Blackhawks-Blue Jackets: Teams Battle In the Season's Best Shootout

If you were to ask me, I would tell you that this game was the best game of the season. I was watching the game since the first period, and never wanted to leave the room.

During regulation, there was never a clear leader. One team may have had a lead, but you got the feeling that it wasn't going to last. By the end of regulation, they were tied with three goals each.

Not only that, they were also tied with 21 shots each.

In OT, the Blackhawks had a shooting advantage. They had a couple of opportunities to put the game away then. However, Columbus was able to stop them and create a few opportunities of their own.

The shootout was, by far, the best shootout that I have seen this season.

In fact, it's probably the best I've seen in the NHL. It was a goalie's battle. Both goalies were stopping just about everything.

The shootout lasted 11 rounds, the longest ever seen in Chicago.

The thing that impressed me the most about this shootout was the goalies. I know I said it was a goalie battle earlier, but there was something more shocking.

Mason let in two of 11 shots, while Huet let in just one.

The shocking part about that is neither goalie has been that good at shootouts this season. Huet had only blocked 50 percent of the shots against him, and Mason was even worst, blocking only 30 percent of the shots against him.

Both teams held losing records going into the shootout as well. I thought there would be a lot more scoring then there actually was.

However, I think it may have been the fact that neither team was good in shootouts that made this shootout so good. Everything was balanced out.

Anyway, it was the shootout of the season, and if you get a chance to view the replay tomorrow, then you should definitely do it.

Originally posted at Tips for Hockey