2008 NHL Playoffs: More Arguments Against the Shootout

         Overtime in sports is exactly that: extra playing time to determine a winner, not an opportunity to change the rules.

          In baseball, they play extra innings to award a victory, not a home run derby.

          In basketball, it’s the same thing. The teams play until one ends up with more points than the other, not a slam dunk competition.

          In football, the rules don’t change after regulation to see who can kick the longest field goal. The game remains the same.

          Hockey should be no different. In the past, fear of marathon games that sometimes occur, as seen in the playoffs, halted the play after a five minute overtime at the most. But most games don’t go past one extra period, and that’s in the playoffs, when a loss can cripple a team.

          This season especially has made that very clear. So far in this year's playoffs there have been 15 games to go beyond regulation. The average time it has taken to score the overtime winner is 10:28.

          Excluding the four-overtime game between Dallas and San Jose in Game Six of the Western semifinals, the other 14 overtime games have ended in an average of just 6:45, with only one of them going past the first extra period.

          Now put the teams in a 4-on-4 situation during the regular season and see how many last beyond ten minutes. Of course some will, but that is the nature of the game. No one should fight it, because overtime is the most exciting part of hockey. A 17- or 18-inning baseball game is not unheard of, either.

Sudden death is the ultimate emotional roller coaster for a fan, as every single play can result in triumph or catastrophe. Think of the greatest games in NHL history and why they stand out.

Many times a great individual effort such as a 10-point game, or a team that comes back from a five-goal deficit in the third period makes a game unforgettable. In many cases, it’s the overtime hero fans remember most, because it’s that one play that stands out in the memories of fans like no other.

          Now try to think of a shoot-out that has had the same impact. There might be one or two. Can we really not live without the shoot-out? And what about the team that makes the playoffs because of the shoot-out? Those teams really don’t deserve to be there because it’s not part of the playoffs at all.

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