If you notice the Bruins trying a little harder to go for the game-winner at the end of regulation and overtime in games this year, it shouldn’t be a shock.
The team that won 10 shootouts last season — tied for second-most in the NHL with Los Angeles, four behind Phoenix — and made the playoffs in the season’s last week two of the last three years will be reacting to the NHL Board of Governors’ decision to change the league’s tie-breaker rule.
Shootout wins will no longer be counted when determining which of two teams tied in points in the standings finishes higher in the standings. The first tie-breaker will now be regulation/overtime wins.
This should decrease the number of shootouts from its all-time high of 184 last season, and put some urgency into teams willing to take their chances at getting the extra standings point in a shootout (the Bruins, and others) to actually win a hockey game in a conventional matter.
This blog advocates for abolishing the shootout altogether, but as long as it still exists at least it has been lessened in value.
I personally like the shootout, but I’m glad to see it will not carry so much weight when determining tie-breakers in the standings. It’s a good way to end a game in a timely matter, and an exciting showcase of some of the best hands in the NHL. That being said, I beleive the only place for a shoot-out is after an overtime period, and hope to see the new rule make OT more like a exciting offense-charged period and less like a defensive chess match. You may have guessed, I love the NHL All-Star skills competition – only second to play-off hockey.
Okay hockey pureists… lets face reality here. No one leaves the building during a shootout. Casual fans find it exciting, which directly translates into increased revenue to the game. What is one of the most common criticism of hockey by those on the “outside”? Not enough scoring. Ending a game after 65 minutes with a 1-1 or god forbid a 0-0 tie just turns off too many potential fans.
I agree it can seem like a gimmick, but is it really that much of a gimmick where the OLYMPIC games includes it as part of determining points? The shootout is not going away; there is just too much ESPN factor with it.
I agree with Karl. Lets see an Olympic-style point format with a 3,2,1,0 structure. This way, the pureists can swallow the fact that a regulation win is worth more (and it should be in my opinion) and the casual fans can see the only player they know about score in a shootout to end the game.
Hockey is a business… sometimes we just have to accept that as a fact.
Matt – You’re a good man. I hate hate hate the shootout. It has nothing to do with the game of hockey, and if its entertainment we want, why not send out Thorton or Lucic or Chara at the end of every tie to see which team has the best Gladiator?!
I’d rather tie every game, then see a shootout. I think that’s part of the reason we love the playoffs so much.
I will say – this is a good rule change for the game.
The shootout. Turing a team effort into a one man side-show since 2005.
nhl should adopt the olympics’ 3 pt scoring system (3 for reg win, 2 for ot win, 1 for ot loss, 0 for reg loss).
bruins should have re-signed satan if they were worried about winning shootouts this year.
I really dislike the shootout. Acknowledging that games can’t go on forever due to travel issues I’m content with the five minute four on four overtime. If the game is tied after that, so be it. To me the shootout is a gimmick. So, like you Matt, I wish that they would just drop it completely.