Davis: NHL's playoff overtime rules reign, but some other stuff needs fine-tuning
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The NHL has some stupid rules that need to be changed, but no sport has a better tie-breaking format than hockey's overtime, particularly during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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Next goal wins! Five-on-five, 20 minutes at a time until Max Domi or Alex Ovechkin — who each surprisingly tallied their first postseason OT winners this past week — scores the celebratory goal. Is there anything sweeter?
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Scoring twice in overtime explains how the Dallas Stars led their best-of-seven series 2-1 against the Colorado Avalanche, despite leading for only 62 seconds during their first three games.
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Don't ever change that overtime rule. Don't try that bastardized 3-on-3 stuff from the regular season, with teams backtracking repeatedly until they eventually, hopefully see a scoring chance.
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Unlike other sports, hockey has just enough offence and the right amount of scoring opportunities to play next-goal-wins.
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Soccer can't; they could play for hours and never break a nil-nil deadlock. It's conversely too easy to score in basketball, so the NBA plays five-minute overtime sessions until someone is ahead at the buzzer. It's not 'sudden-death,' the outdated, hyperbolic phrase that used to describe NHL overtimes.
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Baseball gives each team an opportunity to score a winning run, with MLB putting a ghost runner at second base in extra innings to make it easier. But only during the regular season.
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Please explain how the tie-breaker works in tennis. Golfers play extra holes until someone wins outright, which is the second-best tie-breaking format in professional sports.
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The CFL also gives each team an opportunity for scoring a decisive touchdown, field goal, safety or rouge.
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The NFL? Puh-leez! No pro league has devised worse overtimes than the NFL.
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In the NHL it ain't broke, so don't fix it. These Stanley Cup finals remain way more entertaining than WrestleMania, with much better plot twists. Can John Cena play goal for the Edmonton Oilers? Or maybe he could referee and not give Ottawa Senators forward Ridley Greig a phantom roughing penalty while getting pulverized by Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz in a WWE-like showdown.
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There are way too many gambling ads during the telecasts and hearing legendary studio host Ron MacLean recite pregame parlays continues to be tremendously sad, but in-studio analysts Kevin Bieksa, Kelly Hrudey, Luke Gazdic, Elliotte Friedman and Derek Lalonde — a former NHL coach who Bieksa calls 'Newsy' — remain insightful.
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Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Clock ticking on Ottawa Senators to sign alternate captain Claude Giroux
The clock is ticking on Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. Article content Ten days to the opening of National Hockey League free agency, and the veteran winger remains unsigned. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but curiously the Senators haven't yet agreed to a deal with the 37-year-old forward. Article content Article content Talks have been held regularly, and sources say the Senators remain 'hopeful' that Giroux will be back next season. He signed with Ottawa in 2022 to help get the club back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which it did in 2025, and there are better days ahead. Article content Article content Dave Poulin, the Senators' senior vice-president of hockey operations, told season-ticket holders at a summit earlier this month at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators wanted to keep Giroux. Article content Article content 'He's a huge part of our hockey team, and he's brought so much to the community,' Poulin said. 'We love Claude Giroux as an Ottawa Senator, and he loves being an Ottawa Senator. Negotiations continue. That's all I have.' Article content Steve Staios, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager, made similar remarks. Article content With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux. The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he'll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest. Article content Because the Senators want Giroux back and he wants to return, that's one hurdle cleared. Article content Article content Now they must work out the details, which is expected to be a one-year contract. Article content Article content The belief in NHL circles is that Giroux's camp is likely using the $4 million that Ottawa winger David Perron will make in the final year of his deal as a comparable. That makes sense: Giroux finished with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games last season. Article content Postmedia has spoken with several league executives in recent weeks, and they agreed that Giroux's next deal should have a base salary in the $3-million U.S. range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5 million and $5 million. Article content Though a report by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman said the two sides were trying to come up with a 'bonus structure,' Postmedia has been told they've yet to agree on the amount of the base salary.
