NHL has 'best playoff first round in any sport.' But at what cost?

The Stanley Cup playoffs are well underway. But if it feels like good teams are being eliminated too early, it's because they ...

Explaining rules old and new that are part of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs

More than a decade into the return of a division-focused playoff format, the arguments persist about whether it is the best thing the NHL can do to determine a Stanley Cup champion. For three years in ...
MPR News

NHL's disputed playoff format ought to make for a grand entrance for the Central Division this year

Minnesota Wild's Quinn Hughes, left, Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen, center, and Joel Eriksson Ek (14) fight in the third period of an NHL hockey game April 9 in Arlington, Texas. When it comes to ...
The Hockey Writers

NHL Realignment to 8 Divisions Would Create More Excitement

Proposing new NHL realignment to feature 8 divisions, and the implications for scheduling and playoff seeding.

NHL's disputed playoff format ought to make for a grand entrance for the Central Division this year

The current concentration of power in the Western Conference makes the Central Division a good bet to be the star of the show in these Stanley Cup playoffs.