No Need To Change Overtime in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Stanley Cup Playoffs resumed Thursday night, May 18th with a marathon overtime game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers playing Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Final. That game dragged into Friday morning of May 19th as the Panthers defeated the Hurricanes in a four-overtime thriller by a score of 3-2. Matthew Tkachuk scored the game-winner at 2 am in the morning east coast time.

For those that did not stay up and there were many, it was a heck of a hockey game from start to finish. However, there are some in the hockey world calling for changes to the overtime format in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But why?

First of all, this does not make sense. These marathon overtime games are so rare. Not to mention this is what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs special and unique. Think about it for a second what is everyone talking about today? “Did you see that marathon game that went multiple overtimes between Florida and Carolina!” It is generating buzz for the league.

In addition, these long marathon overtime games are far and few between. They happen every couple of seasons if not longer. The last marathon overtime game was in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff bubble between Tampa Bay and Columbus that went five overtimes. Again most could watch the whole game because of the scheduling of games being played in the afternoon.

However, changing the overtime rules to get the game over quicker does not help the game or grow the game as some suggested. In fact, it makes it worse.

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Just look at International hockey, how many people really like 3-on-3 overtime to determine a gold medal in the Olympics, World Juniors, or World Championships? That is not hockey. And by the way, it is not continuous overtime except in the gold medal game. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, they go to a shootout.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are unique because it is a war of attrition, physically and mentally. It is supposed to be taxing. There is a reason it is the most difficult trophy to win in all of sports. Stanley Cup Playoff overtime can carry on into the middle of the night and early into the next day.

As we see in the regular season 3-on-3 is cool for 5 minutes. It can be longer. But after that it is tough. Especially if they do that after triple overtime as one writer suggests. That is the point of sudden death, play until someone scores.

Now most of the time games that do go to overtime in the Stanley Cup Playoffs usually end quickly within the first overtime. Sometimes the games carry into double or triple overtime. As we saw with the Winnipeg-Vegas series in the first round. Game 3 went to Double OT, but ended early in the second session. The Florida-Carolina game was an exception. These two teams play a great defensive structure and the goaltending was brilliant between Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen.

The chances from both teams were great. Seth Jarvis will be having nightmares about the open net he missed in the first overtime. Similar to the debate fans will have about the goaltender interference on the Ryan Lomberg goal in the first overtime. That is a topic for another time. But the play was excellent from both clubs.

As the overtime periods went on play slowed down, as there were spurts from both teams. But it was not like in years past when the game quality really went down. Neither team wanted to make a mistake. But that is what makes it exciting. Even the fans in Carolina stayed for the whole game. Some fell asleep, you do that on your couch. But they were there. Maybe not with the same excitement but they stayed.

People still talk about Keith Primeau‘s goal in the fifth overtime for Philadelphia against the Penguins in 2000. Or Petr Sykora‘s goal in the fifth overtime for Anaheim against Dallas in 2003. It is what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs special.

Prior to the Hurricanes-Panthers Game and Lightning-Blue Jackets game, you had to go back to the early-mid 2000s when games went past triple overtime. The Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks played a four-overtime thriller in 2008. The Stars also played a four-overtime thriller against Vancouver in 2007. Before those marathon games, you have to go back into the 1990s and later to find marathon Stanley Cup Playoff overtime marathon games.

While there have been long games in the playoffs, especially in the Stanley Cup Final, that is what makes it fun to watch and so unique.

If these games were more constant like every series then maybe there is a discussion, but there is no reason to change the overtime format in the Stanley Cup Playoffs because of rare marathon games.