The NHL's playoff format is once again under fire. Sports analyst Pete Blackburn took to social media with some pointed numbers. The stats do not paint a pretty picture for Commissioner Gary Bettman.

"Over the last five years, more than half of the NHL's conference finals have ended in five games or fewer. None have gone seven games. Dark days for Gary's format," Blackburn tweeted. The numbers speak for themselves.

The main issue is how teams are seeded. The current format is built around divisions rather than overall conference standings. That means top teams in the same division often meet in the first or second round.

This setup guarantees that real Stanley Cup contenders get knocked out early. By the time the Conference Finals roll around, the matchups are not as strong. The deeper rounds end up feeling flat compared to what came before.

Many fans love the NHL's first round. They call it the best opening round in North American sports. Seven-game battles between top teams right out of the gate make for great hockey.

But that excitement comes at a price. The best series happen too early. Later rounds suffer as a result.

This year's playoffs have made the issue impossible to ignore. The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild battled it out in round one. The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning also went head-to-head early.

These were thrilling, hard-hitting series. But the problem was clear. Dallas and Minnesota were the second and third-best teams in the West. One of them was going home in round one.

It was the same story in the East. Tampa Bay and Montreal were the third and fourth-best teams. Meanwhile, the seventh and eighth seeds played each other, guaranteeing a lower seed a spot in round two.

Gary Bettman Addresses Growing Calls to Change NHL Playoff Format

Fans want change. Many are calling for a return to the 1-8 conference seeding. They believe it would lead to better matchups in later rounds.

Bettman, however, does not seem to share that view. He recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show. He was asked directly if the league might go back to 1-8 seeding.

"What we have has worked really well in terms of the series that develop; in terms of how the playoffs play out; in terms of the races to get into the playoffs with the wild card, our regular season goes down to the wire for virtually all of our clubs," Bettman said. He believes the format creates longer first-round series. "We had six of our eight first-round series went at least six games. That's extraordinary. You get more games. You get more compelling seasons."

Bettman knows some fans want things done differently. But he is not looking to make any big changes. "I don't see the need for a change, but we always talk about everything," he said.

He did leave the door slightly open. "If there are things we can do to tweak what we do and make it better, we're not averse to at least considering it." For now, the format stays put.

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar