NHL Point System: Getting Rid Of The Loser Point

I’s time to fix the NHL Point System.  If you want warm and fuzzy in the NHL, watch the game with a puppy.  Stop awarding a point to teams that lose games.  

The NHL Board of Directors will meet on December 9th and 10th to discuss, among other things, the upcoming seasons’ salary cap. PowerPoint presentations will be delivered, men may not be listening to them and a few adult beverages will likely be shared in the process. And while the salary cap will certainly be interesting as it relates to this years trade deadline and potential moves for forward thinking GM’s, there is one topic I’d like to see on the agenda for the good of the game. And my blood pressure.

After the 2004-05 lockout, the NHL was looking for ways to bring the casual fan closer to the game and create more exciting finishes. After what was I’m sure an exhilarating creative process the shootout was born! Generally speaking I was and remain a fan of the concept of the shootout. Breakaways and penalty shots are among the most exciting plays in the game. Shooter on goaltender. One on one. Your best against my best. And a winner is determined. Seems like a concept hard to screw up.

Well screw it up they did. Because the loser of the game still gets a point if they can get to either overtime or the shootout.

Yes, I realize that the issues goes back to 1998 with the OT rules were first changed and the loser point was introduced. But keeping that point in while introducing the shootout is basically a parlor trick. You are taking away a teams incentive to take chances and win the game in the 4-on-4 overtime because “well at least we got a point tonight.”

STOP IT!!!!!

It’s the real world in the NHL. This isn’t my sons soccer game, where a bunch of six year olds are trying to learn the game and the sportsmanship that comes with it. This is professional sports and winning matters. So why not provide the greatest incentive to teams that can win more games in regulation?

You have two options here, one with the shootout and one without. If you are going to keep the shootout part of the game then it’s safe to introduce a 3-2-1 system. Three points to the team that wins in regulation. Two points if victory is claimed in overtime. And one point if you can win in the shootout.

And if you lose in any of those scenarios? No points. Zero. Why? BECAUSE YOU LOST THE GAME!!

You know what this would do as the season moves along and playoff races take shape? You will have teams trying to win more close games in overtime. Goalies get pulled sooner to try and earn the extra points. Power plays in overtime would mean more. The pressure on the shootout would get ramped up a bit. In short, you would get more competitive and better hockey as a result because the safety net of the loser point is removed. All that matters is winning, and this would reward it.

If you would feel better eliminating the shootout entirely you have a bit of a problem because you are basically reintroducing ties unless you want to go to the playoff format for overtime. And that’s not fair to the players in an 82 game season. And I don’t want to bring back the ‘sister kisser’. Ties are awful.

So wake up, NHL Board of Governors. The NHL point system is broken and it’s time to fix the problem. Unless you would prefer to wait until 2018 and introduce a new way to settle the games: three bar.