Dietz: US gold great, but should’ve come with 10 skaters on the ice

There's nothing quite like the electric atmosphere, wild back-and-forth action and heart-pounding drama of an Olympic gold-medal hockey game.

Sunday's was yet another example.

After 60 minutes of spine-tingling action we saw the scoreboard reading Canada 1, USA 1. The U.S. survived a 93-second two-man advantage in the second period, as well as several ridiculous close calls where the puck somehow stayed out of the net.

It was an instant classic in almost every way imaginable.

There was only one massive problem: Instead of deciding the gold medal the way every Stanley Cup playoff contest is decided, Olympic elimination games are decided playing 3 on 3.

You know, like the NHL does on a regular February day. Only this was hardly a regular day in February.

It was so absurd. So ludicrous. So criminal.

Look, as an American I was obviously thrilled we won on Jack Hughes' goal 1:41 into OT. In no way am I trying to buzz kill the USA's victory.

But it should have come with 10 skaters and two goalies on the ice.

Three-on-three simply raises the “luck factor” far too much. Hockey is already about taking advantage of goofy bounces, but when the stakes are highest those bounces should come while playing the game the way it was meant to be played.

While soliciting questions for a possible Q&A last week one fan actually brought up the idea of changing the Stanley Cup playoff overtimes to 3 on 3.

“It would be cool to see that … instead of playing to all hours of the evening.”

No! There's nothing better than double, triple and even quadruple overtime in the postseason.

Same goes for the Olympics.

Plenty of smart people have the ability to fix this flaw by 2030. Let's hope someone gets them this memo and they make the change.

For the love of the game

Every January we start seeing TV ads for the Masters. As arguably the biggest golf tournament of the year, one would think it doesn't need much promotion, yet the powers that be still buy air time to get your juices flowing.

It's simple, basic Marketing 101.

Here's my thought: Perhaps the NHL should poach one of these executives to help build a wider audience. After all, here we had the Olympics — a prime opportunity to reach a zillion eyeballs — yet nary a commercial did we see to showcase the Stanley Cup playoffs, which are less than two months away. If you are going to pause your season for three weeks, how about using the air time to your advantage?

Novel concept, right?

How about also advertising during the NFL playoffs, MLB playoffs or during MLB's opening week?

I love hockey, love the NHL and REALLY love the postseason.

It just kills me that nobody at league headquarters does much of anything to build its base.

Looking ahead

The Blackhawks held five practices over the last week to get ready for the final third of the season. Coach Jeff Blashill said the Olympic break came at a good time for his team.

“A bunch of guys got a chance to reset and rest,” Blashill said. “We've got a whole bunch of guys playing really important minutes that have never really been through this schedule. Or if they have maybe one time. …

“We also get (a lot of practice) to try and hit the ground running. Does that guarantee success? No. But every team hits that break at different points. I thought we needed it.”

The final stretch won't be easy as 15 of the next 21 games are on the road, starting with Thursday's contest at Nashville and Saturday's at Colorado. The Hawks also must deal with the trade deadline, which is March 6.

It figures to be a rough finish, but fans should keep in mind the progress that has been made. It's been significant and mostly impressive.

John Dietz, a sports writer at the Daily Herald from 1998-2024, covered the Blackhawks from 2014-24. You can reach him at jdietz6917@hotmail.com.