The shootout that ended this year’s All-Star Game was the first ever, and in my opinion it made for a great finish to an exciting game. This op-ed piece in The New York Times makes a good case for adding shootouts to regular season NHL games. Adding shootouts would definitely make the game more exciting, and it might even get ratings up enough so that we don’t have to wait for football to end before the regular networks start televising games. The points system suggested would entice teams to press for a win during regulation, encouraging a faster paced game. However, I also agree that playoff games should continue to make use of extra overtime periods rather than shootouts. Although the All-Star Game’s finish was pretty cool, I think that playoff games should be decided as a team effort rather than individual showdowns between shooters and goalies.
