Thank you to Maeve for sending in this week's take. For those unfamiliar with the rules in the NHL, a shootout occurs at the end of game if the score is tied and the five-minute overtime period has elapsed. Each team chooses three players to take penalty shots at a set distance from the goalie. The teams alternate shots and the team with the most shots made at the end of all attempts wins the game. If you’ve ever watched soccer it’s essentially the same as penalties. Maeve’s second point is that teams shouldn’t get points at the end of a match before overtime. The NHL’s playoff bracket uses a slightly different method than a win-loss system. Instead, they use a points system, with a win counting for two points and a loss counting for zero. If both teams make it to overtime, the loser receives one point and the winner gets two. Historically, the points system is in place since tying used to be a possible outcome for a game, but since the shootout was added into the NHL rules, a tie is no longer able to occur. Therefore, the two things Maeve has suggested to remove are already antithetical to each other, so I will try to answer which of these should stay and which has to go. My immediate impression is that the points system is erroneous since it differs from most other sports that have a regular and post season. A huge factor in both of these systems that can’t be entirely accounted for is fan enjoyment. The simple fact is that most people don’t want to watch a hockey game that lasts for over three hours, hence why shootouts exist. The argument for points being added to a team's overall total when overtime starts really boils down to an incentive to increase competition and give teams a reason to not entirely give up if they’re down points, but mounting a comeback tie is only marginally less difficult than mounting a comeback victory and teams already have an incentive to win. The points system is already outdated since ties are no longer possible, so I half agree with Maeve’s take. I think shootouts should stay, but teams getting points for making it to overtime has no real precedent for being a part of the NHL.