NHL Season Structure Prompts Creative 'Regular Season Playoffs' Concept
With the NHL season expanded to 84 games, analysts are exploring a new way to evaluate team performance by dividing the schedule into twelve seven-game segments. This framework mimics postseason intensity by tracking which teams can secure four wins per segment.
🏒NHLPhoto: The Athletic
Key points
- The 84-game schedule allows for exactly twelve seven-game segments.
- The 'Regular Season Playoffs' model counts overtime and shootout results as losses.
- Five teams, including the Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers, have already been eliminated from the first two rounds.
The NHL's expansion to an 84-game schedule has introduced a unique opportunity to re-evaluate team consistency throughout the year. By dividing the season into twelve distinct seven-game blocks, observers can simulate a playoff-style environment where teams must secure four wins to advance, while four losses result in elimination. This model treats all overtime and shootout results as losses, prioritizing regulation-style success to mirror the high stakes of the Stanley Cup postseason.
Evaluating Early Season Performance
As teams pass the 14-game mark, the league has effectively completed two rounds of this hypothetical tournament. While some teams have thrived, others have struggled to maintain momentum. Notably, the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators have all been eliminated from this specific challenge after losing their first two series.
The Flyers' recent exit was particularly dramatic, featuring a blown 3-2 series lead and a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Despite their strong points percentage, the Nashville Predators found themselves among the early exits, highlighting how this experimental format strips away the influence of loser points. The model serves as a reminder that consistency over short, concentrated bursts of games remains the ultimate test of a roster's depth and resilience.
Source The Athletic — nytimes.com/athletic/7774902/2026/11/12/nhl-regular-season-playoffs/ ↗
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