Just over a quarter of the way through the 2025-26 NHL season, one trend has caused tired legs, frayed nerves and instant goal-scoring highlights:
Overtime games are being played at a record-setting rate.
In the season's first 425 games, 27.3% of them had the score tied after regulation, requiring a resolution in either the 3-on-3 overtime or in the shootout. If that trend holds, it would be the highest percentage of games going to overtime since the shootout was implemented in the 2005-06 season, topping the 25% of games that went to OT in the 2013-14 season.