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  "path": "/the-central-is-so-nasty",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-19T16:26:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://defector.com",
  "tags": [
    "NHL",
    "colorado avalanche",
    "dallas stars",
    "Hockey",
    "jake oettinger",
    "minnesota wild",
    "yours truly in attendance"
  ],
  "textContent": "A lot of folks don't like the NHL's current playoff format, which tries its best to sequester teams within their own divisions for the first two rounds before matching up the winners in the conference final. The goal is to deliver more rivalries and repeat matchups in the early stages, which is noble (unless you're a Kings fan). But it can look kind of ridiculous in a case like this year's Western Conference, where the Anaheim Ducks lead the Pacific Division but would sit a distant fourth if they were moved into the Central. As it stands, the three best teams in the West—the Avalanche, Stars, and Wild—will have to fight it out amongst themselves. And then the conference final would begin.\n\nThis isn't exactly fair to the best teams. But here's a counterargument: I am very impatient to see the Central's terrible trio face each other in best-of-sevens, and the NHL will not make me wait.\n\nIn the three games that have involved these three teams this month—Stars-Avs, Avs-Wild, Stars-Avs again—fans have been exclusively treated to overtime stalemates that needed shootouts to determine a winner, and thus have no predictive relevance for the eternal OT of the postseason. On March 6, it was the Avalanche who scored an equalizer with 15 seconds left in the third and eventually stole the extra point. A few days later, with yours truly in attendance, Minnesota and Colorado played to their full potential with a 3-2 Avs win that had fans on the edges of their seats for over 65 minutes of action. And on Wednesday, with the Stars traveling to Denver in a contest of teams trying to avoid third-place Minnesota in the opening round, it was second-place Dallas who gained a point on the Avs with a 2-1 win that, once again, required a post-OT tiebreak.",
  "title": "The Central Is So Nasty"
}