from Joe Yerdon at NHL.com,

The American Hockey League has been trying to find a way to have more games end in overtime rather than in the shootout. The reviews have been mixed from players.

Before the start of the 2014-15 season, the AHL changed how overtime periods would be handled by switching from a five-minute overtime played 4-on-4 to a seven-minute period with four of them played 4-on-4 and three minutes played 3-on-3.

Through Saturday, 74.8 percent of games that went to overtime were settled in the extra period. When compared to last season, it’s an increase of 10.1 percent when 64.7 percent of games that went to overtime ended with an overtime goal. For AHL players who have spent time in the NHL, that difference has been noticeable.

"I think for our fans, it's great for hockey," Rockford IceHogs defenseman T.J. Brennan said. "Obviously shootouts are fun and exciting. It [stinks] being on the losing side of a shootout. One guy, one goalie … it kind of takes away from the team-oriented thing. Having 4-on-4 and 3-on-3, it's always exciting to have a goal in game decided in action. When you simplify it down to that, it's fun and exciting."

continued