Ongoing discussions about how to finish the 2019-20 NHL season appear to be making progress this week with various reports that the NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) are devising an unprecedented 24-team playoff format. While the timeline to close out the season remains undecided, the playoff format being discussed would create a postseason unlike anything the league has ever seen.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the playoff structure is expected to include an additional best-of-five play-in round in which teams that had very little chance of making the playoffs — like the 12th-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the East — have a chance to earn a spot in the 16-team bracket.
NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) Executive Director Donald Fehr (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
The top four seeds in each conference would receive a bye to the traditional 16-team, best-of-seven series bracket, leaving the 5-12 seeds to battle it out in the play-in round. As it stands, the Eastern Conference playoff would look like this:
Play-In Round:
No. 5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 12 Montreal Canadiens
No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 11 NY Rangers
No. 7 NY Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida Panthers
No. 8 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Columbus Blue Jackets
Byes: No. 1 Boston, No. 2 Tampa Bay, No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Philadelphia
The winners of the play-in round will advance to face the teams receiving a bye in a traditional bracket without re-seeding.
NHLPA executive board approved this format on Friday, although certain details still need to be fleshed out, according to CBS Sports. Technically, the NHLPA’s decision only authorized further negotiation on the format, so no official decisions have been made, but the 24-team format has been approved.
Here’s how the proposed format could affect the Bruins:
How it Affects the Bruins
As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins wouldn’t participate in the play-in round. That being said, there are still a few concerns that could make things weird for the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Under the proposal, the top-four teams receiving byes would play a three-game round-robin to determine seeding. This means that the Bruins, who built an eight-point lead over their closest competitors (Tampa Bay) in the Eastern Conference over the course of 70 games, could lose their number one seed as a result of three games.
Despite being the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins might not get the most favorable match-up when their postseason kicks off. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
On top of that, even if the Bruins did re-earn their number one seed, there’s no guarantee that they’d face the weakest opponent remaining. Since the 16-team bracket taking place after the play-in round would proceed without re-seeding, the top seed would play the winner of the eight/nine seed match-up between the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jackets, regardless of how the other series’ go. So, even if the lowest-seeded team in the conference, (the Canadiens) knocked off No. 5 Pittsburgh in the play-in round, the top-seeded team wouldn’t be shifted to take on the weakest opponent.
As a result of this, there could be a scenario where the fourth-seeded team (the one that performs the worst in the round-robin) could match-up with the 12th-seeded team while the top-seeded team has to play the eight-seed.
Cassidy’s Concerns
The proposed format threatens the advantages that the Bruins earned during the regular season. As a result, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has already expressed his dislike for the proposed format:
“I don’t have a say in all of this, but I’d rather it be 16 teams, four rounds of four-out-of-seven, let’s go,” Cassidy told 98.5 The Sports Hub. “That’s the integrity of the playoffs. It’s always been that way.”
Cassidy’s concerns are certainly understandable. The Bruins were the top team in the NHL by a fair margin when the league was suspended. Boston was the only team to reach the 100-point mark. They had an eleven point lead over the Flyers, the fourth-ranked team in the conference (though the Flyers did have one game in hand).
Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
The Bruins earned that top seed over the course of 70 games, and yet it could be lost as a result of three. It’s not hard to see why that could be tough to swallow. As Cassidy mentioned, however, there’s no perfect solution. Somebody’s going to be upset no matter what.
“Hopefully we get to that 16 in the right way and it doesn’t hurt us. I guess that’s where I’m coming from, that we don’t get kind of screwed in this process, because we shouldn’t be. We should be rewarded for our regular season. But I don’t think any scenario is going to be perfectly fair, I understand that.”
Nothing is set in stone yet, but all signs point to the 24-team format if and when the NHL resumes. On that note, with the ongoing coronavirus crisis, there are additional factors that are out of the league’s hands. We all want to see hockey return, but any return to the game must ensure the safety of players, team staff, arena workers, media, etc., which the league is still trying to figure out.
Bruce Cassidy has expressed his dislike for the proposed playoff format. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
So, at this point, the question is still if the league will come back this season. If it does, though, nothing will be given to the Bruins. After all, this is playoff hockey, and everything must be earned.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
