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2021-2022 NHL Thread

Is it just a lack of shot generation or teams being smarter with their shots.  I felt like for a while teams would just take low quality shots resulting in turnovers rather than quality scoring chances.  Obviously back and forth pond hockey is fun to watch but I think I'm ok if teams still want to play a little bit of defensive hockey in 3 on 3.

2020-2021: 102 games have gone to the shootover over the last two partial seasons.  That's over 1314 games played.  So 7.7% of games go to the shootout in the last year and a half. 
291 games overall went to OT.  102 of the 291 went to shootout.  So 35% of games go to the shootout if they reach OT. 

2015-2020: 482 games went to the shootover over 5 seasons.  That's over 6084 games.  So 7.9% of games go to the shootout over this stretch.
1381 games overall went to OT.  482 of the 1381 games went to shootout.  So 34.9% of games go to the shootout if they reach OT.

I'm not sure what we really proved.  Games that go to 3 on 3 are ending at the same rate (2/3 to 1/3) over the last two years as they did in the previous 5 years. 
 
L K said:
I'm not sure what we really proved.  Games that go to 3 on 3 are ending at the same rate (2/3 to 1/3) over the last two years as they did in the previous 5 years. 

Like Nik said, the popular strategy in 3-on-3 nowadays is teams just constantly hanging onto the puck and circling back into their own zone if they don't see an absolutely perfect opportunity to score. It's a smart strategy, and does still result in goals/games ending like you said, but it's a lot more boring to watch than the frantic back and forth hockey that originally made 3-on-3 super exciting.
 
I liked the analogy of 3-on-3 overtime having become like speed cycling races.  Each opponent takes their time circling around before going for it. 

When OT picks up that pace, it's great.  But seeing teams play possum for the first half is boring when there is so much room on the ice.  And the fact the players willingly skate the puck out of the offensive zone or pass it all the way down into their zone to get a line change cheapens the whole thing in my eyes. 
 
Peter D. said:
I liked the analogy of 3-on-3 overtime having become like speed cycling races.  Each opponent takes their time circling around before going for it. 

When OT picks up that pace, it's great.  But seeing teams play possum for the first half is boring when there is so much room on the ice.  And the fact the players willingly skate the puck out of the offensive zone or pass it all the way down into their zone to get a line change cheapens the whole thing in my eyes.

I guess, but we praise that kind of mentality in terms of things like CORSI when teams maintain puck possession in their own zone and wait out a line change instead of the old style of dumping the puck to get a line change.  It seems like an unfair thing to criticize. 

Maybe it's bias because I don't have a lot of time to watch other games anymore so I'm more invested in the Leafs OT games but I haven't really had much of a problem with the OT still being pretty exciting hockey.
 
L K said:
Peter D. said:
I liked the analogy of 3-on-3 overtime having become like speed cycling races.  Each opponent takes their time circling around before going for it. 

When OT picks up that pace, it's great.  But seeing teams play possum for the first half is boring when there is so much room on the ice.  And the fact the players willingly skate the puck out of the offensive zone or pass it all the way down into their zone to get a line change cheapens the whole thing in my eyes.

I guess, but we praise that kind of mentality in terms of things like CORSI when teams maintain puck possession in their own zone and wait out a line change instead of the old style of dumping the puck to get a line change.  It seems like an unfair thing to criticize. 

Maybe it's bias because I don't have a lot of time to watch other games anymore so I'm more invested in the Leafs OT games but I haven't really had much of a problem with the OT still being pretty exciting hockey.

That was the thing. I was shocked at how unfun it was to watch. The only reason I had tuned into a Ducks-Kings game was because it was going into OT and, like you, that's consistently provided exciting stuff in recent years.

This just wasn't that.
 
https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1471602510087565314

I wish it weren't the case, guys. But the writing is on the wall.
 
https://twitter.com/_melissaburgess/status/1471611947510640642
Two more added about 7 min ago. That?s like 3 lineups on the shelf right now
 
Nik said:
https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1471602510087565314

I wish it weren't the case, guys. But the writing is on the wall.

Omicron accelerates so quickly, I wonder if we'll see an insane spike up but then a relatively steep decline as well.

I've always loved the Olympics but this year, I'm thinking a good outcome would be to cancel the olympics and pause hockey from xmas through January.  Start again in February, hoping that we are on the other side of the curve.  Use the Olympic time.  Extend into midsummer.  So it is kind of like there are two seasons.

Of course, the NHL won't do anything like that. 
 
Peter D. said:
Pause the league for a few weeks, cancel the Olympics, reschedule all games during that break, and carry on.

This seems common sensical and blatantly obvious.

So it won't happen.
 
waverly-earp-wink.gif
 
Joe S. said:
Any insight into this? This seems completely out of left field.

I think they're underperforming - 17th in the league in P%, 4-5-1 in their last 10...they lost to Buffalo the other night...he's been there forever, so maybe it's time for a fresh voice.
 

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