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A14 SPORTS
Saturday 4 February 2023
Support growing in NHL for longer 3-on-3 OT, fewer shootouts

By STEPHEN WHYNO ly considers extending OT.
AP Hockey Writer “I think you’ll see goals
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. scored in the last 5 minutes
(AP) — Troy Terry made his if you play that extra 5,”
name in hockey with his Chicago Blackhawks de-
shootout heroics for the fenseman Seth Jones said.
U.S. in the 2017 world ju- “(The shootout is) exciting
nior championship against for the fans. I understand
Russia, much like T.J. Oshie why we do it. You work
did at the Olympics a few for 65 minutes and play a
years earlier. good game and you don’t
Still, the Anaheim Ducks All- get rewarded sometimes
Star wouldn’t mind seeing based on the shootout.”
fewer of them decide NHL St. Louis Blues winger Vladi-
games. mir Tarasenko said the
A movement is growing shootout sometimes feels
to play more than just five like a lottery. There is a
minutes of 3-on-3 overtime certain randomness to it;
during the regular season in Washington’s Alex Ovech-
the hope of cutting down kin, now the NHL’s No. 2
on the number of shoot- Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, right, stops a shot by Buffalo Sabres right wing scorer, cashes in on fewer
outs. Implementing 3-on-3 Jack Quinn in the shootout of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. than a third of his shootout
already has significantly Associated Press attempts.
reduced how often games “It’s harder than people
are decided by shootout. 5-on-5 overtime in the play- All-Star tournament Satur- games in the regular sea- think: goalies preparing
Two-time NHL MVP and offs until a game-winning day night another chance son. for shooters, shooters pre-
four-time scoring champi- goal is scored. The shoot- to show how effective it Major League Baseball be- paring for goalies,” said
on Connor McDavid spoke out was intended to jazz up is but that’s still too many gan starting each half of Tarasenko.
out in favor of longer over- regular-season games but for a lot of folks around the extra innings with a runner “I think it should be either
time and it’s clear he’s not by 2015 the NHL had what sport. “Any time you have on second in 2020, while you play until you score, or
alone. it considered a problem: an opportunity to decide the NFL has cut overtime you play five (minutes) and
“The 3-on-3 overtime as a 13% of its regular-season the outcome of the game from 15 minutes to 10 and a shootout.”
whole is great for this sport,” games, 160 in all, went to a in a team atmosphere, I altered how games end Recency bias certainly
Terry said. “It’s fun for us. It shootout after five minutes think it’s more indicative of by giving each team a clouds the conversation
feels more like hockey than of 4-on-4 play did not pro- the fabric of the game,” chance to score a touch- for some. Jason Robertson
going to the shootout.” duce a deciding goal. Pittsburgh Penguins coach down. McDavid, who told is against longer OT after
The NHL implemented the After some experimenta- Mike Sullivan said. “The Sportsnet in Canada that he and the Dallas Stars lost
shootout in 2005-06 com- tion in the American Hock- shootout, I know it’s excit- “no one wants to see the three consecutive games
ing out of a lockout that ey League, the league ap- ing and there’s an enter- game end in a shootout,” going into the break, while
had wiped out an entire proved 3-on-3 OT and that tainment value there, but acknowledged the poten- coach Bruce Cassidy is fine
season, getting rid of ties number plummeted to 8% for me it’s deciding the out- tial wear and tear of more with shootouts because
that had been part of the last season. come of a baseball game 3-on-3 play. If he and other his Vegas Golden Knights
league for decades. There It’s down to 6.5% so far this with a home run derby.” players are willing to take have an All-Star goaltender
is no consideration of go- season 51 of 803 games at The NHL is far from alone in that on, there’s a good who happens to be good
ing away from continuous the break, with the 3-on-3 tinkering with how to end chance the league serious- at them.q

As James nears record, Tuesday’s Lakers game moved to TNT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn first, followed by been the league’s leading
NBA has further adjusted the Thunder-Lakers game. scorer since 1984.
the schedule of nation- It’s a move that follows the NBA Commissioner Adam
ally televised games with NBA making similar adjust- Silver said last month in Par-
LeBron James closing in ments earlier this week to is that the league would
on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar show James and the Lak- ensure James’ record-
for the league’s scoring re- ers nationally on Saturday, breaking game is shown
cord. James is on pace to as he presumably moves nationally, as well as mak-
break the record Tuesday closer to Abdul-Jabbar. ing it globally available.
at home against the Okla- That game was moved up If James doesn’t have the
homa City Thunder. That two hours to a 6 p.m. East- record after Tuesday’s
game will now be shown ern start. The Lakers-Pel- game, his next game is
on TNT, a change that icans game was moved already scheduled for na-
forced a reworking of that to ESPN2, preceding a na- tional TV. The Lakers’ home
night’s entire schedule on tional broadcast between game Feb. 9 against Mil-
the network. TNT was sup- Dallas and Golden State waukee the team that
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) shoots over posed to show Atlanta at at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. Abdul-Jabbar started his
Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first half New Orleans, followed by James entered Thursday career with, before he
of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 2, Minnesota at Denver. In- needing 89 points to pass joined the Lakers will be
2023.
Associated Press stead, it’ll show Phoenix at Abdul-Jabbar, who has shown on TNT.q