The LA Kings just rewrote the NHL record books, and not in a good way.

At the 20th seed, they're now the lowest-seeded team to clinch a playoff spot since the league adopted the current division format in 2013. The previous low? The Montreal Canadiens at 18th. Before that, no team below 17th had ever made it.

So let me get this straight: the Kings are in the playoffs, but they had the 20th-best record in the entire league? How does that work?

Welcome to the wonderful world of NHL playoff formatting, where geography matters more than record. The Kings play in the Pacific Division, which has been a disaster this year. They backed into the playoffs not because they were good, but because everyone else in their division was somehow worse.

This is why hockey fans have been screaming for playoff format changes for years. You've got legitimately good teams sitting at home while the Kings - who would be on a beach if they played in any other division - are getting ready for the postseason.

Look, I'm not trying to completely trash the Kings here. They didn't make the rules. They just played within the system and did what they needed to do to get in. You can only beat the teams on your schedule.

But this exposes a fundamental flaw in how the NHL structures its playoffs. When you can be 20th overall and still make it while better teams are eliminated, something's broken.

Here's the flip side: the Kings are dangerous. Not because they're a great team, but because they're a playoff team with absolutely nothing to lose. They know they're not supposed to be here. They know everyone's counting them out. That's a recipe for chaos.

Remember the 2012 Kings? They were an 8-seed that went on an absolute tear and won the Stanley Cup. I'm not saying this team is that team - they're definitely not - but weird things happen in the playoffs.

The first-round opponent facing the Kings should be licking their chops. On paper, this is a gift - an easy series against the weakest playoff team in over a decade. But hockey doesn't work that way. All it takes is a hot goalie and a few bounces, and suddenly the "easy" series isn't so easy anymore.

For the NHL, this should be a wake-up call. When your playoff format allows the 20th-best team in the league to make it over teams with better records, you need to rethink the system.