There has been some tinkering with the Major League Soccer playoffs, which start with six matches this weekend, and the changes could have a big effect on who lifts the M.L.S. Cup in early November.

The most significant change, as part of an accelerated postseason schedule, is the elimination of the two-legged series for the conference semifinals and finals. Every round will now be single elimination. That means that a dominant regular-season team like Los Angeles F.C., which set a season points record this year, or New York City F.C., which claimed the East’s first-round bye, could have one bad game and find its season over in just 90 minutes.

L.A.F.C. was the league’s dominant team all year. In addition to setting the record for points in the regular season, it tied another league mark, for total goals, with 85. L.A.F.C.’s Mexican star, Carlos Vela, also broke the league’s one-year-old goals record, with 34 in 31 appearances.

And while the team let up a bit late, finishing 2-1-5 after it became clear it would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, it still wound up with a whopping plus-48 goal difference, the league’s best ever. “The most points in history is really important because we showed how good we are,” Vela told reporters after the final day of the regular season. “But we want more.