The 2014 NHL season has been a special one for hockey fans, with close division battles, some fresh blood in the postseason race, and two weeks of thrilling Olympic action squeezed in the middle, but the best part is yet to come—the NHL playoffs.
Fanbases across the country will be sitting on the edge of their seats from April through June, and playoff beards will grace the faces of the game’s biggest stars. The action all starts on Wednesday, April 16.
Before delving into a couple of potential first-round showdowns, it is worth reiterating that the playoffs will look a bit different this season thanks to the new wild-card format.
The top three teams in each division compose 12 of the squads in the postseason. After that, the two highest-placed finishers in each respective conference fill out the remaining four spots. It is important to note that divisions do not matter for the wild cards, so it is conceivable for one division in a conference to send five teams into the playoffs while the other only sends three.
Once the playoffs arrive, the division winners play the ...
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Article written by Scott Polacek
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