1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 etc systems only work in balanced schedule leagues. Also sometimes teams at the top in any league standings have more points because the teams at the bottom of their division have less. In the case of the Metropolitan division in the NHL, almost half of their "extra" points are because their weaker teams are weaker.
Secondly, I  like the rivalries meeting sooner and the semis and finals being between "regional" winners or cross country/continent winners than potentially both eat or both west or whatever.