To be honest, I have come around to thinking the game should just end after 60 minutes.
If it's tied, it's tied.
I used to hate ties when I was younger. Now I hate regular season overtime and shootouts.
You win, you get two points. You tie, you get one. No more three point games.
Well the 3 point games exist from a business standpoint more than a "hockey" standpoint.
It inflates point totals and helps keep more teams in a playoff race down the stretch.
Having said that, I have no problems with overtime OR the shootout, but there are too many shootouts for sure. But you can see teams definitely start playing for the guaranteed point in the 3rd period late which does get annoying.
And teams that are great in the shootout start playing safe in overtime.
My proposition would: you get a point if you lose in the overtime but 0 points if you lose in the shootout.
Then, you get 2 points for winning in overtime, but only 1 point for winning in the shootout. But then you up overtime to maybe 7 minutes.
It forces teams to hopefully open up during overtime since shootouts are less rewarding to not rewarding at all. Keep it at 4 on 4 however.
This also eliminates ROW (which to me is the dumbest tie breaker when it essentially punishes a team for getting to and winning the shootout). First tie-breaker should ALWAYS be head-to-head.