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Detroit Red Wings: Is 3-on-3 Overtime A Good Thing?

By Mike Laybourne |

The 2015-16 season has seen the introduction of one of the bigger rule changes we’ve seen in a long time. Approved in June by the NHL Board of Governors in Las Vegas, the new format was first seen in the pre-season and deemed a success.

Is 3-on-3 overtime a good or a bad thing? As you can see, NHL’s PR team thinks it’s a good thing, in fact the format is loosely based on something the AHL has already been doing. In the AHL, you get three minutes of 4-on-4 followed by four minutes of 3-on-3. Then a shootout. Now I love watching a good shootout, as long as it’s in the annual NHL All-Star Skills competition. And nowhere else. There is definitely no other time in which a shootout is a good way to end a game.

Why? Because ice hockey is a team sport. One skater against one goalie isn’t fun to watch, especially when I’m watching the Red Wings play. Shootouts are terrifying, more so if you’ve watched your team battle from behind to draw level and force overtime. For a game to be decided by a shootout is a cop-out.

3-0n-3 overtime reduces how many games go to shootouts. This can only be a good thing. Anyone who’s watched hockey knows that when a 4-on-4 or 3-on-3 happens that 200′ slab of ice suddenly looks a hell of a lot bigger, teams are forced to play harder and smarter. Opportunities present themselves more often but so do chances for the opposition so skaters have to be on their game.

If you haven’t seen it already, watch the video. 3-on-3 overtime is straight-up crazy. Pure end-to-end stuff, Mason and Bishop were forced into acrobatic saves. There were a lot of breakaways and puck chasing, arguably more action in five minutes than in the 60 preceding it.

Is 3-on-3 overtime a good thing for the Detroit Red Wings? Yeah, I think so. We don’t do so well in shootouts, last season we lost 10 of 14 shootouts. Anything that helps us avoid these can only be a good thing.

John Curran – Octopus Thrower Editor:

“Personally I’m excited about the new 3-on-3 overtime format. As we are all aware, the Red Wings struggled in the shootout last season, so I welcome anything that would avoid going into a possible shootout. The new overtime format opens up a new way for players/teams to show of their skills while adding an element of excitement to the game. I also really like the rule that allows teams to pull their goalie but also risk losing the overtime point if they are scored on with the extra attacker. No risk, no reward.”

Natalie Longroy – Octopus Thrower Staff Writer:

“This was the right decision because most games didn’t end in overtime but in the shootout. Players don’t like shootouts and it gets old after a few times. I mean yeah they keep you on the edge of your seat and you’re hyperventilating through the entire experience but it just isn’t the right way to win or lose a game. The first time I saw this was in the AHL last year with the Grand Rapids Griffins because they were testing it out in the minor leagues to see if it would even work in the NHL. It really opened up the ice for plays to develop and it led to more opportunities to score. I believe the NHL ultimately made the right decision because players didn’t want games to go to shootouts as often and winning in overtime really reflects who was the better team rather than who could deke a goalie one on one.”

John Fisher – Octopus Thrower Staff Writer:

“Personally I think the 3-on-3 is a great idea, and am excited to see how the Red Wings will do once they have their first regular season overtime game. I would have preferred if the NHL did something closer to what the AHL did last season (4 on 4 for four minutes, 3-on-3 for 3 minutes, then shootout), but this is still an improvement on the previous model.”

Gwen DeYoung – Octopus Thrower Editor:

“I honestly didn’t think I would like the 3-on-3 format. I liked the shoot outs a lot and would always hope for one when a game went to over time. However last season I was at an ECHL game in my local town and they had been testing the rules there. The two teams went to OT and I got to watch 3-on-3 hockey and it was amazing. It was fun seeing the pace of the game and seeing the difference with only 3 players on the ice. I’d still like to see a share of shoot outs, but really since you can’t do cool moves like a spin-o-rama anymore, what is the point? 3-on-3 may be one of the best things for the NHL.”

What do you think? Good idea or bad idea? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.

Next: Justin Abdelkader named NHL's first star of the week

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