Arizona Coyotes: 3 On 3 O/T Approved By NHL Owners

How Does This Affect The Arizona Coyotes?

NHL Owners Will Vote On 3 On 3 O/T Format Today At Their Meeting

As an Arizona Coyotes fan, this is a bold move; but one I totally approve of to improve the game. As many of you have known, the NHL has been trying to determine an acceptable solution to decrease the number of regular season games ending in a shootout. In the owners meetings yesterday, they decided to go with the 3 on 3 option for the full five minute overtime period. If no winner is decided, then the shootout option kicks into action.

The owners and NHLPA decided they did not like the AHL format which extends overtime to seven minutes and starts with 4-on-4 before eventually going down to 3-on-3, if there were no goals scored through the first three minutes. It has had excellent results, with 75 per cent of the overtime games being decided in the overtime period. That was significantly better than in the previous AHL season when only 35.3 per cent of the games were decided using the old method.

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"“I’ve always said that as exciting that the shootouts can be, I would prefer the games to get decided in the overtime and there’s evidence that when you go from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3, it increases the likelihood of a goal in the overtime,” Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “We’ve seen that in the American League, we’ve seen that in the Swedish League. So I think there’s a good chance the percentage of overtime goals will go up with this change and I think it’s an improvement.”"

How does this affect the Arizona Coyotes? Well, seeing as the team is getting younger and faster, it benefits their ability to win more games in the new overtime format. I mean, put Anthony “Tony D” Duclair out there with Max “the magician” Domi and a D-man… oh I don’t know let’s use that guy Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and it gets really interesting!

The idea is to score first, and avoid the shootout, right? Then, I like the Arizona Coyotes chances in this new overtime format. Speed will be the advantage when you are skating 3 on 3, with all that ice available, and there are times where one team comes down and misses a scoring opportunity, more than likely to be followed by the opposite team making an odd man rush back the other way.

I LOVE IT ! ! VERY EXCITING CONCEPT, NHL OWNERS/NHLPA.

** COYOTES TRACKS **

Per coyotes.nhl.com:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 23, 2015

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Arizona Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes will hold their prospect development camp July 6-10 with on-ice sessions starting Tuesday, July 7, at the Ice Den (9375 East Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85260). On-ice sessions are set for 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on July 7 and 9 and from 1:50 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. on July 8. The practices are free and open to the public.

Among the top prospects expected to attend the camp include former first round draft choices Max Domi (2013) and Brendan Perlini (2014). In addition, prospects including forwards Laurent Dauphin, Anthony Duclair, Christian Dvorak and Ryan MacInnis will participate.

The camp will provide players with NHL coaching and instruction in both on and off-ice workout sessions. Players will be available to the media following their on-ice training sessions. A full roster for the camp will be released at a later date.

I don’t know about you, but watching the likes of these exciting, young Coyote prospects is something I’m going to try and do. The player I’m VERY anxious to see out on the ice is Anthony Duclair. The team gave up a pretty darn good player in Keith Yandle to acquire Duclair, and from all I’m hearing he will be a special player.

ANOTHER REMINDER: Friday, June 26th will be the NHL Entry Draft Party/Fan Rally at Gila River arena (you know the arena the Coyotes signed a lease with the city of Glendale to play NHL hockey) from 3pm-7pm. Fun for the kids, and definitely fun for ALL ARIZONA COYOTES fans. Don’t miss it ! !

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