A Scoring Shift That Could Have Rewritten Colorado's Playoff Path
The 2025‑26 Colorado Avalanche finished the regular season with a franchise‑best 55‑16‑11 record, yet their campaign ended at the Western Conference Finals. That narrative could have been dramatically different if the league adopted a 3‑2‑1 point system, awarding three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout victory, one for an overtime or shootout loss and none for a regulation defeat.
Under that model the Avalanche would have transformed a 48‑7‑11‑16 line into 169 total points, a tally that would have propelled them higher in the standings and potentially altered the matchup landscape. The Boston Bruins still hold the all‑time single‑season point record with 135, but the new distribution would have reshaped the race for the playoffs across the Western Conference.
The proposed format is already familiar in other hockey circles. The Professional Women’s Hockey League, the International Ice Hockey Federation, several European leagues and the 4 Nations Face‑Off all employ a similar reward structure that emphasizes regulation victories while still recognizing overtime heroics. The NHL’s current system, which grants a single point for an overtime loss, is unique among major leagues.
If the 3‑2‑1 model were implemented, teams that rely heavily on overtime, such as the Los Angeles Kings, would see their playoff prospects diminish. The Kings’ recent run was built on a high number of overtime wins and losses, a strategy that would lose its edge when only two points are available for those outcomes.
Beyond the Avalanche, the shift would affect the entire playoff picture. The St. Louis Blues, for example, would have edged the Kings out of a postseason berth, illustrating how a modest change in scoring can ripple through the bracket.
Fans have long advocated for a return to the traditional 1‑v‑8 playoff seeding, but a revised point system could serve as a first step toward that goal. By incentivizing regulation wins, the league could reduce the number of games that extend into overtime, potentially increasing the pace and excitement of the sport.
On the international stage, former Avalanche net‑minder Justus Annunen has emerged as a standout for Nashville, underscoring the global reach of talent development within the organization.
What the Numbers Reveal
The statistical exercise shows that a modest tweak to the point allocation can have outsized effects on team positioning. While the Bruins’ 135‑point benchmark remains untouched, the Avalanche’s hypothetical 169 points would have placed them at the top of the Western Conference, altering matchups and potentially changing the narrative of the season.
As the NHL ponders future rule adjustments, the conversation extends beyond mere points. It touches on the league’s identity, the balance between rewarding offensive skill and preserving competitive integrity, and the evolving ways fans engage with the game.