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If you enjoy rebounding, slow-paced hockey and the occasional return to goalie, 3-on-3 overtime might be for you.
It seems like a handful of games are going 60 minutes each night, but the extra session isn’t what it once was. Conservatism has taken hold of the game, and teams retain content for as long as it takes to achieve a quality look. The Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues played an overtime game earlier this week that was capped by an incredible game-winner from William Nylander, but before that, boos rained down from the crowd as the Blues made several comebacks in their own end. The fans seemed to be more annoyed by how different the overtime looked from the first 60 minutes.
Overtime the format needs to be refreshed
There are times when a 3-on-3 session can be interesting, but they are few and far between. What we see now is very fleeting in overtime as a simple mistake usually leads to an odd man rush and a goal at the other end. Teams are afraid to shoot unless they have a clear lane to the net, players don’t want to pass if there’s even a slight chance it won’t connect, and if a rush looks like it might fail, they’ll just back off and regroup. Not the most exciting brand of hockey to say the least, and it might be time to change the format to make it more entertaining.
There are a few things I think the NHL can do to improve the product, and one doesn’t start in overtime. The first would be handing out three points for a regulation win, which could encourage some teams to finish things earlier and ultimately create fewer overtime games. When there are only a few minutes left, especially in a non-conference clash, you can see how content both teams are to seize their points and let the chips fall where they may for bonus points.
Another thing I’d like to see is an over-and-back rule, which the NBA does. Once a team picks up the puck at center, they are not allowed to take it back from the red line. If they do, it will result in turnover and possession and the puck will be awarded to the other team. This will at least force teams to continue in the offensive zone and limit regrouping, resulting in more like real hockey.
Finally, there may also be an opportunity to introduce a shot clock. Maybe once you cross the center, you have a certain amount of time to get a shot off or it results in a change of possession. This will create a lot of urgency and action. I can see some people arguing that these potential rule changes will detract from the tradition of the game, but what we’re seeing now is generally nothing that hockey purists will enjoy anyway. If it’s already a departure from the standard way the game is played, why not sneak in and make overtime more interesting?
It was a rough Friday for the Winnipeg Jets. Reigning Heart and Vezina Trophy winner Connor Haleybuyck will miss the next four to six weeks with a knee problem, putting Winnipeg in a tough spot. There’s obvious cause for concern when you’ve lost your best player for a long time, and the Jets aren’t as gullible as they usually are. The Jets rank 23rd in shots allowed per game and 19th in high-threat chances against. Hellebuyck overcompensates for him, so backup Eric Roome is going to have his hands full to slow him down. Winnipeg could be in trouble for the next month and a half.
I still think the Jets have enough talent to at least last while Hellebuyck is out. Chambers has also been really strong when he’s been called up this season, posting a 4-2-0 record in six games with four quality starts. He also has 1.9 goals saved above expectations. Having Dylan Samberg back recently shouldn’t hurt either. Samberg has emerged as one of the better shutdown defenders in the league.
Also, even though they haven’t been as impressive defensively as they usually are, Winnipeg’s special teams are great. They rank sixth on the power play and seventh in penalty kill percentage. This can take a team a long way. The Jets’ schedule isn’t a full gauntlet either. They’ll enjoy a four-game stretch later this month and into December where they’ll play Nashville and Buffalo twice, and then before the holidays, they’ll get St. Louis. Winnipeg is in a decent enough position that if they can only play .500 hockey or even slightly above Hellebuyck, they will still be in decent shape when he returns.
Islanders-Stars is the most anticipated rematch this season
Who knew that two opposing sides with little or no history outside of the conference would create so much intrigue?
After Tuesday night’s battle between the New York Islanders and Dallas Stars, many have now circled March 26 on their calendars when the two teams will play again. This is because the game had a little bit of everything in the last minute. Stars forward Mikko Rantinen was ejected for Boarding Ice defenseman Alexander Romanov, and New York head coach Patrick Rowe was furious about the play and went on an old-fashioned rant about how dangerous it was. To end it, the Stars scored with 0.1 seconds left, but the goal was called for goaltender interference. We’ll have to wait four months for the rematch and see how the Islanders respond to Rantinen’s blow, but it’s hard to see another comeback deal generating this much anticipation.
