Who wants to answer a hockey questions boys and girls (men and women)?

My guess is that it will attract a very limited few and actually turn off more fans than it brings on. People will not become hockey fans regardless of a shootout or not. I would personally hope this never happens, because OT hockey is the best thing in the world. Everyone I know who likes hockey or that has become a recent fan understands how great OT hockey is.

BQ: Flyers fans, still stuck in the 70's

With respect to the playoff shootouts...I think the idea of sudden death overtime has a certain appeal to the casual fan (I point this out from watching the penalty kick shootout at the 2006 soccer world cup final at an airport bar in Denver- these two guys remarked that it seemed really unfair to settle the game that way- they pointed out "would you settle the Super Bowl with a field goal kicking contest?"

The break between periods is somewhat anti-climactic...I almost wonder if you could play a 10-minute sudden death OT period immediately after regulation (maybe a dry scrape) with five minutes in each direction, then taking a full intermission and then go as normal.

Personally, I think playoff overtime is the best thing going...what's the old saying- don't try to fix what isn't broken?

Keep in mind that the NHL is the only sport of the four listed that has only one scoring point amount. The NBA has 1, 2, and 3-point shots, baseball has multi-run possibilities on one play, and football has 2, 3, and 6 point plays (not counting "our" rouge!). Which, as any statistician would tell you, impacts the possiblitity of tied outcomes. Just saying.

BQ: No comment.

Let's get rid of them in regular season as well.

Does baseball break tie games with a home run contest? Does basketball decide who wins with free throws instead of overtime? How about ending tie football games with field goals but you have to use a different kicker for each kick. Would ESPN push for those in the other sports? Think not.

Soccer has tie games no problem. Hockey used to have tie games even in playoffs. Some leagues still do. First to eight points. If two teams are tied at seven after the seventh they play an eighth even a ninth if required.

Cricket can go on for days. But in the Ashes recently there was a draw. No problem. Play on.

I would think you would loose more fans with shootouts in the playoffs... even here in DFW people dont have problems with watching playoff hockey as is in a bar.. as a matter of a fact if the stars are in it there are even watching parties everywhere.. I personally wouldnt watch so many playoff games if there were shoot outs.. who care what the difference from regular season hockey at that point?

BQ*.. Look at that a BQ* from the man that asked for a BQ free section... I assume pat is like me and will never truly mature.. ill be 26 in a week and i still think farts are funny and make more low brown jokes then gilber godfried

Why not just make it 4 on 4 for the first OT period then 3 on 3 the next period then a shootout?

I would be mad if they implemented a shootout. Make it a lot more interesting.

BQ: I only live once. Probably sometime never.

shootouts are fun to watch, but not as part of any game, I hate shootouts during regular season and would really hate them in the playoffs. we should just do like in soccer then, play a whole game and at the end have no winner, it's a draw :| lamest of the lame ideas I've ever heard. today anyway.

NO SHOOTOUT

Shootouts in the playoffs???<cringes>,...say it ain't so Shane...anyway,..I can't really see this attracting "new" fans-unless you're approaching it from "the games are tooooo long" standpoint.From my standpoint there's nothing matches the drama of a playoff game in overtime;and relying on a "sideshow" to attract new fans to playoff hockey almost seems self-defeating.Maybe the players don't like "working overtime" when they're not getting paid..lol..

BQ-he'll grow up when we see the National Hockey League in Halifax.(for 42 real games)

methinks the boys/girls/women/men usurped the word hockey...figures...

I like the shootout. Which is unusual for me as I tend to be a tradionalist. I also think shootout goals should count to the players total goals on the season. They allow penalty shot goals to be counted.

BQ: I can be guilty of being a jerk sometimes too. But in general I respect all fans and their opinions.

Personally I HATE the idea of using a shootout in a playoff game. I don't like the shootout in general, but that really would annoy me.

Big. fat. ZERO.

at least imo.

I hate the idea. I understand it's hard on the players, but we're paying them, so it's what the fans want that matters, and I should think most fans want OT in the playoffs.

BQ: Maturity? Nah I'm still off the wall, it's just the beard. As far as Pat, he is mature, that's just the way he is, even grown up.