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What if the NHL gave out 3 points for a regulation or overtime win?

As league execs meet in California to discuss the changes that they will not make - while laughing about the millions and billions of dollars they will make - we take a look at a change that they could make.

By truck
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Many people hate the #NHLJets current point allocation set-up. The fact that some games are worth two points and others are worth three is baffling to even the most dialed in of fans. The current system promotes false parity and perhaps the owners like this, but there is no denying that they are fairer systems. One such example is a system that gives the winning team 3 points if they close out the game before the shootout.

How the math works:

  • 3 points for a regulation or overtime win
  • 2 points for a shootout win
  • 1 point for a shootout loss

Eastern Conference



















EASTERN
DIV
GP
W
L
OT
P
ROW
3 PT WIN




1







BOSTON

A
30
20
8
2
42
19
61




2







PITTSBURGH

M
31
20
10
1
41
18
59




3







MONTRÉAL

A
31
19
9
3
41
17
58




4







DETROIT

A
31
15
9
7
37
15
52




5







TAMPA BAY

A
29
17
10
2
36
14
50




6







TORONTO

A
31
16
12
3
35
12
47




7







WASHINGTON

M
30
16
12
2
34
10
44




8







CAROLINA

M
30
13
12
5
31
12
43




9







NY RANGERS

M
31
15
15
1
31
15
46




10







NEW JERSEY

M
31
12
13
6
30
12
42




11







PHILADELPHIA

M
29
13
14
2
28
12
40




12







COLUMBUS

M
29
12
14
3
27
11
38




13







OTTAWA

A
30
11
14
5
27
11
38




14







FLORIDA

A
31
9
17
5
23
7
30




15







NY ISLANDERS

M
30
8
17
5
21
5
26




16







BUFFALO

A
30
6
22
2
14
3


17







*Standings are filtered according to the NHL's current system.

*Far right column is the 


Notes:


 


    

  • A couple teams would bounce up or down, but the standings would largely be the same.
    • 

  • The New York Rangers are the only Eastern team that would move up.
    • 

  • Things are way more spread out with the 3 point system than they are right now.
    • 

  • Buffalo sucks. 
    • 



Western Conference





















WESTERN
DIV
GP
W
L
OT
P
ROW
 3 PT WIN




1







CHICAGO

C
32
21
6
5
47
17
64




2







ANAHEIM

P
32
20
7
5
45
18
63




3







SAN JOSE

P
30
19
6
5
43
16
59




4







LOS ANGELES

P
30
19
7
4
42
14
56




5







ST. LOUIS

C
28
19
6
3
41
16
57




6







MINNESOTA

C
32
18
9
5
41
15
56




7







COLORADO

C
28
20
8
0
40
19
59




8







VANCOUVER

P
32
17
10
5
39
16
55




9







PHOENIX

P
29
16
8
5
37
12
49




10







DALLAS

C
28
14
9
5
33
11
44




11







WINNIPEG

C
31
14
13
4
32
9
41




12







NASHVILLE

C
30
13
14
3
29
13
42




13







CALGARY

P
29
11
14
4
26
9
35




14







EDMONTON

P
31
10
18
3
23
8
31






*Standings are filtered according to the NHL's current system.


Notes:


 


    

  • Once again, not much would change. 
    • 

  • Colorado would jump a little, Nashville would move up one spot as would St. Louis.
    • 

  • The biggest difference would be in separation, for example - the Jets are currently 7 points out of a playoffs spot and this system would push them to 14 points out of the playoffs. 
    • 



Final Thoughts


At this stage of the season the standings aren't that much different than they would be with a 3 point win system. The biggest difference is that the bottom feeders would be further out of the playoff mix. It is very probably that the NHL likes the false parity of their current system. Tickets would logically be an easier sell for a team that is 7 points out of the playoffs versus 14.


Do you like this idea? Yay or nay?