mlg57
Active member
So how well is your team coping with the changes? Didn’t know about them? Well …
The NHL realignment means a new look and a different schedule as of 2013-14.
You'll also be looking at the NHL standings in a whole new way.
Plus there's a new twist in the playoff race, and changes in how teams are ranked for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Under the changes agreed to by the NHL and NHL Players' Association, the Eastern and Western Conferences remain.
But each conference will now contain two divisions instead of three.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Western Conference
Central Division
Pacific Division
Here's how it looks at around the half way stage:
Atlantic GP W L OT P
1 Boston 40 26 12 2 54
2 Tampa Bay 40 24 12 4 52
3 Montréal 41 23 14 4 50
4 Toronto 42 21 16 5 47
5 Detroit 42 18 14 10 46
6 Ottawa 42 17 18 7 41
7 Florida 41 15 20 6 36
8 Buffalo 40 11 25 4 26
Metropolitan GP W L OT P
1 Pittsburgh 42 29 12 1 59
2 Washington40 20 15 5 45
3 Philadelphia 40 20 16 4 44
4 New Jersey 41 17 16 8 42
5 NY Rangers 41 20 19 2 42
6 Carolina 40 15 16 9 39
7 Columbus 40 17 19 4 38
8 NY Islanders 41 13 21 7 33
Central GP W L OT P
1 Chicago 42 28 7 7 63
2 St. Louis 39 27 7 5 59
3 Colorado 39 24 11 4 52
4 Dallas 39 20 12 7 47
5 Minnesota 42 20 17 5 45
6 Winnipeg 42 19 18 5 43
7 Nashville 40 18 18 4 40
Pacific GP W L OT P
1 Anaheim 42 29 8 5 63
2 San Jose 40 25 9 6 56
3 Los Angeles 41 25 12 4 54
4 Vancouver 42 23 12 7 53
5 Phoenix 39 20 10 9 49
6 Calgary 40 14 20 6 34
7 Edmonton 42 13 24 5 31
The "Wild Card" Playoff Race
The top three teams in each division are the first 12 teams to qualify for the playoffs. (Six in each conference.)
The remaining spots go to "wild card" teams: the two highest finishers in each Conference, regardless of division.
That makes eight playoff qualifiers in each Conference, with the possibility of up to five playoff teams from one division.
The Playoff Format
Wild card teams are seeded seventh and eighth in each Conference.
Division winners are seeded first and second in each Conference, and meet the wild card teams in the opening round of the playoffs. (1-versus-8 and 2-versus-7.)
Teams finishing second and third in each Division play the first round of the playoffs within the Division.
The winners of each series play for berths in the Conference Championship series.
The two divisional champions in each conference play the Conference Finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
The NHL realignment means a new look and a different schedule as of 2013-14.
You'll also be looking at the NHL standings in a whole new way.
Plus there's a new twist in the playoff race, and changes in how teams are ranked for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Under the changes agreed to by the NHL and NHL Players' Association, the Eastern and Western Conferences remain.
But each conference will now contain two divisions instead of three.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Western Conference
Central Division
Pacific Division
Here's how it looks at around the half way stage:
Atlantic GP W L OT P
1 Boston 40 26 12 2 54
2 Tampa Bay 40 24 12 4 52
3 Montréal 41 23 14 4 50
4 Toronto 42 21 16 5 47
5 Detroit 42 18 14 10 46
6 Ottawa 42 17 18 7 41
7 Florida 41 15 20 6 36
8 Buffalo 40 11 25 4 26
Metropolitan GP W L OT P
1 Pittsburgh 42 29 12 1 59
2 Washington40 20 15 5 45
3 Philadelphia 40 20 16 4 44
4 New Jersey 41 17 16 8 42
5 NY Rangers 41 20 19 2 42
6 Carolina 40 15 16 9 39
7 Columbus 40 17 19 4 38
8 NY Islanders 41 13 21 7 33
Central GP W L OT P
1 Chicago 42 28 7 7 63
2 St. Louis 39 27 7 5 59
3 Colorado 39 24 11 4 52
4 Dallas 39 20 12 7 47
5 Minnesota 42 20 17 5 45
6 Winnipeg 42 19 18 5 43
7 Nashville 40 18 18 4 40
Pacific GP W L OT P
1 Anaheim 42 29 8 5 63
2 San Jose 40 25 9 6 56
3 Los Angeles 41 25 12 4 54
4 Vancouver 42 23 12 7 53
5 Phoenix 39 20 10 9 49
6 Calgary 40 14 20 6 34
7 Edmonton 42 13 24 5 31
The "Wild Card" Playoff Race
The top three teams in each division are the first 12 teams to qualify for the playoffs. (Six in each conference.)
The remaining spots go to "wild card" teams: the two highest finishers in each Conference, regardless of division.
That makes eight playoff qualifiers in each Conference, with the possibility of up to five playoff teams from one division.
The Playoff Format
Wild card teams are seeded seventh and eighth in each Conference.
Division winners are seeded first and second in each Conference, and meet the wild card teams in the opening round of the playoffs. (1-versus-8 and 2-versus-7.)
Teams finishing second and third in each Division play the first round of the playoffs within the Division.
The winners of each series play for berths in the Conference Championship series.
The two divisional champions in each conference play the Conference Finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
