Michel Bergeron wants three-on-three overtime in the first round

Since the start of the playoffs, no fewer than eight games have gone to overtime. Of these, three are in the Edmonton Oilers-Los Angeles Kings series. But for those in the East? I’ll tell you this: if a game that starts at 10 p.m. (or late evening) at home goes into overtime, I’m going to bed knowing that I’m going to fall asleep on the sofa anyway. There are limits to staying up late when you’re working the next morning and you’re not a night owl at heart… But what if the overtime sessions were shorter and more dynamic? Michel Bergeron, as you can read in a recent paper, has an idea on the subject:

the National League could innovate by maintaining three-on-three overtime in the first round of the playoffs to avoid interminable games

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Michel Bergeron

I won’t hide it: when I first read the text, I told myself that this wasn’t my idea of choice. But the more I think about it… Having a three-on-three overtime would bring the cream to the surface, make the games shorter and more exciting. For the first round only, when there are already a lot of confrontations, it’s not crazy. Note that there would obviously be no shootout in his plan. It would be three-on-three, a format that people love during the regular schedule, right up to the end of the game.

Imagine Connor McDavid racing like lightning towards the opposing goal with only three opponents to try and stop him

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Michel Bergeron

Three-on-three is real field hockey, and for the first round only, I’m not against it. I can understand those who are not in favor of the idea, but it could still help raise the quality of the show without changing the sport too much. I don’t think it would create an ugly precedent either. On the contrary: it would be attractive.

More importantly, the former Nordiques coach has a good point: it could help limit injuries and fatigue among the guys, and he believes it could help deliver, ultimately, a better show once we get to the Stanley Cup Finals with guys a little less banged up and fitter.

The more I think about it, it’s a point of view that makes a lot of sense to me, and it’s nice to see a man of the old guard being open to an idea like this to potentially help move the sport forward. Sports sometimes have to make ” out of the box ” decisions to help themselves, don’t they? #CadranDesLanceurs

In a gust

– Ouch.

Brandt Clarke got into it with a North Bay Battalion fan mid-game. 😳

(Via: @timmy_sab, @hockeycollective) pic.twitter.com/lb1XHTRwWf– BarDown (@BarDown) April 24, 2023

– Refereeing continues to be the talk of the town. [TSN 690] – No, the CH will not buy out Carey Price or Brendan Gallagher.

– It’ll do them good.

– Why is this happening?