This is not a case of "I really love my little brother, he's just been going through a bratty phase from the age of eight to the age of forty." I've never liked the shootout.
It's like beets. If you don't like the taste of them, you're not gonna bring it up during a meal that they're not being served at. But if your significant other, your personal chef or you during a personality disorder crisis start serving them as a component of every meal, you're gonna be prompted to discuss it.
So I don't like the shootout, the Wings haven't won one yet this season, and now I'm discussing it.
The shootout is a shitty way to decide a hockey game for a number of reasons:
If It's a zero-zero or 1-1 deadlock after 60 minutes of regulation and 5 minutes of 4 on 4 hockey, then the goalies have acquitted themselves pretty well and should be allowed to skate off into the sunset after making the little glory loop for being one of the game's three stars.
If the game ends tied at 4-4, even the casual fan has gotten his money's worth and the offensive stars have had a chance to show what they're capable of in real hockey situations. As it is, both teams would get a point. The extra point for the shootout basically represents the fact that the shootout is worth equally as much as the entire 65 minutes of hockey that has just transpired, except this time that point is potentially decided by three skaters from each team.
You don't decide a football game with a punt, pass and kick. You don't decide a baseball game with a home run derby. And you shouldn't decide a hockey game by having Todd Bertuzzi let the puck slide harmlessly off his stick.
Now look, I know we're stuck with the shootout just like the American network television viewer is stuck with those Lemmyforsaken "music" competition shows like "The Voice", "The Sing-Off", and "Let's See If This Chick Can Yodel While I'm Going Down On Her" (Ok, that hasn't been broadcast yet, but I'm pitching it).
And I realize the shootout does provide some fleeting moments of excitement, like a straddled balance beam dismount in college gymnastics, but you don't want to decide the outcome of hockey games with that, do ya ?
Laugh now ( I kinda am), but come April or May, the 6 points the Wings have neglected to pick up could be the difference between making the playoffs or not, and almost assuredly will decide our playoff seeding and it's only December.
What's quaint "skills competition" (as Ken Daniels sardonically refers to it every broadcast) ineptitude today could be the difference between a trip to Montreal in the first round, or a trip to South Florida. And as bizarre as it sounds, trust me, the Wings would much rather play hockey down south in the spring-- because they would get to perform for their ex-pat winged wheel-clad fans in round one -- than deal with a bunch of Quebecois angry because pasta has been illegal in their province for a year.
The shootout may have snared some casual fans when hockey was really hurting, but they just got a glorious new TV deal in Canada. Too bad they couldn't have made phasing out the shootout part of the package.
The way things are going in Quebec, they'll likely ban English speaking players, by law, come April. So it'll be a past the best before date Briere, a few other assorted 3rd and 4th liners; and some Junior B dillhole from Gaspe that the old-timey bleu, blanc, rogue faithful all hope is the second coming of Rogie Vachon. Much to the glee of Don Cherry who still hasn't gotten over Lafleur sealing his one way ticket to where coaching careers went to die in '79.
ReplyDeleteI'm still not sure I understand the one team switching conferences for the playoffs scenario. I don't care if the Habs skate an all Farsi lineup, explain to me why two teams from one conference should play for the cup...
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ReplyDeleteit double posted then double deleted?!! FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!
ReplyDeleteI SAY KEEP IT.
ReplyDeleteties are UNAMERICAN
this aint college with all that kissing your sister, now go back and study, crap. if i haul those ingrate fatkids down there, i want them to at least see someone SCORE AND WIN, not just blow leads all night. I remember walking all the way down the stairs from the suites one night when fedorov scored ALL FOUR GOALS OF A TIE GAME..
if they dont have anything to play with by march, they dont deserve to play in the second season.
If they don't play better, then making the playoffs will only serve to keep the streak alive. That's weak, but I actually got to go to a game against St. Louis the first year of the playoff streak, so I'd like to see them continue. Maybe Holland's suggestion of 3 on 3 instead of a shootout will work. Not sure I like that idea either, but it's closer to real hockey.
DeleteI for one would love to see 3 on 3, but one problem with that is however unlikely it could still end in a tie, then what? I for one think it'd be fine to bring back the tie in that scenario. If someone doesn't feel like they got their moneys worth after a full game and the 5-10 minutes of 3 on 3 then they'll never be happy.
DeleteBut the shootout is just dumb, they don't even keep it to penalty shot rules, where you have to skate directly in. It lets people do those annoying trick shots, and others like Kane to skate in as slow as possible and almost stop. Lame.. no way at all to decide a hard fought game. They might as well let the captains play rock scissors paper at center ice.
I almost titled this post "Rock, Paper, Scissors" Seriously.
DeleteThere is nothing wrong with a tie.This is another case of Betman trying to pull in the casual fan in at the expense of the core fanbase. This is what is wrong with the NHl, and has been for decades. Recognize you're a niche sport, and deal, instead of alienating your fanbase. How many Devil teams would have never won in the 90's because they didn't have breakaway players. Is that the whole game? No, thus a game shouldn't be decided that way
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