Quote: Agreed.   It dilutes the importance of the regular season in both sports.   That much more in the NHL,  a league in which lower seeds often pull of upsets in the playoffs.   The 2012 Los Angeles Kings,  which won the Stanley Cup as an 8th Seed in the Western Conference,  as the most prime recent example.  

 

I used to think that way but now I really enjoy the extensive post-season.  It brings a different element to the game which usually leads to a few early upsets in the series.  Personally, I really liked the shortened NBA season that resulted from the strike.  This really made every regular season game important AND it was followed up with a great playoff.

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