86 replies to this topic

[#10 Duguay]

The shootout is too popular in it's early stages to expect it to go away, but really the biggest problem the NHL has is that it CLAIMS that the reason for the shootout is to ELIMINATE ties.

If the goal is REALLY to eliminate ties, then there should be no points for the loser.


In the NHL, each game has always been worth 2 points. Until the past few years, which saw losers of OT games gain 1 point. So now all games are worth 2 points except for the handful worth 3.


How do you justify that?

A team that plays a 5-5 tie and goes to OT or shootout and loses gets a point, but a team who plays a 0-0 tie for 59 minutes and gives up a goal with 30 seconds to go gets no points.

Why?

THAT is what ruins the integrity of the NHL.

[Devils731]

and with this season every game having a winner or loser the "loser" point is adding up much quicker than in past seasons. More 3 point games is so bothersome to me.

[njdevils_info]

But what good does that do for the sport? That's what I keep hearing from people: the shootout is for the casual fan; the shootout will bring casual fans to hockey. First of all, there's zero evidence that's been the case this season or last season in the AHL or in the Olympics or anywhere else. Secondly, what happens when these people drawn to the siren's song of the shootout come to a game or watch it on TV and find out (gasp!) there are 10 other players on the ice, and those super-special moves you see in the shootout happen, maybe, once in the normal course of play? Will they stick around to watch non-shootout hockey?

Well keep in mind theshootout is not the only thing that the NHL is using to entice the casual fan. More scoring, less clutch and grab, long plays, breakaways, all those sorts of things are geared to get the casual fan in to the sport. The shootout happens to be the icing on the cake, thats all.

Keep in mind I am not saying this is right for the NHL to do, but more or less trying to justify the NHL's logic.

I mean I can't see anyone proving the NHL is less exciting now then it was the past few seasons. The NHL is hurting for money, and things like this may bring in a few more bucks as opposed to if they just left things alone.

It's like a fan who comes to the NBA after watching the slam-dunk competition. He'll be sorely disappointed after his first 10 travelling violations...
There's a simple solution for that, or for any team worried about fatigue:

WIN THE GAME IN REGULATION OR THE FIRST OT.

Seriously, how many of these marathon overtime games do you expect to see in the new NHL? It's not like the playoffs: it's 4-on-4, wide open, and now with the fresh scent of penalties. It's like a petrie dish for goal scoring.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Easier said than done Jester! You make it sound like teams just wait for the 3rd OT to score that winning goal. And the only other alternative is to blow the game on purpose, which makes my skin crawl. What can you do to ensure that OT won't go in to multiple rounds?

[Don]

And the only other alternative is to blow the game on purpose, which makes my skin crawl. What can you do to ensure that OT won't go in to multiple rounds?

If I was a coach and my team was playing 3 games in four nights - let's say Friday, Saturday and Monday - and the Friday night game was going into OT, if it went over five minutes, I'd forfeit the game. One freakin' extra point ain't worth killing your guys so that you are going to lose 4 points on Saturday and Monday.

And if both Friday and Saturday go to extra time, I'd just walk the team off after 60 minutes....

A point here and a point there in the regular season isn't worth killing your players over. Playoffs, sure. Regular season - who gives a rats ass other than people that do everything in their power to spit on the NHL anyway?

[njdevils_info]

so you'd rather do that than have a shootout?

I don't think the fans would appreciate that very much...

[Derek21]

We can't have more than 5 minutes of OT because the rat-bastards at the NHLPA would never, ever allow it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those rat bastards took a lot less to return this season.

['7']

A longer overtime was never even presented to the NHLPA. Rat bastard bettman was hell bent on shootouts for 10 years, the 1998 canada olympic debacle probably postponed it for a while.