The fact that the NHL doesn’t consider shootout wins when breaking ties in the standings is hilarious to me. 46 ties have been settled already this NHL season by way of the shootout, meaning 46 points in the standings have been awarded through it, but when it comes settling ties in the standings, it’s no good. If the NHL really wanted to be consistent, they’d settle ties in the standings with a emergency shootout. Or, if it’s too difficult to get the two gridlocked teams together, a coin toss.

Yes, the shootout is silly and random. As multiple people have pointed out, it’s a total crapshoot. But when the Canucks are bad at it, as they are so far this season, it invariably leads to all sorts of equally silly, random suggestions on how to improve their fortune. Try this guy. Try that guy. Go in fast. Go in slow. Deke. Shoot. Swap goalies.

Or, in my new favourite innovation, courtesy Jonathan McDonald of The Province, pull goalies. Not during the shotoout, of course. But in advance of it. Let’s all pause to examine this head-scratcher:

With Daniel Sedin’s failed penalty shot attempt Friday, the NHL scoring leader is now 0-for-4 in his career on penalty shots, and it’s never really been close. He’s bad at it. He’s so bad at it that Alain Vigneault used this most recent non-goal as an example of why Daniel never gets a chance in the shootout.

It’s a strange anomaly, really, especially considering that Daniel Sedin is a pretty fabulous scorer. Furthermore, he’s in possession of one of the NHL’s most accurate shots. You’d think he’d be money in these situations, but it would seem penalty shots and shootouts just aren’t particularly suited for his game.

Here are 20 possible explanations:

Canucks 2 – 1 Blue Jackets (SO) It’s a shame that the Canucks weren’t wearing their retro jerseys, because this game was a total throwback. The team played poorly, showing a complete lack of offensive flair and a general disarray throughout, but thankfully, Roberto Luongo stood tall and singlehandedly kept them in the game. You’d [...]

The following quote comes from Iain MacIntyre’s postgame article on the Canucks’ shootout loss to the Red Wings on Saturday night. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it really strange. Let’s examine it. “It was a good game,” Vancouver defenceman Keith Ballard said. “I think everyone who watched it was fairly satisfied. Both teams [...]

Spinning shootout goals have become incredibly overrated. They’re no longer uncommon, but each time a player pulls one off, jaws across the country drop. It’s nearing cliche territory, as spinning in the shootout seems like a surefire way to make someone gush, even if it has nothing to do with your eventual shot. Suffice it [...]