from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

Three of the top six teams in the NHL -- based on points to date -- are in the same division.

They are Tampa, Boston and Toronto.

Think about that come playoff time and the way the playoffs work. They're based on division. That means, only one of those teams has a chance to survive past the second round....

Meanwhile over the Metropolitan, the eighth-, ninth-, 14th- and 17th-best teams in the NHL would fight it out....

The NHL put these divisional playoffs in place to spur rivalries. Yes, Montreal hates Boston. Toronto might learn to hate Boston as much. And Washington really hates Pittsburgh.

Dunno, really. I think I'd rather 1-vs-16 league-wide, or 1-vs-8 in two division-less conferences.

a bit more on this plus a Q & A, mostly Leafs releated...