gudas

First of all, let me say this: I am a huge fan of Radko’s abilities. Every team in the NHL needs a solid physical defenceman who takes care of business in front of the net. But this was not good hockey. The hit was a deliberate knee-on-knee hit. Matthew’s season is over. Are you telling me that when all is said and done, Austin Matthews is only worth five games? This should have been more than a five-game suspension. The NHL needs to clean up its act.

AJ Greer

There is no room in the NHL for AJ Greep’s hit on Connor Zary. It was a malicious hit from behind. I am all for a good physical style of game; that’s part of the game. But that was not good hockey. Connor was defenseless; he had no chance to protect himself from that kind of attack. The NHL has to eliminate this kind of hit from the game. Sidelining Greep for three games does not make the statement that the NHL is trying hard to take these kinds of hits out of the game. If the NHL wants to attract new fans, they have to show people this isn’t a barbaric game.

Final word

There has to be a better way. Players have to respect each other and the rules of the game. There need to be stiffer regulations and penalties. They need to motivate the players not to commit homicidal acts. Let’s try to improve the game, shall we? I’m not saying I want a goody-two-shoes league; what I do want is a safer league for our players.

Randy

P.S. I could have picked from several incidents, but I chose these two because they were the most recent. 

I Screamed at the Leafs—Now Let’s Talk Solutions

Can I act like a two-year-old for 5-10 minutes? I just wanna go downstairs and fall on the floor and yell and scream obscenities. It doesn’t even have to be coherent. It was just so satisfying to let the Toronto Maple Leafs have it.

Now, back to being an adult

Now that my tantrum is over, how can the Maples fix this? It can’t be a total rebuild. We have a schedule on our hands. We have to fix this as soon as possible. A rebuild now is not acceptable.

The players who will probably go

Bobby McMann and Scotty Laughton. These two are probably the two most valuable assets the Leafs have. Both of their contracts expire at the end of the season, and they become UFAs. In a perfect world, Bobby should get a first-round pick and return as part of a package. Scotty, on the other hand, could get a B+ prospect. Another pick up if we are lucky.

The players they will try to move

Morgan, Riley, and Anthony Stolarz fit this route. I do not think they will ever be able to trade either of them, simply because of mathematics. The salary hit is too much, but I’m not sure any team can fit them in. Morgan has a $7.5 million cap hit. Anthony just signed a four-year deal worth $3.75 million, which kicks in next season. Anthony just signed a four-year deal worth $3.75 million, which kicks in next season. I have a hard time believing Toronto can find a new home for him with that term.

The ones who will go if there are offers

Calle Jarnkrok

Calle is a good fourth-line forward who is willing to get his nose dirty. If you need a momentum change on a good hit, he is your man. He’s an option for any team in the league for the penalty kill or a fourth-line forward when you need a spark plug.

Simon Benoit

Simon is a stay-at-home defenceman, a left-hander who would help any team in the league. He is a good third-pairing defenceman who can kill penalties. He may not get many points, but that isn’t why he’s on this team. He is a reliable defenseman.

Final Word

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be sellers; it just remains to be seen how much they will sell. They are desperately trying to get a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. If not the 2026 draft, they will try to get an extra pick in the 2027 draft. Some extra prospects won’t hurt them either. I don’t think they will do a full rebuild; I think a retool is the route they will go.

Randy 

The Islanders Are Playing for One Thing Only

Seriously, I love the Islanders fans’ attitude: “It’s all about the cup.” Who can blame them? There seems to be a different hero every night. For example, against the Montréal Canadiens, it was the old, familiar, but young Schaffer.

Most nights, the old reliable goaltender is the star of the team. Ilya Sorokin. The Vezna candidate goalie has been outstanding this season. After his game starts, I’m thinking he can’t get any better than this. Until the next night—how is he even better than the previous night?

Where are all the haters of Lee and Pageau?

That question was quoted word-for-word from my source, Paul Kreischer of Isles Talk. Paul took this question even further. He continues, “Does anybody want to trade Lee and Pageau now?” Would the Islanders be moving up the ladder at this pace without these two players in the lineup? The question is easily answered with a big negative.

There’s no way the New York Islanders are going anywhere without the progress of Lee and Pageau, and both have been enormous of late. You can reach Paul on Twitter @P_Kreischer or, of course, @IslesTalk.  

Do the Islanders need a new backup goalie?

This is a question, not an accusation. I am wondering out loud. Would the New York Islanders look at another backup goalie?

Big Save Dave has struggled in his last two starts. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Every goalie goes through a couple of bad starts, so it’s nothing. The biggest name on the market seems to be out of Toronto, but there’s no way the New York Islanders will go after Stolartz. Another team with several goalies is Buffalo. Could the New York Islanders pry one out of them?

Final word

My blogging hat has been taken off. This final word is written as a fan: It’s all about the cup; that’s all that matters. If it means New York will be near the Stanley Cup final. It’s time to go all in.

Randy