T.J. Oshie scores in the shootout against Ray Emery in the Flyers 1-0 loss to the Blues on Tuesday night. (Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com)
It happened again. 65 minutes of pure edge-of-your-seat excitement was spoiled by a skills competition.
I've said it several times about games like Tuesday's 1-0 loss for the Flyers to the St. Louis Blues – a game that good should not be decided like that.
What is the reward? An extra point in the standings and a false evaluation of teams.
Ryan Miller and Ray Emery deserve all the points a team can get for their performance on Tuesday night. Both defenses deserve the points. In the end, the Flyers are left with one point, the Blues with two, all because St. Louis managed to score twice in three shooters on Emery in the shootout.
Shootout. It's a dreaded word in Philadelphia. Always had been. It feels like now, the sentiment is catching on. It's not a popular way to end a hockey game.
In each of the Flyers last two games – Sunday's 4-3 loss to Boston and Tuesday's loss – an exciting game that goes down to the wire has been taken to the shootout. The Flyers lost both. That's still not the reason I'm feeling this way.
Sure, if the Flyers could get a goalie who knows how to make saves on a breakaway or find a few good breakaway shooters, maybe things would be different. If anything, I'm bitter about the Blues getting a win via the shootout.
The Blues are the best team in the Western Conference by points with 109. Tuesday win was their ninth shootout win of the season.
This is why the NHL needs to get rid of the shootout. It provides false information about the teams in the league.
The Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks are good teams. The Bruins have 110 points to lead the league. Only three of their 52 wins have come via the shootout. The Ducks are third in the West with 106 points. They have two shootout wins. Right behind the Ducks with 105 points is the San Jose Sharks. They have 10 shootout wins.
In the heart of the playoff race, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals are barely staying afloat. Both have nine shootout wins.
Even the dead last Buffalo Sabres, who have only 21 wins this season, have won seven games in a shootout.
It's a false evaluation of a team's standing.
I can think of nothing worse than rewarding a team that couldn't score for 65 minutes with a second point. That's why I'm not bitter about the Flyers only getting one point but extremely upset with the Blues getting a "win." What the hell is a win anymore?
Bring me back the tie or take away the points for a shootout win. The skills competition may be entertaining, but it shouldn't be rewarding. That small reward for individual skill is starting to keep good teams out of the playoffs and put not-so-good teams in. That is where the line has to be drawn.
Kevin Durso is the lead beat reporter for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
