The Shootout

[Kerplunk]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Many people find it very exciting. As for why, only hardcore hockey fans appreciate an extremely long game. Growing the game is important. In 15 years I don't believe this will be a conversation, as the excitement of the shootout vs. Tradition will be irrelevant.

I am not saying that others don't find a shootout exciting, although whether it grows the game or not could still be up in the air. I personally put the shootout at the same level as having a home run derby by one hitter per team to decide a baseball game, a longest field goal contest to figure out who wins a football game, or a dunk competition after a tie basketball game. Sure they may exciting to the more casual observer, but in a team sport I would rather watch the team win or lose, not some one man skills competition.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Kerplunk

I am not saying that others don't find a shootout exciting, although whether it grows the game or not could still be up in the air. I personally put the shootout at the same level as having a home run derby by one hitter per team to decide a baseball game, a longest field goal contest to figure out who wins a football game, or a dunk competition after a tie basketball game. Sure they may exciting to the more casual observer, but in a team sport I would rather watch the team win or lose, not some one man skills competition.

And I can appreciate that, I just enjoy it

[flamesfan1297]

I thin that for the Olympics the shootout should only be used in qualifying games, not in the knockout stage of the tourney. Shootout for a gold medal game is stupid. I think shootouts are exciting and all but should not be used to decide important games.

[19Yzerman19]

Are people really back to arguing the merits of the shootout in here? Come on, aren't people bored of that yet? I figured this would be all about who each team should be using as its starting lineup.

Also want to know if the rules change in the knockout round - is it five shooters eventually?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

I feel like a devils advocate here, but I like that too. Why watch some schlubb try and dangle when we can watch a creative guy do it? It's more exciting to watch TJ Oshie break in than Hal Gill

So you think there are schlubbs among the top 5-10 shooters on Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Russia? What the heck was wrong with the old shoot-out system?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

So you think there are schlubbs among the top 5-10 shooters on Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Russia? What the heck was wrong with the old shoot-out system?

No, but must other teams, yes. Nothing was "wrong", but seeing TJ Oshie and Toews do what they did was more exciting imo than watching Latvia's eighth shooter

[GirlySports]

Hockey seems to be the only sport the embraces the shootout as a good thing.
Soccer hates but there is no other solution. There is worldwide tv puls players will collapse.

[Devils'Advocate]

If there was no shoot-out there would be zero chance of NHL participation. Owners are not happy with them being there as it is. If the IOC had told them that the players could play a triple-overtime game and come back exhausted or worse, injured from extended play and there is no way that they would have allowed it in the first place.

[JiriHrdina]

The shootout is flawed for two main reasons
- Individuals decide what is otherwise a team sport
- The winner is based on a very small set of skills instead of the game which is a combination of all those skills

To that end
- Why not have a hardest shooting competition to decide the winner? Or fastest skater? Or that cool target shooting drill?

Just as silly.

I hope it does go to a shootout though so the entire world can see how bad a way this is to decide important games - and then maybe that will provoke a change.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The shootout is flawed for two main reasons
- Individuals decide what is otherwise a team sport
- The winner is based on a very small set of skills instead of the game which is a combination of all those skills

To that end
- Why not have a hardest shooting competition to decide the winner? Or fastest skater? Or that cool target shooting drill?

Just as silly.

I hope it does go to a shootout though so the entire world can see how bad a way this is to decide important games - and then maybe that will provoke a change.

Didn't Sweden make a stamp of Forsberg winning it in the shootout? The rest of the world doesn't mind it, it's a massive part of their main sport.

I hate it and wish it would get Shootout AIDS.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The shootout is flawed for two main reasons
- Individuals decide what is otherwise a team sport
- The winner is based on a very small set of skills instead of the game which is a combination of all those skills

To that end
- Why not have a hardest shooting competition to decide the winner? Or fastest skater? Or that cool target shooting drill?

Just as silly.

I hope it does go to a shootout though so the entire world can see how bad a way this is to decide important games - and then maybe that will provoke a change.

How would you change it though? The Olympics already have a full 20 minute OT instead of 5 for the medal games, and you simply can't have multiple-OT games in that environment with so many events on a strict schedule. They already do it one better than the NHL by rewarding teams that win in regulation during round robin over those that go to a shootout

I just don't see any way for them to improve the situation. Seeing the gold medal be decided by a shootout would suck, but unlike the NHL playoffs you have to have a definitive time for the game to be over in the Olympics

[nik-]

I dunno if schedule will be a problem. What do the hockey arenas share icetime with? They're also the flagship event. Stanley Cup style OT shouldn't be a problem, and if it is, they need to make everything revolve around the Hockey.

[GirlySports]

They're starting the Gold Medal final at 4pm, which is already as late I can ever remember it. Any later and it'll run into the closing cermonies.

[Vulcan]

Except in the playoffs or a knockout tournament stage, I never saw anything wrong with ties. I like OT to decide but the shootout can be exciting but I feel dirty afterwards. Just look at the artificial points standings we now have in the NHL to see how artificial the shootout is.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Except in the playoffs or a knockout tournament stage, I never saw anything wrong with ties. I like OT to decide but the shootout can be exciting but I feel dirty afterwards. Just look at the artificial points standings we now have in the NHL to see how artificial the shootout is.

Any kind of hockey tournament needs some kind of tie-breaker, and the shootout is a far better alternative than goal differential. I wish the NHL would follow the IIHF for once though and reward a team that wins in regulation with more points than one that wins in a shootout

[flamesfan1297]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Hockey seems to be the only sport the embraces the shootout as a good thing.
Soccer hates but there is no other solution. There is worldwide tv puls players will collapse.

Thats becuase soccer shootouts are stupid, the nets and field are huge, The goalie doesnt normally stand a chance

[flamesfan1297]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Any kind of hockey tournament needs some kind of tie-breaker, and the shootout is a far better alternative than goal differential. I wish the NHL would follow the IIHF for once though and reward a team that wins in regulation with more points than one that wins in a shootout

agreed i do like the point format the IIHF uses, much better than the one in the nhl

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by nik-

Didn't Sweden make a stamp of Forsberg winning it in the shootout? The rest of the world doesn't mind it, it's a massive part of their main sport.

I hate it and wish it would get Shootout AIDS.

Pretty much. If they didn't realize after the embarrassment that was 1994 that a shootout is a bad idea, they won't if it happens again. I would much rather we win or lose in the actual hockey game. Any medal won via a shootout is tainted, imnsho.

[Hatter]

My preference would be a 20 minute 5-on-5, followed by a 10 minute 4-on-4, then continuous 10 minute 3-on-3 periods.

[19Yzerman19]

If people are really that worried about it taking so long, do 5 minutes 4 on 4 and then 3 minutes of continuous 3 on 3 with no offsides. The over/under on the game ending would be about forty seconds.