▁the ▁final ▁series ▁altern ated ▁games ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁final ists ' ▁home ▁ice . ▁ ▁The ▁series ▁allowed ▁t ies ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁As ▁the ▁two ▁and ▁later ▁three ▁le agues ▁differ ed , ▁the ▁series ▁would ▁alternate ▁using ▁each ▁league ' s ▁rules . ▁The ▁P CH A ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁seven - man ▁team ▁play , ▁and ▁games ▁would ▁alternate ▁with ▁six ▁and ▁seven - man ▁games . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁N HL ▁became ▁the ▁last ▁remaining ▁league ▁to ▁comp ete ▁for ▁the ▁Cup , ▁the ▁tro phy ▁was ▁then ▁awarded ▁to ▁the ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁N HL ' s ▁championship ▁play off ▁round . ▁This ▁first ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁between ▁the ▁Boston ▁Bru ins ▁and ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁Sen ators , ▁which ▁was ▁planned ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁best - of - three ▁series , ▁although ▁the ▁series ▁allowed ▁t ies . ▁The ▁series ▁ended ▁after ▁four ▁games , ▁when ▁the ▁Sen ators ▁defeated ▁the ▁Bru ins ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁game . ▁ ▁The ▁N HL ▁has ▁changed ▁its ▁play off ▁format ▁several ▁times ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁and ▁thus ▁the ▁final ▁round ▁has ▁not ▁always ▁p itted ▁conference ▁or ▁division ▁play off ▁champions ▁against ▁each ▁other . ▁In ▁the ▁play off ▁format ▁used ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁the ▁two ▁teams ▁with ▁identical ▁division ▁ranking ▁would ▁face ▁each ▁other ▁( i . e . ▁the ▁first ▁place ▁teams ▁played