Alternate NHL standings: Flames have clinched

ROW, or regulation and overtime wins, is a statistic that doesn't make much of an impact in the NHL standings except once, at the end of the NHL season, when it becomes the first tiebreaker for teams in the playoff hunt.

The National Hockey League is unique in that every game isn’t equally weighted. Some games three points are awarded, while most contests only award two.

In the scenario below a shootout win is two points, a shootout loss is one, and wins (in regulation or overtime) are three points.

Here’s a look at the standings if every game was worth three points.

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On the surface very little changes. The New York Rangers are your Presidents’ Trophy winners, and the same teams are fighting for the remaining playoff spots in their respective conferences.

However, the big winner is probably the Calgary Flames. The Flames would’ve already clinched a playoff spot and have a shot at jumping past the Vancouver Canucks into second in the Pacific Division.

Meanwhile, it’s a dog fight between the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Jets have benefited from seven shootout victories this season and they pay for it in these standings.

The Kings, however, have eight shootout loses and just two wins. Their lack of ability to close out these glorified talent shows has kept them out of the playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference the Montreal Canadiens jump down to third in the conference and are almost a sure bet to finish behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is because Steve Yzerman’s crew has 46 victories in regulation and overtime compared to Montreal’s 42.

The big loser in this scenario in the East is the Ottawa Senators. Their 35-32-6-7 record has them all but eliminated from the playoffs. They need help in the real world to make the playoffs, but they’d need a miracle in the three-point world.

Regardless of your thoughts on the unbalanced standings the NHL currently employs, this three-point world certainly provides some perspective on what the Stanley Cup playoff race could look like. What’s crucial to note is the emphasis away from the shootout, and the importance of finishing the game before the shootout.

Whether or not this system is ever going to come to fruition remains to be seen, but it would certainly align with the NHL’s current ideas to limit the impact of shootouts.

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