Why does the NHL award points for losing? Can the standings just have win and losses

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NicholasP

New member
like other team sports? In other sports such as basketball and baseball, standings are solely determined by wins and losses. A team with more wins and a higher winning percentage will finish higher in the standings than one with less wins. However in hockey, a team with less wins can get a higher playoff seed by just waiting until overtime to lose. Why does the NHL award points for losing in overtime? It's good there are no more ties, but a loss is a loss. Losing in OT or by five goals should not make a difference. Also what is the problem that prevents the NHL to switch to a regular win/loss standings system like the NBA? There are not points for losing in overtime in football or basketball or 1/2 a win for extra innings in baseball.
 
The NFL does do a points system but if they did each team would get some credit for ties.

Every European soccer league awards points for ties since league games do not go to extra time if tied.

Rugby (Olympic sport)...your major domestic leagues (Super 14, Guinness Premier, Magners Celtic, French Top 14) award points for losing by less than 7 points, and bonus points for scoring a specified number of trys in a game as well as awarding points for ties.

I suppose the answer would be to make every game worth 3 points- 3 points for regulation win, 2 points for OT/SO win, 1 point for OT/SO loss. Of course, back in the day there was no regular season overtime...1 point for a tie and that's it.
 
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