Winners And Losers Of The 24-Team Playoff

Having done the winners and losers of the NBA restart, it's only fitting to do the NHL side of things. I'm excited that we have a format down with "Phase Two" about to commence. Here are some winners and losers of the 24-team playoff.

• Winner: The Fans: First and foremost, the fans win. They get their sport back and in a timely manner; Gary Bettman was the first to announce some form of a return format. Not only that, all but seven teams got in. Granted, a start date and venue(s) has not been established... yet. It also may not be a perfect format since teams like the last-place Blackhawks and Canadiens got in. Still, it's nice for hockey fans to have some form of hockey back.
  
• Winner: The Fringe Teams: Speaking of the Blackhawks and Canadiens, the fringe teams got in. Again, there might be some hockey fans that are outraged over there being 24 teams. It gives markets such as Chicago and New York a reason to watch, which is what the NHL needs to grow as a sport. This is especially true with the lingering possibility of there not being a baseball season.
  
• Winner: Boston Bruins: They might get matched up with the Maple Leafs, who have a hard time with Boston. There's a possibility the Bruins will get matched up with the Penguins next round, who appear to be a good match for Boston. Boston's back check is strong enough to handle these two offensive-minded teams and can even propel them back to the Stanley Cup Final.
  
• Loser: Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes: The Penguins gave a hard "NO" on the return format. Why did they do that? Because they would've had to face Carey Price in a best-of-five series. Same thing for the Carolina Hurricanes and Henrik Lundqvist. A hot-handed goaltender can wreak havoc in the playoffs, especially during a short series.
  
• Loser: Nashville Predators: The Predators have their own fresh hell to face. They'll have to go up against Taylor Hall and the Arizona Coyotes. That won't be an easy task, especially with Phil Kessel on board in Arizona. This doesn't look like the gritty Nashville teams of the past few years, so this may end up being a quick exit for the Preds if they're not careful.