First Things First...The Shootout

Hands down the shootout is a keeper. I know it has its critics, but The Hasty is not one of them. This is something I wanted to address prior to the "marathon" that is the NHL playoffs which begins Wednesday night. Lets get one thing straight, these players, no matter how underpaid they are in comparison to other athletes, get paid a boatload, and if I hear another analyst say that games shouldn't be decided on the shootout because it isn't fair to players or goalies then I'm going to blow a gasket. To prove my point, I want to make sure everyone saw this Ribeiro play in the shootout. It was unreal. A little lucky, but you have to give the man his dues, he is always pushing the envelope with his moves in the shootout. Pure entertainment. Here's the clip:



So once again, why does the shootout hurt the NHL? How about the fans? How about the fans at the games? This is a no-brainer. Just as much of a no-brainer as not adding the shootout to the post-season. The entertainment value of the shootout in the regular season is simply awesome, and for that to be argued is absurd.

Still against the shootout? If so, you're probably complaining that the horrid shootout record for the Panthers cost them a ticket to the post-season. Well then get a goalie who can stop a breakaway, such as Luongo. Oh sorry, I forgot they did have Luongo, but traded him for the big timer Todd Bertuzzi, who isn't even apart of the Panthers organization anymore. My point is that Florida has bigger problems and if they didn't make boneheaded moves then their shootout record wouldn't come into play. In my opinion, the shootout should be here to stay without a doubt, and GMs need to start making aggressive adjustments to rein in those available (and vital) points. How long before shootout specialists take the place of some fourth liners? Should be interesting to see that trend develop.

Now to the best 2 months in sports. The NHL post-season is upon us and wouldn't everyone wish it was Wednesday already. It should be evident pretty quickly who the contenders are and who the wangstas are. In my point of view, Anaheim is dead in the water. As good as Getzlaf is, he can't carry a team in the playoffs. If Jagr can't do it, then he can't. And the game has passed Pronger and Niedermayer by. They are nowhere near the caliber of when the Ducks won the cup in 2007. In the East, my wangsta is Philly. I'm sorry but they haven't had goaltending for decades and although I thought Biron was their answer coming south from Buffalo, he clearly isn't. I expect Fleury to shine for Pittsburgh in that series, and thoroughly outplay Biron. So lets drop the puck and get this post-season going. I CANNOT wait for some extended OT periods. It is a 2-month marathon that flashes by for the fans (I'm not so sure it goes as quickly for the battered and bruised players). Anyhow, get ready for the main event, and as they proclaim, "say goodbye to your loved ones for a couple months". Also, keep an eye on the NHL homepage. Supposedly the transformed website is now the "playoff portal" which will have many things, including 100% of every coach's post-game press conferences streamed live. Tell me those Tortorella press conferences aren't going to be pure entertainment, especially without the MSG Network filtering.

I'll have my thoughts up regarding the Rangers-Capitals series by the end of day Tuesday. I'll tell you right now though, if the word out of the Rangers camp is true that Drury is questionable for Game 1, then that's a scary thought. I'm not worried offensively because, to be honest, I haven't been counting on him at all lately to help on the scoresheet. It is only a bonus for him to be contributing to the red light in the last couple games. My worry is on the defensive end, with Drury being a major cog in the 60 feet in front of The King. Although they slithered past Philly on Sunday, I saw holes (or at least more holes) defensively without Chris there. How about you? Granted you could make the case there have been alot of holes all year, but you can't make the case that there won't be more without Drury in the lineup. But lets all be honest here, this is all moot, Drury is going to play, and I would be absolutely shocked if he is watching from the stands. More tomorrow on this upcoming series. Anyone else ready for the Ovechkin-Staal battles?

More tomorrow.