> Last weekends
> BU-Maine shootout left me just as disappointed as a tie would have.
> BU needed the win, not the tie or the SO win.
 
I've been pretty much a lurker on the list 'til now but I thought I'd chime in
on this issue.
 
I've been mostly against the shootout from the onset, being more of a 'don't
fix it if it's not really broken' purist regarding college hockey. I've seen
two shootouts live, UNH vs. BC and UNH vs. Providence and I thought both were
pretty much anti-climatic. Maybe it's because I didn't see any spectacular
fakes and moves, or maybe it's because UNH lost both of the shootouts, I'm not
sure, but I agree a shootout can be as disappointing as a tie. Against
Providence, Eric Royal scored with 6 seconds left to send the game to
overtime. After a scoreless overtime period, we went to the shootout and I
didn't think the fans seemed that interested. Making a poor showing in the
shootout kind of soured my opinion of the game a little as well. I think I
would have left JFK a little happier if it had just ended in the tie.
 
Nothing I've seen thus far involving shootouts has changed my original
opinion. I still find myself against them.
 
Michael Dupuis
UNH '92 - Go 'Cats!