New Rules Good For NHL

NHL teams

With a quarter of the season behind, the new format seems to be working. Through 243 games this season, there have been 55 overtime games and 22 have ended in a victory. Last season, just eight of 45 avoided ties at a similar point.

"When teams were closing in at the end of games, no one was taking too many chances," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. "Now, when each team already has a point, they go for it."

"There is a little uneasiness with people in the hockey world that it's a gimmick, but we are in the entertainment world."

Scoring in the league has stayed on the same level as last year. The average of goals per game this season is 5.42, up 2.8 percent from 5.27 at same point last season.

The other big change this year was the elimination of instant replay when a player was in the crease during a goal. This might be the best single rule change the league has done in years. Gone are the stupid no-goal decisions, when an offensive player had his toe in the crease. Now the ref makes the decision on ice based on whether he thinks the player in the crease interfered with the goalie or not.

Last season there were 47 reviews at this point, with 28 caused by the "man in the crease" rule. In 1999, there have only been 13 total reviews.

"Our game time has come down a little bit and part of the reason is because the call is being made on the ice," NHL director of officiating Bryan Lewis said.