Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux, from left, goalie Michal Neuvirth and Matt Read (24) celebrate after a shootout against the Detroit Red Wings in an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 in Detroit. Philadelphia won 2-1. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

There’s a cause and effect for NHL rules changes.

The biggest catalyst, and hindrance when it comes to things like goalie equipment, is player safety. Then there’s increasing goal-scoring and, of course, the annual closing of loopholes based on one or two egregious incidents (i.e. enacting a coach’s challenge review process for offside plays after that Matt Duchene embarrassment).

For the most part, none of these standards apply to tweaking the point-standings format, which has been a topic of discussion here and there over the years. The forced parity that’s been created with the current format, thanks to the charity point, hasn’t exactly created the appetite for a radical reinvention of the standings. To that end, Gary Bettman said the current standings system “works extraordinarily well.”

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Which is to say there isn’t a rabid desire for the three-point regulation win for which many fans have clamored.

The most popular format change would see three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime/shootout loss and zero points for a regulation loss. (Despite logical arguments to the contrary, we’re stuck with the loser point. We’re just going to have to deal with that.)

I’ve long supported the three-point win for one rather obvious reason: The idea that the first 60 minutes of a game should in any way be worth the same as a victory in the extra five minutes or, god forbid, the shootout is asinine. Teams that are able to close the deal within three periods should be rewarded for that.

The other benefit to the format change would be in playoff races. For example: The Philadelphia Flyers are four points in back of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the wild card, and the rivals have three more regular season games between them. Could you imagine a 9-0 point swing in favor of the Flyers if they won all three games in regulation?

Of course, there’s the rub: If we had three-point regulation wins, the Flyers would not be four points in back of the Penguins.

Via Hockey Standings, this is what the Eastern Conference would look like under a 3-2-1 format:

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And here’s the West:

View photos Hockey Standings More

(We’ve limited it to teams that would realistically still be in the “hunt.”)

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