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Clock ticking on Ottawa Senators to sign alternate captain Claude Giroux
The clock is ticking on Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. Ten days to the opening of National Hockey League free agency, and the veteran winger remains unsigned. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but curiously the Senators haven't yet agreed to a deal with the 37-year-old forward. Talks have been held regularly, and sources say the Senators remain 'hopeful' that Giroux will be back next season. He signed with Ottawa in 2022 to help get the club back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which it did in 2025, and there are better days ahead. Dave Poulin, the Senators' senior vice-president of hockey operations, told season-ticket holders at a summit earlier this month at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators wanted to keep Giroux. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'He's a huge part of our hockey team, and he's brought so much to the community,' Poulin said. 'We love Claude Giroux as an Ottawa Senator, and he loves being an Ottawa Senator. Negotiations continue. That's all I have.' Steve Staios, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager, made similar remarks. With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux. The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he'll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest. Because the Senators want Giroux back and he wants to return, that's one hurdle cleared. Now they must work out the details, which is expected to be a one-year contract. The belief in NHL circles is that Giroux's camp is likely using the $4 million that Ottawa winger David Perron will make in the final year of his deal as a comparable. That makes sense: Giroux finished with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games last season. Postmedia has spoken with several league executives in recent weeks, and they agreed that Giroux's next deal should have a base salary in the $3-million U.S. range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5 million and $5 million. Though a report by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman said the two sides were trying to come up with a 'bonus structure,' Postmedia has been told they've yet to agree on the amount of the base salary. The Senators have $10.75 million in salary-cap space with 17 of the 23 players on the active roster signed, and team officials have stated it won't spend to the cap. The club has to be careful with incentives for Giroux because, if his bonuses put the Senators over the cap, the hit will fall to next season. Are bonuses for games played, like the ones that Jonathan Toews received from the Winnipeg Jets, necessary in this contract? League executives are surprised a deal isn't done because Giroux has been an alternate captain for the Senators, but remain doubtful that he will get to market. 'I think they'll come to an agreement,' one league executive said Saturday. Senators owner Michael Andlauer participated in a face-to-face meeting with Giroux's Los Angeles-based agent, Pat Brisson, at the NHL Combine in Buffalo earlier this month. Brisson also negotiated Toews' deal with the Jets. There is no question Giroux has been one of the best free agent signings ever by the Senators, but we get the sense his camp is frustrated that another contract hasn't been completed yet. Giroux signed here three years ago because he wanted to come home and be part of the solution for the Senators. His wife, Ryanne, and the couple's three children are comfortable here, too. In 245 regular-season games as a Senator, Giroux has contributed 71 goals and 122 assists for 193 points. The only game he missed in three seasons was down the stretch this year while being rested. Averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time last season, Giroux also ranked among the best faceoff men in the NHL at 61.5 per cent. He was mostly used on the top two lines, but also saw time on the power-play and penalty-killing units. Staios has prioritized getting restricted free agents Tyler Kleven, Nikolas Matinpalo and Fabian Zetterlund under contract since the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs on May 1. Matinpalo signed a two-year deal at $875,000 a year, Kleven agreed to a two-year deal at $1.675 million per season, and Zetterlund signed for a whopping $4.275 million per year for three years. The Senators are also trying to get goaltender Leevi Merilainen signed to a new deal to be the backup to Linus Ullmark next season. Negotiations are also taking place with wingers Nick Cousins and Matthew Highmore. Zetterlund's signing cements him as a top-six forward. That means that Giroux's role will change, and his ice time will diminish, but he's still a valuable asset on the power play, penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. We believe this deal will get across the finish line, but we're heading to the final hours here. bgarrioch@
Ottawa Citizen
3 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Clock ticking on Ottawa Senators to sign alternate captain Claude Giroux
The clock is ticking on Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. Article content Ten days to the opening of National Hockey League free agency, and the veteran winger remains unsigned. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but curiously the Senators haven't yet agreed to a deal with the 37-year-old forward. Article content Article content Talks have been held regularly, and sources say the Senators remain 'hopeful' that Giroux will be back next season. He signed with Ottawa in 2022 to help get the club back into the Stanley Cup playoffs, which it did in 2025, and there are better days ahead. Article content Article content Dave Poulin, the Senators' senior vice-president of hockey operations, told season-ticket holders at a summit earlier this month at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators wanted to keep Giroux. Article content Article content 'He's a huge part of our hockey team, and he's brought so much to the community,' Poulin said. 'We love Claude Giroux as an Ottawa Senator, and he loves being an Ottawa Senator. Negotiations continue. That's all I have.' Article content Steve Staios, the team's president of hockey operations and general manager, made similar remarks. Article content With free agency approaching, it may be time to show genuine affection in negotiations with Giroux. The closer this gets to July 1, the more danger there is that he'll head to the open market, and one executive has told Postmedia that the Montreal Canadiens could show interest. Article content Because the Senators want Giroux back and he wants to return, that's one hurdle cleared. Article content Article content Now they must work out the details, which is expected to be a one-year contract. Article content Article content The belief in NHL circles is that Giroux's camp is likely using the $4 million that Ottawa winger David Perron will make in the final year of his deal as a comparable. That makes sense: Giroux finished with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in 81 games last season. Article content Postmedia has spoken with several league executives in recent weeks, and they agreed that Giroux's next deal should have a base salary in the $3-million U.S. range plus achievable bonuses that could allow him to make between $4.5 million and $5 million. Article content Though a report by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman said the two sides were trying to come up with a 'bonus structure,' Postmedia has been told they've yet to agree on the amount of the base salary.