While I think the next game could be some drama between these teams, I think there are other candidates for the best rematch. We saw the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings have a huge celebration after the final horn involving almost their entire teams, where it felt like there was still more to settle. Then there’s the Edmonton Oilers, who lost 9-1 to Colorado as it appeared the Hurricanes were pushing for a 10th goal late in the game. Edmonton and Connor McDavid may have something to say the next time they meet. And of course, you can’t go wrong with any matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers.
Do we really see an Islanders player trying to battle Rantinean for this hit four months from now? is possible But something tells me, given how often these teams play, the hate level won’t be as high as some of these other matchups.
Rumors of Wilde’s death were greatly exaggerated.
After a disappointing start that saw Minnesota fall to the bottom of the standings, the team righted the ship and won eight of its last 10 games. A big catalyst for the turnaround has been between the pipes, as Jasper Wallstadt has delivered in a big way this season with a 5-0-2 record and a .926 save percentage. He also has a pair of shutouts and has now started four of the last seven games after holding off Philip Gustavsson for nine of eight. The Wild are suddenly back in a playoff spot, and have eliminated any talk of major changes to the roster or coaching staff. Given how well Wallstadt has played, there’s a good argument to be made that he deserves a bigger number of starts.
Wallstatt only has 12 career games under his belt compared to Gustavsson’s 183, but he’s only been better than the veteran so far. Considering how bleak things look for the Wild earlier in the season, they need to focus more on winning games than ruffling Gustavson’s feathers. Scoring can be tough, and things can always swing back in Gustavsson’s favor, but right now it should be Wallstadt’s net until he gives Minnesota a reason not to start him.
Sergei Bobrovsky is quickly adding to the all-time wins list for goaltenders, moving Jake Plante into ninth this week. There’s also a good chance that before this season is over, Bobrovsky will surpass Terry Savich, Curtis Joseph and Henrik Lundqvist. If he plays another season or two, Ed Belfort and Roberto Luongo could also reach. That would put him in fourth place and add a pair of Vezina’s and a pair of Stanley Cups, plus another trip to the Finals and Bobrovsky could make a case as a top five goalie of all time.
He’s pretty close, but I don’t think I’d put him there right now. Bobrovsky has enjoyed a shootout advantage throughout his career, meaning he has never had a tie and has now won 36 shootouts. Goaltenders from a different era, like Savic, Plant or Ken Dryden, had a bunch of ties that would have won if there was a shootout.
Bobrovsky’s 51 shutouts also ranked him only 30th, behind the likes of Jaroslav Halak and Evgeny Nabokov. He has more than 50 shutouts of Sawchuk and Martin Brodeur. Based on that, I’d have a hard time putting him ahead of Sawchuk, Brodeur, Dominik Hosk, Patrick Rowe, Plante, Tony Esposito and a few others. There’s a big argument for Bobrovsky to be in the top 10, but for me, he’s still outside the top five.
The Anaheim Ducks have been a great story this season and they seem to be a team on the rise, but it’s all happening with little impact from Frank Vitrano. The Ducks forward has just two goals and three points in 22 games, below his standards. He has spent extensive time in the bottom six this season, including lengthy stays on the fourth line. Not only that, he is currently averaging 12:11 of ice time per game, putting him over five minutes a night less than last season. Vatrano signed a three-year extension with the Ducks less than a year ago, but it doesn’t seem like new head coach Joel Quenneville is a fan of his play. There’s a good player out there, which could mean less buying opportunity for a team if Anaheim wants to terminate his contract.
If I’m a contending team with an eye on the playoffs, I’m definitely calling the ducks about Vetrano. This is a player who averaged 27 goals over the past three seasons and 37 just two years ago. He’s only 31 and in his last playoff appearance, Vatrano had five goals and 13 points in 20 games for the New York Rangers during the 2020 postseason. Vatrano also has the physical side of his game, recording more than 155 hits in each of the past two campaigns.
Veterans also do not have an unreasonable contract. Vatrano has a cap hit of $4.5 million over the next two seasons, which shouldn’t be difficult for a team with a rising cap to absorb. He can play up and down the lineup, whether it’s in your top six providing offense or being a physical presence on the third line. Vatrano feels like he just needs a change of scenery and could make a big impact for a competitive team.
