Shootouts down by half in 2010-11 NHL season
Ever since the National Hockey League returned to action after the lock-out that scrapped the 2004-05 season, numerous changes have been made to the league’s rule book. One of the most
significant changes was the introduction of the shootout, which would decide the winner of a game after a five-minute overtime period.
While many have found the addition of the shootout to be an exciting game-changer, others have been clamouring for its removal from the NHL. Shootouts have been part of the international
game for years, but some believe that the sudden-death format has no place in the NHL today.
Last season, a record 184 games were decided with a shootout. This season, there have only been a total of 10 shootouts in the first 136 games. If this total were to be projected for the
entire season, the result would be around 90 shootouts by the end of the season, which would be less than half than the 2009-10 total of 184.
So far, only 31 of the 136 games played this season were tied after regulation play, forcing overtime. This makes for a total of 22.8 per cent, which is the same percentage as the 2006-07
season, which featured 164 total shootouts.
During the first five seasons of the shootout format, around 57 per cent of games that required overtime ended up with no goals scored during the extra frame. In the 2010-11 season, 21
out of the 31 games, or 68 per cent, were won in overtime. Only 32 per cent have requited a shootout.
The most recent shootout took place during a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, 28 October.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie, and no goals were scored in overtime, thus warranting the shootout. Columbus would go on to win in the shootout, with Rick Nash and Nikita Filatov putting
pucks past the Oilers’ Devan Dubnyk. Steve Mason of the Blue Jackets stymied Sam Gagner and Gilbert Brule in their shootout attempts.
While
the shootout
hasn’t been required much lately, it is most likely here to stay. But if things continue they way that have been, the league may experience an all-time low number of shootouts this
season.
Tags: