Quote:
Originally Posted by djsFlames
I think there would be plenty of incentive if there was no point for losers in OT (but still in SO). Especially within division or conference games. You'd stop the opposition from gaining any points by finding a way to end it in OT.
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But your opponent in that game is only one of 6 or 7 other teams in your division. Therefore, what you gain by denying them a point is statistically worth only 1/6 or 1/7 of a point to you. Whereas by going for it, you risk losing a whole point in the standings that you would be certain to get by holding out for a shootout. Unless the odds are 6 or 7 to 1 in your favour, it's a foolish risk to take. And if the odds were that much in your favour, the game would never have gone to OT in the first place.
This is exactly why fewer games are decided in regulation than before the OTL point was introduced. The extra point is an incentive not to break a tie until the game is worth 3 points instead of 2. If you reserve the extra point for the shootout, then teams have the same incentive not to risk breaking the tie in OT.