Florida Panthers defenseman Kevin Connauton, left, and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Daniel Walcott fight during the second period Monday in Sunrise, Fla. (AP photo)

“I don’t want to say it takes kind of some of the fun out it, but it does because you know a lot more what to expect,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

A strange NHL regular season has given way to a one-of-a-kind playoff tournament for the Stanley Cup. It will feature an opening two rounds of all divisional play for the first time in almost 30 years before reseeding the final four to crown a champion for the first time in league history.

“It’s just another thing about our year that’s incredibly unique,” Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Friday. “You could see matchups that you would generally only see in a Stanley Cup Final situation, so that’s going to add another layer of uniqueness to an already unique season.”

It’s so unique that by the time Calgary and Vancouver finish their regular seasons, some first-round playoff series will be two games old. A total of 57 games were postponed this season — 51 for virus-related reasons — so the playoffs open a few days later than planned when Washington hosts Boston tonight.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid reaches for the puck in the first period of a game against the Predators on March 2, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP file photo)

After expanding to 24 teams to complete the 2020 season, the playoff field is back to the traditional 16 with four from each temporarily realigned division.