Why is there two conferences?

[Roly]

Why is there two conferences if everyone plays every other team in the league the same number of times? Seems silly that the second best team in the league record-wise (San Jose) has to play the best team record-wise (Arizona) in the first round of the playoffs. If teams played other teams in their own conference more often, it'd make sense, but with everyone playing the same schedule what's the point of conferences?

The sim requires conferences. Not much we can do.