TAMPA, Fla.-- The first ever 3-on-3 overtime in NHL history provided the league with exactly what it was looking for when its Board of Governors opted to switch to the new format.
It resulted in a winner long before a shootout came into question and provided ample entertainment for the crowd at Amalie Arena.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper summed it up perfectly when he spoke with reporters after his team came out on top with a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers on opening night. It was two minutes, 17 seconds of “lunacy.”
“It’s just constant end-to-end,” Cooper said.