Guy Boucher isn’t the fan of shootouts.
The Ottawa Senators head coach spoke with James Mirtle of the Athletic, revealing that despite his club pulling off a 3-2 shootout win recently over the Toronto Maple Leafs, he “hates” the shootout for it’s reliance on individual performance.
“I never watch shootouts,” Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher said, after his team beat the Maple Leafs in a shootout. “I never have. Two reasons: One, I hate it. I think it’s a team game, and it should be decided by team play. But I understand that the game has got to end. The other thing, two, is I got into a habit of not looking. It makes no difference if I look or not so I let the guys do their thing. I used to get involved and talk to the guys, ‘Eh you could do this and that.’ Now I stay out of it.”
Shootouts have become a contentious topic for multiple reasons. As Boucher mentions, having an exciting game end in a skills competition from individual players isn’t always satisfying. What was once exciting has become very gimmicky. As James Van Riemsdyk told Mirtle, shootouts are a “coin flip.”
The post-overtime deciders have passed their expiry date. Very few fans are clamoring for a game to end in a shootout. If coaches and players are commenting on their disdain for it, it’s time to start the conversation to seek alternatives to the shootout.
