NHL Standings: 7 Teams Benefiting from the Extra OT Point

The extra point. The charity point. The three-point game. 

The NHL's overtime point distribution system has a lot of names and equally as much criticism. Those in favor believe teams who extend a game to overtime should be rewarded for doing so, while the naysayers contend that a team shouldn't benefit from losing a game, ever.

No matter which side of the argument you find yourself on, the numbers can't be disputed.

Roughly 22.5 percent (sometimes a bit higher and lower, and in 2009-10 it was 27.9 percent) of NHL games go to overtime. If you consider that a total of 1,230 games are played during the regular season, then 276 extra points are handed out each year to teams that lose in overtime.

The amount of extra points that are up for grabs can translate into real capital for teams making the playoff push or attempting to cement home-ice advantage in the postseason.

In fact, Gabriel Desjardins of the Wall Street Journal is convinced teams purposely play it safe late in games in order to obtain that all-too-valuable extra point.

"Teams seem to have figured out that dragging 10 games to the shootout is as good as winning five more games in regulation and can vault a team into the playoffs," Desjardins observes.

The group of teams benefiting most from the overtime loss this year is as follows. Note that four of the teams, Florida, Ottawa, LA and Phoenix, would be lower in the standings without a point awarded for losing in overtime or the shootout. The projections below are factored on a strict two points given to the winner (no matter when the game is won—regulation, overtime or shootout) and zero points to the loser.

Philadelphia Flyers:

Overtime Losses (seven)
Points (69)
Conference Standing w/Extra Point (fourth)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (third)

Florida Panthers:

Overtime Losses (11)
Points (61)
Conference Standing (third)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (10th)

Ottawa Senators:

Overtime Losses (seven)
Points (63)
Conference Standing (seventh)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (eighth)

St. Louis Blues:

Overtime Losses (seven)
Points (71)
Conference Standing (fourth)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (third)Chicago Blackhawks:

Overtime Losses (seven)
Points (65)
Conference Standing (sixth)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (sixth)
 
Los Angeles Kings:

Overtime Losses (10)
Points (62)
Conference Standing (seventh)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (ninth)

Phoenix Coyotes:

Overtime Losses (eight)
Points (60)
Conference Standing (eighth)
Conference Standing w/o Extra Point (10th)

*Calgary and Minnesota also have eight overtime losses and are currently tied for ninth in the Western Conference Standings. Calgary would be 12th and Minnesota 11th without the charity point.

Interesting stuff. What are your thoughts on the overtime point? Comment below.

Ryan O'Leary is a researcher and writer for Bleacher Report's Video Production Department with seven years experience in the sports industry. Ryan covered the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Hockey Tournament with CTV and the 2011 IIHF World Championships with the NBC Sports Channel. He was also a member of NBC's 2008 Olympic Coverage in Beijing. Ryan resides in Connecticut and supports the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers from afar.