Shoot the shoot out.
Friday March 21, 2008 @ 06:36 PM EDT
On the point system and shootouts – it’s no secret I hate shootouts and here’s why …
I would swear the Oilers were killing time the last 90 seconds of overtime in the game with the Sharks the other day. I’d guess it’s because the Sharks are famous or infamous for stinking on ice in shootouts. But here’s the issue … while that might be sound strategy for getting the extra point, is it really what we want for the good of the game?
I’ve made any number if facetious suggestions for alternatives to the SO, (puck tiddly-winks, pistols at ten paces …) but seriously, one 4 on 4 OT and one 3 on 3 OT and if that doesn’t do it, let the game be a tie and give each team a point. It’s not like we can keep playing forever like they can in baseball – the ice would be littered with exhausted hockey players, gasping like landed fish.
I like the idea of a decending point system, 3/0 for a win in regulation, 2/0 for a win/loss in the first OT and 1/0 for a win/loss in the second OT and 1/1 for a tie. Yup, the losing team gets no points and it rewards a team who wins in regulation. One of the things that bugs me about the current point system is that a team who wins in regulation gets the same points as a team who wins in a shootout. That doesn’t seem right.
No doubt I’ve missed some really important issue with this idea. If so, feel free to point it out to me.
Go Sharks! Go Sabres!
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CommentsSuper_Dave
Mar 24, 2008
My vote is for pistols at ten paces
That’ll separate the men from the boys! But seriously, I’ve used the analogy of ending a basketball game with a slam-dunk contest or a home-run derby to end a baseball to decide a winner. It’s an isolated aspect of the game used to generate hype, highlights, and “oohs and aahs” from the casual fan. Most hockey purists I talk with hate it with a passion. As for me, while it does generate a certain buzz factor, there’s no denying it’s the best when your team wins, and it sucks to all hell when your team loses. To be honest with you, I never saw a problem with ties. I just can’t back the three point game, and never understood why a team gets rewarded for losing (in OT or SO)….hockey’s the only sport that does that!
jenny_canuck
Mar 24, 2008
Exactly
Plus, I have my own blog about it too, you can check it out. I just want to know, where is the league getting this idea that the fans mainly support the shootout? Most of the fans I talk to either hate or just accept it for what it is because they have to. That’s not supporting it.
sharks4life
Mar 21, 2008
Oh yeah
The Oilers were totally holding on to the puck in the dying seconds of OT. They know we aren’t the best in the shootout, and they know they are the best. Ughhhh….