June 08, 2005
Say Goodbye To The NHL Tie?
From last night's AP wire:
When the NHL finally returns to the ice, the tie game will probably be a thing of the past.
"If they don't have a shootout, I'll be shocked," New York Islanders general manager Mike Milbury said Tuesday. "That's an easy one.
"The fans want it, and it's the least we can do after spitting at them for the last 12 months."
Fans in the AHL and other minor leagues have grown to enjoy shootouts. The NHL seems ready to implement the system that would eliminate tie games.
I've written before that I like the shootout, but I don't believe that it's a slam dunk with the entire NHL fan base. Here's Tom Benjamin:
Hockey has survived as a business because hockey has attracts diehard fans rather than casual ones. If the GBHL expands the base of casual fans in the United States with new teams playing a new game in new markets, Gary is a winner as long as the hard core fan stays with him. If the GBHL succeeds in alienating the hard core fan - converting him to casual fan status because we have new teams playing a new game in new markets - and his stupid ideas do not appeal to the American audience, we'll have a disaster.
So why does the NHL find itself in this mess. Here's Mike Milbury again:
The most likely changes in NHL play for next season are shootouts, smaller goalie equipment and tag-up offsides. Some of the radical stuff being tested is too over the top for many GMs.
"We have, traditionally, been very conservative as a group," Milbury said. "There isn't any doubt about that.
"We've tried to be respectful of the game's history and heritage but the coaches haven't. They've coached the hell out of it. They've coached defensive hockey and worked the trap and angles and crowding in front of the net, and goalies have cheated ... over the last number of years.
"We've got to respond. Other sports respond."
Unfortunately, as I've written before, because the NHL eschewed vigilance when it came to the state of the game, all of the radical ideas are on the table -- with, as Tom points out, disaster in the offing if the patient is delivered the wrong prescription.
Brendan Shanahan's idea of a competition committee is a good one. Let's hope it isn't 15 years too late.
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On principal I hat the idea of shootouts deciding anything. In practice I'm looking forward to seeing them. Bergeron, Samsonov, Thornton shooting and Raycroft between the pipes. The Bruins should be able to get a few eatra wins per year in a shootout format.
Posted by:
at June 8, 2005 11:52 AM
I have taken a lot of people to their first ever NHL game, but I was embarassed when I took one of my best friends to a 0-0 SJ vs Minnesota tie.
There were barely any scoring chances, hits, or anything for him to get into the game. If we werent sitting in the 3rd row getting regular deliveries from the remote beer concession person, it would have been a waste.
If there is a shootout, it should be preceeded by a 10 or 20 minute overtime. 5 minutes does nothing.
Posted by:
at June 8, 2005 12:44 PM
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