"The playoffs have to represent merit."
That quote, put into words by Brian Burke in a December interview with ESPN, has always defined the universal concept of the postseason.
Across the wide spectrum of sports, the playoffs are meant to showcase continued strength, dedication and domination in an elite competition to determine a league's best. The very fight for such an invitation is often glorious on its own, as there are few more exciting occasions than a last-second battle for a final playoff spot.
But in the NHL, the annual postseason field is only loosely tied to greatness. The eight playoff berths from each conference add up to 16 seeds in all—more than half of the league's 30-franchise total.
Nevertheless, with the overtime/shootout loss column skewing the standings, the fact that the NHL has more playoff teams with losing records than any other major professional league is easily overlookable.
Squads with records of .500 or worse are definitely a common sight in hockey's playoffs, though; 2010-2011 was actually he first season since the lockout without a playoff team ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Jones
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