Shootouts aren't real hockey. Hockey is played by teams with defensive players on the ice. It isn't a one on one contest between shooter and goaltender. A game shouldn't be decided based on it. Ties aren't marketable, but the false drama a shootout creates isn't much better. Ask most NHLers or people in hockey management what they think and I'm pretty sure they'll tell you the same thing.
Today I saw a couple stats from 2006 that made it even clearer. Ottawa, Detroit and Anaheim were three of the best teams in hockey last year. Their record in shootouts, 8-24. Some of the best scorers in the league including Heatley, Zetterberg, Lecavalier, Forsberg, Kovalchuk and Ovechkin were miserable in shootouts. Great goalies like Broduer, Hasek, Luongo and Kipprusoff were near bottom in shootout save percentage while goalies like Denis and Thomas were at the top.
When the best teams in the league and the best players in the league are least effective when comes to a segment that is used to decide wins and loses, its a travesty. The NHL executives that continue to serve it up as the bees knees are no better than the carnival hucksters that try to take your local midway. At least on the midway I might win a cupie doll.
Stop the gimmick. Stop it now.
