Maybe kinda obviously but I thought the stats/analysis was neat to see.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/...ay-not-to-win/
But more overtime leads to a radically different game. For starters, the number of overtime games increases as the season advances; the postseason chase makes teams desperate to take advantage of the extra point available.
The data shows that, during tied games, teams’ expected goals are higher during conference games than out-of-conference ones. The largest differences in aggressiveness between in-conference and out-of-conference games occur at the end of tied games, when overtime is imminent. This suggests that teams are satisfied to receive at least one point when playing a nonconference opponent but are more likely to try to win in regulation against a team with whom they are competing for a playoff spot.
If you corner people who work in the NHL, they’ll admit that teams cater their behavior and offensive aggressiveness based on a variety of seemingly unintended incentives. “There is a lot more strategy at the end of the games than I remember,” Reirden said.5 The game is changing — but is it for the better?
