Further playoff explanation

Published 6:28 pm Wednesday, January 16, 2008

I’ve been asked to further explain the change in the playoff format this season, so here it goes.

In the past the first round was played solely within the division. That meant the No. 1 team in the U.S. Division played the No. 4 team in the division and the No. 2 team played the No. 3 team.

This year the divisions play no role in determining first-round opponents. The No. 1 team in the entire Western Conference will play the No. 8 team in the entire conference, regardless of division. The only wrinkle is that the division champions will be seeded 1-2, even if one of the champions finishes with a worse record than the second-place team in the opposing division. Had this system been in place last season, Everett, with the best record in the league, would have faced expansion Chilliwack in the first round of the playoffs instead of Spokane, which had the sixth-best record in the conference.

This also means that it’s possible for all five teams in one of the Western Conference divisions to make the playoffs, though it seems unlikely that will happen this year.