For the exhibition season, which began two days ago, the NHL has elected to feature a shootout after each and every game, just to show the fans what's in store. In some games, that has been extremely unnecessary, such as the Wild's 7-0 win over the Coyotes last night. However, the score of that game might not have been so outlandish if it hadn't been for the shootout played between those two teams the night before, where goalie Brian Boucher, a contestant for the starter's job, injured his groin.
It is the same reason that GMs have always been anxious when their players participate in things like the Olympics and the World Championships - to an NHL executive, those are extracurricular activities where one's players are risking injury. Wayne Gretzky, the 'Yotes newly-crowned head coach, has taken Boucher's fairly well, possibly because he couldn't find words to describe the ridiculous situation: "I don't even know what to say. I've never seen anything like that...to take an injury in that kind of scenario is just not good."
Phoenix's off-season signing of Curtis Joseph likely was a huge factor in Gretzky not tearing his hair out and marching off to New York to strangle Gary Bettman for the stupid rule that has put Boucher out for at least two weeks. But many people, such as Ed Belfour, who felt that the NHL was ignoring players' safety in shrinking goalie equipment in favour of drawing the interest of potential fans in the sun belt, will see this as just another affront. And in this case, it's hard to disagree.
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