End the shootout — for good

Why are we still allowing a gimmick to decide games?

The overtime shootout, which was born out of the 05-06 lockout came about at the same time as when the league clamped down on obstruction and aimed to make the game faster and more skilled. Essentially, it was a gift to fans for sticking by while those greedy players and even those greedier owners wilfully cancelled an entire season.

And at first, it was kinda awesome.

I mean, remember those early shootouts. Remember a rookie Sidney Crosby going backhand roof on Carey Price — in what was his first game in Montreal? Remember Datsyuk doing weird shit. And Patrick Kane doing even cooler shit? Remember Jokinen pulling off the Forsberg?

Even those brutal shootouts were sort of memorable. We all laughed when Marek Malik — a stay-at-home D who had scored twice — went between his legs to end a marathon shootout for the Rangers. And Jason Allison’s slow motion move was

But that was almost decades ago.

The shootout isn’t a gimmick. It’s been going on for 18 long years.

It’s boring.

We’ve seen everything there is to see.

The players look bored, like . And the coaches, particularly Toroto’s Sheldon Keefe, who after watching 18 rounds between the Leafs and Senators, recently said what we wee all thinking: “I was just waiting to go home.”

I can still remember hoping an overtime would go the distance. Now, I’m hoping that a goal gets scored in the five minutes of 3-on-3.

Which raises the question: why are we doing the shootut still? Why not extending 3-on-3 another five minutes. Or better yet, let a game end in a tie? Is there another solution?