Auston Matthews makes his thoughts crystal clear on bringing key 4 Nations 3-on-3 OT rule to NHL

Auston Matthews thinks the NHL should consider a longer 3-on-3 overtime. Currently, If a regular-season game is tied, teams play five minutes of 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime. A penalty gives the other team an extra skater. If no one scores, a shootout decides the winner. Each team picks three shooters.

If still tied, the shootout continues until one team scores and the other does not. Playoff overtime has no shootout. Instead, the teams play 20-minute, 5-on-5 sudden-death periods until a team scores.

On Thursday, Sportsnet shared what Matthews said about extending the length of the 3-on-3 overtime period.

“I think it’s something to look at, for sure," Matthews said. "I think the shootout, especially in a tournament like (4 Nations), you don’t want to see a game go to the shootout. 3-on-3 was so exciting. There's so much back and forth. So, I think it’s definitely something to look at.”

At the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL tested a 10-minute 3-on-3 overtime during the round-robin stage. In one game, Canada defeated Sweden with a goal after six minutes. Under current NHL rules, that game would have gone to a shootout.

The idea of extending 3-on-3 overtime has been discussed for years. Players like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby have said they prefer games to end in overtime.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews' statement after 5-2 loss to Predators

Before the Toronto Maple Leafs' 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, the Leafs had lost to the Nashville Predators 5-2 on Saturday. Auston Matthews was not happy with the Leafs' loss. The Leafs took a 2–0 lead but allowed five unanswered goals. Matthews said the team needs to be more consistent, especially before the playoffs.

“The inconsistency is obviously not ideal, especially this time of year,” Auston Matthews told the media. “We have a bad outing, and we string together a couple good games and kind of another letdown like this... That’s on us to make sure that we’re consistent every night, no matter what the situation, no matter what the game presents.”

Toronto had a chance to take first place in the Atlantic Division after Florida and Tampa Bay lost. But the Leafs missed the opportunity on Saturday. But on Tuesday, they corrected their mistakes and scored six straight goals for a 6-1 lead and won the game. Now, they rank first in their division with 89 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 43-25-3 record this season and they have nine games left. Mitch Marner leads with 86 points and 64 assists and William Nylander has scored 40 goals.