Interesting to evaluate these two events.
TP: One should at least abolish the bronze final: Award the bronze to the team with the best time of the losers in the semi finals. (The semi finals for women were rather strange, plus the Kiwis did not have anything left in the bronze final). Really dont see the need for a second fight for 5th and 7th either. Although probably regarded as a successful way of arranging the TP (extra tactical dimension with semis and gold final), I would rather prefer to stay with just one "ranking round" in the TP of the Olympics as well.
Mass start: I have earlier suggested a kind of "points" elimination race. Remember?
https://www.danielyeow.com/2017/explaining-the-mass-start/
For the dynamics in mass start races one seems to need intermidiate sprints up front. Pure elimination races (tail) are most probably no good on ice. But what about eliminations simultanously with the "points" sprints? Or even better: the lap thereafter (when you also see possible counterattacks), PLUS the lap AFTER that again...
Speaking of eliminations: Are You eliminated if you are lapped by ONE or more (how many?) skaters in the WC/championships?