The NHL Needs To Steal This Rule From The PWHL Where The Top Seeds Get To Pick Their Opponent In The Playoffs
Chris Tanouye. Getty Images.
Advertisement
The Star -- The final buzzer sounded at 9:43 p.m. and the 24-hour countdown began.
Toronto has a deadline of the same time Monday to select its opponent in the first round of the PWHL playoffs. Its options were finalized Sunday night with a 5-2 win over Ottawa in the season finale.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been…okay so far this year. The Vegas vs Dallas series was awesome. Boston and Toronto obviously went 7 games, but that's just because both teams love to be dramatic. Either way, it just doesn't seem like there's enough hate and vitriol in the 'yoffs for my liking. I want 7-game series where guys are legitimately ready to kill each other by the time the puck drops for the start of the 3rd period in game 2. There's been plenty of pushing and shoving, but I just don't think there's been enough legitimate hate.
The quickest way to inject some instant hate into the mix is taking this rule from the PWHL. If you clinch the 1st seed in the playoffs, you get your pick between the 3 or 4 seed as your 1st round opponent. Right off the bat it's some automatic bulletin board material for the other team. You're either setting yourself up for the biggest embarrassment in professional sports if you lose to the team you chose to play, or if you end up beating their ass after a few games they are going to be filled with so much rage that there will be a fight after every puck drop.
Either way, the viewers are getting a better product. Hate is what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs so special. That bad blood that can only be achieved by beating the shit out of each other for 7 games straight. Having to pick your opponent just jump starts that process of turning the blood.
Sidenote: The Leafs get picked first every single time, right? It doesn't matter who makes the playoffs. Could be a dog shit squad like Ottawa, could be be Columbus, could be anybody. If you're in the East, your first choice always has to be Toronto. And I think there would be something beautiful about that.