In addition to having fewer players on the ice, teams will be attacking the goal farther from their bench — the long change, as it is known in hockey circles.

“I think line changes come into the thought process even more,” Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “Getting caught out there, and getting tired, and them getting a couple guys on and are obviously fresher than you.”

Because the long change makes it tougher to get off the ice, he added, “you’ve got to be real smart and not risk trying to take a chance and get caught out there too long.”

To give teams more opportunities to practice the overtime protocol, the N.H.L. scheduled some preseason games to play a five-minute, three-on-three period regardless of the score.

Line combinations have varied during the process. Before, the most common situation in which teams had only three skaters on the ice was during a penalty kill. When teams kill penalties with three players, they often use one forward and two defensemen.

During the preseason, some coaches elected to use three forwards. Others used two forwards and one puck-moving defenseman to try to win the game off the opening face-off.