Toronto Star

Get ready to see a lot more goals

- KEVIN MCGRAN SPORTS REPORTER

Three-on-three overtime will give more-skilled players a chance to flex their muscle

As sure as the Maple Leafs play Montreal to start the season and the Edmonton Oilers are seemingly fated to draft first overall, there is another constant in the NHL: change.

The league is always tinkering with its rules.

“I feel like the game is really good,” New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist says. “It’s a fast game. The players have a lot of talent. We showcase that. It seems like the fans enjoy the game. So why change it?”

No matter. Two major rule changes are being instituted this season: three-on-three overtime; and a coach’s challenge on goals in which the play may have been offside or there may have been goaltender interferen­ce.

Both changes could alter the game in a major way.

3-ON-3 OVERTIME

The three-on-three replaces fouron-four overtime and, because it creates more open space and encourages the use of speed and skill, it promises to be a crowd pleaser. But there is a downside for some. “Some players will lose their time on ice,” Detroit winger Tomas Tatar says. “It’s going to be open, it’s going to be fun to play. It’s going to be tough to skate. This is going to bring lots of goals and limit the shootout.”

The number of shootouts — which were popular with fans but not deemed a great way to choose a winner — should go down.

Goal scoring, and goals-against averages, should go up. And it should be tiring for the players involved.

“Maybe a different kind of tiring,” Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk says. “When you’re playing it defensivel­y, you’re not really chasing a guy around, you’re kind of in place. You don’t want to give a prime area of the ice.

“You don’t want to get stuck out there having them cycle it around for a while even if you’re not really chasing after them.”

Strategy becomes important. Most coaches will choose two forwards and one defenceman. But not always.

“I would put out two defencemen,” Vancouver forward Henrik Sedin says. “They go one-on-one on you and you can stop them and go the other way. I think it’s easier to score that way than to try to beat three guys with your three guys.”

And goaltendin­g is all the more important. Not just for stopping shots, but for sending the play the other way, via rebound control.

“If you can make that first save, there’s usually going to be an oddman rush,” Leafs goalie James Reimer says. “If you can boot out a rebound, you can send your guys on a chance.”

COACH’S CHALLENGE

The coach’s challenge allows a team to ask for a goal to be reviewed to see if a play was offside, or whether there was goalie interferen­ce on the play. A team has to have its timeout to make the call.

“We’re all in the business of getting the call right,” Lightning captain Steve Stamkos says. “It will be something that helps with the proper outcome of games.”

Some coaches might think having the timeout later in the game is more important than a challenge in the first period. It promises to be a talking point if a game is lost on a challenge not called.

“You have someone watching the video and they have to make the call as to whether it’s an adequate situation to use the challenge on,” says Sabres coach Dan Bylsma. “There’s a difference between the first period and third period, a difference between being down a goal or you’re tied and they score a goal with six minutes left.” And goalies might feel the heat, too. “That’s a challenge,” Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask says.

“Did he hit you, did he not hit you? If I am the guy to tell the coach he hit me, and we lose the challenge, then we lose the timeout. It might happen.”

CHANGES PLAYERS WANT

“I’d still make the nets bigger and the goalie pads smaller. I’m a guy that likes scoring goals. Anytime you get that more in favour, I’m all for it.” — Stars centre Tyler Seguin

“More interferen­ce calls on defencemen. We can get rammed from anywhere. If we do it to them, we get called for it.” — Kings defenceman Drew Doughty

“Give hockey players more rest in the summer.” — Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko

“Make goalie pads smaller. I have trouble scoring.” — Capitals centre Nicklas Backstrom

 ?? JEANINE LEECH/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Penguins winger Phil Kessel should benefit from the extra space during three-on-three overtime periods.
JEANINE LEECH/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins winger Phil Kessel should benefit from the extra space during three-on-three overtime periods.

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