NHL Realignment: What It Means For The Canes

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=660138&navid=nhl:topheads

The Southeast division is no more and the Carolina Hurricanes are moving to Division D (it will eventually be named)

Next season, the Hurricanes will be in a division with the Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals. Currently, the Hurricanes are 6-2-1 against these teams this season.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs will still consist of 16 teams, eight in each conference, but it will be division-based and a wild-card system has been added as a new wrinkle.

The top three teams in each division will make-up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season points and regardless of division. It will be possible, then, for one division to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends three.

The seeding of the wild-card teams within each divisional playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The division winner with the most points in the conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lowest number of points; the division winner with the second-most points in the conference will play the wild-card team with the second fewest points.

The teams finishing second and third in each division will play in the first round of the playoffs. The winners of each series will play for berths in the Conference Championship series.

The two divisional champions in each conference will then play in the conference finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Side Note: If this was the current format, the Canes would be second in Division D and in playoff contention, I think it's safe to say that we will fare pretty well in our division.

[iamcline]

What it means is now we can see how we stack up against consistently strong clubs instead of performing well in our division then getting squashed once we step outside of it.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

What it means is now we can see how we stack up against consistently strong clubs instead of performing well in our division then getting squashed once we step outside of it.

Actually this year, we are better outside of our division than we are in it.

[iamcline]

Actually this year, we are better outside of our division than we are in it.

Yeah, you got me there. It's bittersweet.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Yeah, you got me there. It's bittersweet.

First time in a long time lol.

I'm just glad we get to beat up on Columbus year after year now.

[iamcline]

I'm just glad we get to beat up on Columbus year after year now.

[beuer1]

We're 6-7 all time against Columbus soooooooo

Get to beat up on New Jersey though

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Columbus used to be a semi-good hockey team, recently they've gone to sh*t.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Columbus used to be a semi-good hockey team, recently they've gone to sh*t.

[KillerKat]

Florida and Tampa are so out of place. They should've switched with the two NY teams. Or two out of Pitt, Philly, and NJ. Would've made more sense. Whoever did these realignments must've been high.

[beuer1]

This was all about getting Detroit into the east. That's it.

It's gonna go to hell when Phoenix moves to Quebec City.