ESPN's NHL crew debates ways to improve the Stanley Cup playoffs this morning:

Scott Burnside: There is only one way to align the playoffs to reward the league's best teams. And after all, isn't that the whole point of a playoff, to have a system that ultimately allows for the best teams to face each other at the end? I'm not advocating a 1-16 format, given the travel issues and overall weirdness we saw with that. But the simple and only right answer is to go with a 1-8, 2-7, etc., matchup in each conference. That way a team like the Montreal Canadiens, which would be fifth today in the Eastern Conference, doesn't get home-ice advantage in the first two rounds, which would be the case under the current setup (unless they get dumped in the first round by the New York Rangers, who will finish with more points but who will be relegated to a wild-card role and have to cross over, thanks to the misguided system now in place). The Capitals should be rewarded for their superlative play by facing the worst team in the playoffs and then the next worst team in the second round, and so on. Why should they have to play the Pittsburgh Penguins or Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round? It's ridiculous. The fans think so and, trust me, the players -- at least players on good teams -- hate the current format too.

Continued