ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) – Count Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen among those around the NHL taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the league’s new 3-on-3 overtime.
A few things do seem clear about the setup: It will make goalies’ stats uglier, result in fewer shootouts and force coaches to decide whether to focus on defense or an all-out attacking style.
“I wasn’t really sure about it at first,” said Niskanen, whose team hosts the New Jersey Devils in a season-opener Saturday. “Now I think it’s probably going to do what it was designed to do: Teams are going to get ‘grade A’ chances, and if that’s what people want to see, then let’s do it. Fans are going to love it and the forwards are going to love it. Goalies and ‘D’? Maybe not as much.”
As the hockey season gets going this week, how teams deal with the switch from 4-on-4 in OT to one fewer skater per team could wind up having a real effect on the standings.
Consider this: A year ago, with 4-on-4 rules, 44 percent of overtime games were decided by a goal before they got to a shootout, according to STATS, about the same percentage that it’s been in the 10 years since that format began in 2005-06.