Frei: What’s the point? Make all NHL games worth 3 points

Wave goodbye to Carrot Top and Barry Manilow and take a look at the NHL standings coming out of the All-Star break.

Twenty-one of the 32 teams have at least as many wins (W) as losses (L).

That’s before you get to the OTL column for overtime or shootout losses, and those are worth one consolation point. They’re completely separate from the L column, and that creates at least a misleading impression.

Taking advantage of the fact that some games end up being worth 3 points and some worth 2, the NHL norm is to bill anything along the lines of 18-18-5 as .”500 hockey.”