Though shootouts aren't popular amongst hockey fans, they're still impactful. Shootouts can decide a team's playoff position – or they can be the difference between teams making or missing the post-season.
You may not like the NHL using shootouts to decide games – and you’re probably not the only one in your circle who feels that way – but you can’t deny the importance of being good at shootouts.
Teams that excel at the skills event – be it in terms of their goaltending as well as their offense – can get into the Stanley Cup playoffs or into a better playoff position because of shootout proficiency. And teams can miss out on the post-season because they couldn’t earn wins in shootouts.
For example, the Columbus Blue Jackets are in third place in the Metropolitan Division in part because they’re 6-1 in shootouts this year.
The Philadelphia Flyers are in fifth place in the Metro, within shooting distance of a playoff spot, partially due to their 9-4 shootout record. And the Anaheim Ducks are in first place in the Pacific Division in part because of their perfect 8-0 record in shootouts.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the shootout proficiency spectrum are a number of teams that are terrible in shootouts – and who could miss the playoffs or a great playoff position because of it.
For instance, the Washington Capitals are presently in sixth place in the Metro, six points out of the second and final wild-card spot with the help of a ghastly 1-6 record in shootouts.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in second place in the Metro, just one point ahead of the New York Islanders and Blue Jackets. But the Pens could be in an even better position if they didn't have an abysmal 3-10 shootout record – the worst shootout mark in the league. It doesn't make sense that a team with stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin can't excel at shootouts, but that's the reality. (In fact, they beat the Ottawa Senators in a shootout on Thursday without those two.)
Elsewhere, the Edmonton Oilers are desperately clinging to second place in the Pacific, but they've gone 0-3 in shootouts this year. The Vegas Golden Knights are in third in the Pacific thanks partly to their brutal 1-6 shootout record.
Darcy Kuemper and Trevor Zegras (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)The Los Angeles Kings are outside of the playoff picture thanks in part to their 4-8 shootout record. And the Seattle Kraken are in fifth in the Pacific in part because of their 1-5 shootout mark.
You can see why shootouts are so crucial. If a team is good at them, it can be what helps the team win its division or claim home-ice advantage in the post-season.
And if a team is terrible at shootouts, they can be what prevents the team from being in a solid place in the post-season or missing the playoffs altogether.
There’s so little that separates teams from each other in the standings that they need to make the most of their shootout contests and earn that extra standings point consistently throughout the season.
There are only eight goalies with four shootout wins or more this season, and two of them are Flyers. And only 10 NHL skaters have four shootout goals or more this year, and two of them are Flyers, while two others are members of the Blue Jackets.
So there’s a special designation you earn if you have playoff success as a goalie or a shooter. And if you do deliver shootout wins one way or another, you can be the catalyst that pushes your team to a playoff berth.
Yes, the shootout is a skills competition, but it likely isn't going anywhere. And the sooner teams embrace that reality and find players to get the job done after overtime ends, the better off those teams will be.
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