from Adrian Dater of the Denver Post,

There has been a push to eliminate the shootout by a band of crab apples who just never seem to be happy. That includes some of the NHL's general managers, who discussed alternatives for deciding games tied after regulation at their most recent golf outing, er, league meetings in Florida.

Gosh, it's just the worst thing in the world, isn't it, having NHL players take turns trying to score against goalies on breakaways to decide a game? My goodness, what about the integrity of the sport?

Give it a rest. Fans, in poll after poll, like the shootout. It's just a "skills competition," the purists snicker. To quote Sports Illustrated hockey writer Michael Farber in his 2010 defense of the shootout: "Darn right it is."

Seeing great offensive players show off some of their best moves while the league's best goaltenders try to stop them — what a monstrosity that is, eh? To echo Farber, what's truly laughable are some of the purists' solutions to the dreaded shootout gimmick, such as extended four-on-four overtimes or even three-on-three. Three-on-three wouldn't be a gimmick too?

You want to play 10 minutes of four-on-four overtime because five aren't enough? Fine, and when your team's best players get hurt from being overly tired, don't come whining to me.

a bit more plus why Patrick Roy deserves the Jack Adams Award over Jon Cooper....