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How to fix the NHL's 3-on-3 overtime problem

NHL overtime can be a thrilling event, but many teams have adopted a keep-away strategy that saps all the fun out of it. Chris Tanouye/Getty Images

Hearing someone say that the NHL's 3-on-3 overtime has gotten boring is like hearing someone say, "Hey, remember when pizza was good?"

It's pizza. Even when it's bad, it's good.

I've chanted the same mantra about the 3-on-3 overtime format, which the NHL implemented in 2015 to end games before they reached the shootout. All it takes is one errant shot and a rush the other way before the game detonates in mayhem. At its best, the 3-on-3 overtime encapsulates all the pinnacle of offensive hockey: Kinetic energy, nonstop action, star players making transcendent plays, unpredictable outcomes and goaltenders cursing its very existence.

At its worst ... well, it looks like what we've seen in overtime this season.

I regret to inform you that they've changed the recipe, and the pizza is now inedible.