Are NHL teams adjusting to the new three-on-three OT?

A good portion of what we’ve heard from NHL players regarding the three-on-three format in overtime play has been negative. The new OT arrangement, implemented just this season, has been chastised for being too rigorous, hard on defenses, and in a couple instances it has been called flat-out “terrible."

It remains a hot topic almost halfway through the season, with this year’s All-Star Game being played three-on-three in its entirety.

While we won’t know until the big midseason tournament how players will respond to playing in said format for a full game, many appear to be adjusting to three-on-three as a standard for overtime play.

Dallas Stars’ coach Lindy Ruff told The Dallas Morning News: “The three-on-three has been great for the game. It's created some great excitement and added life to overtime.”

Center Tyler Seguin echoed that sentiment: “I like it. I just think it gives us a chance to play in a more open game."

That seems to be the most common way of describing the experience among players who like it — that the game is a bit more open, whether a player is cruising up the ice or standing at attention between the pipes.

“There’s a lot of room out there,” San Jose Sharks’ goaltender Martin Jones said. “You just have to know where everybody is and try and stay patient.”

The expanded playing field was shunned early on for allowing too much offense — even though that’s the whole point, minimizing the number of games going to the shootout by upping the scoring chances in OT. But the three-on-three scheme becoming a standard has allowed teams to get creative with their three-man combos. The News & Observer points to a variety of clever combos across the league, including the Carolina Hurricanes having had success with an overtime line composed of two defensemen.

Sounds like a good strategy. Get your scoring d-men out there to help keep the game tight, even with fewer players out there.

After an overtime victory thanks to forward Jordan Staal with defensemen Noah Hanifin and Jaccob Slavin, Canes coach Bill Peters explained, per the News & Observer:

“We like the way our D skate, and we’re going to play guys who are playing well that specific night... To sit there and map it out and say you’re going to use this guy and that guy is a little bit unrealistic. We’re going to watch it and see who’s got jump and who’s dangerous. 

“We’re trying to win. Just because we’re going with one forward and two D doesn’t mean we’re trying to be conservative. We’re trying to give ourselves the best opportunity to win.”

Sure, the new format hasn't completely eliminated the shootout. And there's still a chance that All-Star participants are going to be beat after that game. But at least it sounds like teams across the league are finding success with the three-on-three scheme.