FanHouse Shootout

Whether or not you like the shootout, I think we can agree that one gift it has given us is some sweet highlight reel goals. The most recent of these goals comes to us from a friendly game between Sweden and Switzerland. The game ended up going to a shootout, with Sweden's Linus Omark (a fourth round pick of the Oilers in '07) pulling this move. He grabbed his pitching wedge and chipped the puck right over the sprawling goalie. Video after the jump.

This is like finding out that your kid brother is buying VHS: Evidently, NCAA hockey still has tie games in the regular season. If the score is knotted up at the end of regulation, there's a 5-minute, 5-on-5 overtime; the winner gets two points, the loser gets zero points and a tie after five minutes gives each team a point. Dammit, I miss the Patrick Division.

All signs point to that overtime format being revamped at an NCAA rules committee meeting in June. NHL.com had an interesting conversation with three of the six NCAA league commissioners regarding what they'd like to see replace the current system and discovered something rather refreshing: That they're not eager to bastardize their sport with a skills competition.

Like his colleagues, ECACHL Commissioner Steve Hagwell has not formally discussed the topic in his league. "I am a proponent of exploring formats (e.g., four on four) that may reduce ties; however, I am not a proponent of determining the outcome of games via shootouts," Hagwell said. "I do not like the aspect of taking 60-plus minutes of team effort and reducing it to which team has the better one-on-one player(s)."

Both [CCHA Commissioner Tom] Anastos and Hagwell, along with Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna, favor consideration for at least a 4-on-4 OT. "I would like to see the Rules Committee go slowly on this matter," Bertagna said. "Specifically, perhaps a longer overtime before they seriously consider shootouts. Unlike the NHL, we only play 34 games. There can be good ties and bad ties. An underdog who earns a tie after 60 minutes and a brief overtime should get to enjoy that accomplishment, without seeing it potentially diminished by a shootout."

Excuse me while I wipe away a tear of joy. More about this from Goon's World of Fighting Sioux Hockey.

On the heels of my esteemed colleague Mr. Golbez's edition of The Ice Sheet this morning, a few quick comments about the NHL's decision to bring NBA-style "slam dunk" razzle-dazzle to the All Star Game shootout. First off, it's a great idea: Allowing the creativity of some of the League's top offensive players to shine through when there's nothing on the line but producing a great highlight. It's something so basic, so simple, but so utterly lacking in most NHL All-Star Game festivities and competitions.

My only gripe is that, according to TSN, they're using the six ASG goalies to defend the trick shots, which is a little counterproductive, isn't it? Here they're trying to unshackle the goal-scorers, and they're still going to have their oppressors (Brodeur, et al) sharing and stealing the spotlight? I wish the League would have opted for something a little more offensively friendly, like cardboard cutouts or Mites on Ice goalies or Marc Denis. Still, this idea is a winner, and it's already getting the fans talking ... but I can't help but think I've read about this concept somewhere before:

DALLAS-Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters Tuesday night that the addition of the first-ever slam-dunk contest to the NHL All-Star skills competition may have been "a big mistake." "Unfortunately, Jonathan Cheechoo severely injured his back and neck attempting his 360-degree, between-the-legs slam, and Sheldon Souray sliced Ryan Miller's back with his skate blade when he tried to hurdle over him to complete his dunk," said Bettman, who was initially angered when some of the biggest names in the NHL, notably Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, chose not to participate. "Joe Thornton is out for the season with multiple facial lacerations after his stick shattered the backboard, and Marian Hossa may have ended his career when he tried, and failed, to dunk from the blue line."

Hmmm ... I might have to check my Onion archives to see if it ever published something like "Outdoor Hockey Game in Buffalo Ends in Donner Party-like Massacre" prior to the NHL's announcement of the Winter Classic.

After a brutal start to the year, involving a fair mix of Stanley Cup hangover, intercontinental flights, semi-retirements, and injury, it finally appears that the Anaheim Ducks have started to right their ship. The team has won six of its last eight games to pull itself back into the early western playoff picture, but probably the most amazing part is that they've won four straight shootouts in that stretch.

You have to understand -- since its lockout-inspired invention, the Ducks have been the league's best team at losing shootouts. They lost 7 of 10 shootouts in 05-06, 10 of 14 last year, and even their first two this season. Their 19 shootout losses lead all franchises, and before this month they had never won consecutive shootouts.

Certainly some of the blame has to fall on goaltenders J.S. Giguere and now-departed Ilya Bryzgalov. Before this month, opponents had scored 27 goals on 72 attempts on Jiggy (37.5%) and 7 goals on 16 attempts on Breezy (43.8%), better than one in three on each.

Ducks shooters weren't very supportive, though, only winning 3 of 12 shootouts when the opponent scored a single goal and never winning the 10 times an opponent scored twice or more. Apparently Giguere has taken that lesson to heart, as he has stopped all 10 shooters that he's seen this month.

My feelings on that glorified skills competition that turns a thrilling team sport into a made-for-TV sideshow the overtime shootout have been well-documented. Yet for some critics of the format, its obvious failings as a mechanism for artificially determining a victor can be forgiven by perhaps its greatest virtue: Providing a showcase for the NHL's brightest offensive stars to score highlight-reel goals without such petty annoyances as defensemen and passing involved.

Oh, were it only that easy. As we've discussed here on FanHouse, there are plenty of awesome players who actually suck at the shootout. These "Top 10 Worst Shootout Moments" from TSN (via YouTube) really aren't all that awful -- I'd say "slightly embarrassing" would be a more appropriate term for botched attempts from players like Alex Ovechkin and Peter Forsberg. But the No. 1 worst moment is simply hilarious, and the video does offer a rather rare sight for hockey fans: A shootout that Jaromir Jagr apparently didn't bitch his way out of partaking in.



Hat tip: Hockey Hype, for the video find.

The debate is growing over an incident that happened on Tuesday night in a shootout between Atlanta and Toronto. Mats Sundin was livid after the Thrashers' win, claiming that Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg slid out and tripped him. Check out the 15-second mark of the video below for the play in question:



If the referee determined that Hedberg tripped Sundin, what would the penalty have been? I imagine the rules for the shootout are the same as they are for a legitimately earned penalty shot. The NHL Rule Book states that on any foul committed by a goalie in the penalty shot, "the Referee shall allow the shot to be taken and if the shot fails, he shall permit the penalty shot to be taken over again." So, in theory, Sundin gets a do-over here.

But the referee didn't see a trip and didn't call a penalty, and you know what? I agree with him, even if he ignored a blatant foul. Goalies have been treated like garbage by this goal-happy league under its post-lockout rules changes, from that stupid trapezoid to having the winner of a game be determined with a glorified skills competition. So I say give the goalie some leeway and let him play under Thunderdome rules in the shootout -- tripping, mugging, maiming, all of it. It'll make for some great SportsCenter highlights, which is why we have a shootout in the first place, isn't it? Or maybe we just give him back his defenseman and end the game with two teams, you know, playing hockey. Novel concept, I know...