Bruins - Capitals Preseason Game To Feature 3-On-3 Overtime, Regardless Of Score

BOSTON (CBS) -- If you want to see - well, hear - what the NHL's new 3-on-3 overtime will be like, tune in to the Boston Bruins preseason matchup against the Washington Capitals Tuesday night.

The Bruins tweeted Tuesday afternoon that Tuesday's game between the Bruins and Capitals will feature a 3-on-3 overtime period - regardless of the score at the end of regulation. As you can see below, coach Claude Julien is in favor of the experiment:

Speaking to reporters, Claude reiterated his distaste for shootouts, which the new overtime rules aim to limit as a deciding factor in games: "I hate shootouts. I hate individuals deciding a team game," he said.

Many NHL fans share Julien's sentiment - that the league would be better off getting rid of shootouts altogether, let alone allowing them to decide games and potentially playoff seeds. But Commissioner Gary Bettman claimed otherwise in March: "I think there are some members of the NHL family who would like to see fewer shootouts...We're not hearing that from fans. Fans like the way the game is. That's something we're going to discuss. I'm not sure anybody is ready to make a change." In July, he continued to claim that fans enjoy shootouts.

If fans really did "overwhelmingly like" the shootout, the league probably wouldn't be implementing new overtime rules in the first place. It's no secret that the Bruins are not a fan of them, and most coaches would likely rather not have games or seasons decided on a breakaway contest.

It's refreshing to see that the league is willing to modify its product to improve the endings of games, and make wins more legitimate. Hockey purists may say it's more akin to pond hockey, but if 3-on-3 is gimmicky what does that make a shootout?

Tuesday's Bruins-Capitals preseason game will not be broadcast on NESN, so you can only hear it on 98.5 The Sports Hub. But that won't stop everyone from having takes on it, and surely there will be an abundance of grainy iPhone pics. Those are only about to begin.

UPDATE: The Bruins have announced that the game will be live-streamed on BostonBruins.com. It will only be available for viewers in the Boston market.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here and follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff.

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