The NHL's relatively new wild-card playoff format isn't for everyone, and you can count Sidney Crosby among its critics.
"I'm not a big fan of it," the Pittsburgh Penguins captain said in a Q-and-A with ESPN, "but what are you going to do? That's the way it is. I don't like it just because I'd love to see just the top eight teams (in each conference) make it. There are definitely divisional rivalries, but at the same time, there are more teams in each division. That's the way it's done, but I prefer the top eight."
Crosby's Penguins hold down the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with their 84 points three up on Detroit's 81, and four up on Philadelphia's 80.
The wild-card format sees the top three teams from each division make the playoffs, and the two best teams after that, regardless of division. Right now, the Penguins, as the first wild-card holder, are scheduled to face the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. Were the playoffs to feature the top eight teams in the conference, the Penguins and Panthers would still face off in the first round, as the Penguins have the seventh-best point total in the East, while the Panthers rank second.
The division's best teams face the wild-card teams, with the division leader with the most points (the Washington Capitals, in this season's case) facing off against the wild-card team with the fewest points (currently the Detroit Red Wings).
Check out the rest of the Q-and-A for Crosby's thoughts on fighting in the game, performance-enhancing drug use, the World Cup of Hockey, and more.
