After reader AC's post it did bring up the question of shoot outs and would that help the conference standings. Yesterday I looked at the WCHA standings this year and see UMD with 6 ties, MTU with 7, others with 5 and 4 and it makes me thinks for the 1st time that maybe shoot outs are needed. So I looked at the CCHA standings and see what impact they have had on this season.
From the research I did, I discovered that only 2 places in the standings have been impacted by the shoot outs as of today. If there was no shoot out Miami and Michigan would be tied for 2nd, but since Miami has 2 shoot out wins they are in 2nd and Michigan is in 3rd. The other is the 6th to 8th places. Right now Northern and Omaha are tied for 6th and Ferrris is in 8th. Take away all there shoot out wins and they are all tied for 6th. All other CCHA teams are in the same place in the standings regardless of shoot outs or not.
I will have to look at this again and maybe even look and the Women's WCHA and see how ties and shoot outs played out for the standings. I will say for the first time I am leaning towards the idea that shoot outs might be a good thing. I never thought I would say that.
I am definately not in favor of the current shoot out rules being used. Shoot outs make teams too conservative in OT. I think it should be one or the other, shoot out or OT. Better yet, dump OT in the regular season and go directly to shoot out and the winner takes 2 and the loser gets nothing, good day sir!
ReplyDeleteI still struggle with the idea of a shoot out deciding which team is superior on that particular night.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a drill that exercises an unrealistic hockey situation. There is never an unpressured break away during normal play. Unless, there is a penalty shot, but that’s different.
Fiskness brought up a good point about standing implications. I have never thought about that until now. I need to let the digest a little.
The idea of the shoot out seems to have advanced in the NHL for fan appeal. I personally as a fan am fine walking away from the game seeing a tie. A shoot out victory feels shallow and a loss feels unfair.