3-on-3 thrills, but tactics a puzzle

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This article was published 24/09/2015 (3694 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON — The early reviews from audiences are all good: the NHL’s new 3-on-3 format is fun, it’s thrilling and, ultimately, it should mean less games are decided by the skills competition that is the shootout.

There’s also this:

Honestly, coaches and players are still trying to wrap their heads around how to best approach the dang thing.

The Winnipeg Jets opened their pre-season with some 3-on-3 in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild and were served another helping of it Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. This one was planned, though, as the NHL works its way through the concept by ensuring every team experiences it, regardless of the score.

Paul Maurice & Co. weighed in on the subject in the wake of Tuesday’s win, calling it “exciting as heck” and “fun.” But coaches are paid to analyze and strategize and the more they learn about the new format, they more likely they will devise moves and counter-moves.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into this 3 on-3,” said new Oilers coach Todd McLellan following Wednesday’s morning skate. “And we aren’t prepared right now to immediately go to that.”

McLellan and his staff have been together since Sept. 1 along with Gerry Fleming, the coach of the Oilers AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Fleming was part of the Oklahoma City Barons staff last year and that club led the AHL with the most OT wins in a year in which that league debuted the 3-on-3 format.

“There are patterns to goals for and against,” McLellan said. “Shift length and possession are extremely important. Faceoff situations… where the lineup may change a lot. When you only have three guys where are you going to line up?”

“Your bench will get shortened immensely… 4-on-4 it’s getting shortened. With 3-on-3 it gets shortened even more. You’ll see players get caught on the ice because if you change, it’s a 3-on-2. If you change at the wrong time it’s a guaranteed out-numbered rush. Guys have a tendency to get caught out there and be a little more tired.

“We will begin to look at it at the NHL level and see if we can apply some of the American league principles to it. We will work on it. We will have some tactics that we will use. It’s just a little further down the road right now.”

‘You’ll see players get caught on the ice because if you change, it’s a 3-on-2. If you change at the wrong time it’s a guaranteed out-numbered rush. Guys have a tendency to get caught out there and be a little more tired’

— Oilers head coach Todd McLellan

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The Oilers, interestingly, may be one of the teams best-suited for 3-on-3. They do have a number of skilled and dynamic forwards — and add Connor McDavid to that mix — and have upgraded their goaltending after landing Cam Talbot from the New York Rangers.

But, again, the whole concept remains a mystery.

“I’ve watched some of the highlights on Sportscentre… you see a bunch of 2-on-1s and 3-on-1s,” said Oilers winger Jordan Eberle. “I don’t know what to expect, to be honest. We tried it out the other day and it seems like if there’s a missed chance it’s going back the other way.

“That’s the biggest thing: if you’re coming in on an odd-man rush and you’re the guy with the puck, you don’t want to give it up. It’s all about possession. If you lose it or fumble it or give it up, you’re going the other way and chasing. I like it. A lot of times with the shootout it wasn’t coming down to who had the best team, it was if the goalie was hot or just luck.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait