Welcome to the Hangar for this first visit of the season of Andre Payette and his Steeldogs. The Steeldogs Head Coach continues to prove he is still one of the game’s biggest characters, honouring his bet to warm up in a Phoenix jersey last Sunday at Manchester! He works tirelessly on and off the ice to try and better his team. When he’s on the ice playing against you he’s someone that most people don’t like but you can’t underestimate the input he makes to his team and the sport.
Looking back to last weekend it was a good weekend for the Jets. Three point weekend was good return and in truth we were unlucky not to get the full four. The performance against Manchester was one of the best so far this season, every single player played their part. Kamil Jarina made some massive saves when Manchester pressured hard and the lottery of OT turned out in favour of Manchester. Sunday was a second good performance and the right result achieved after 60 minutes of play.
Now obviously this will seem like sour grapes but it really isn’t. Anyone that knows me knows my disliking of overtime! It’s unnecessary and it answers an insatiable but unneeded desire to get a result in every game in a league season. My question would be why do we need a result in every game in a league season when there is 54 games to decide the league table? Why can we not let two teams who battled to a draw over the course of the game share the spoils with a point each?
I can see the necessity of a result in cup semi-finals and finals and play-off qualifiers and semi-finals, finals but I can’t see the need for it in league play. Even if someone could justify the need for overtime I bet nobody could justify the need for penalty shots after overtime! That’s totally unneeded, devalues the penalty shot awarded in the game and ensures that an individual decides a team game!
Either way if the powers that be insist on OT then the whole point structure of the season needs looking at. A regular game is worth 2 points, an overtime game is worth 3 points which means to be fair if overtime is included then every game should be worth 3 points! A regulation win should be worth 3 points, an overtime win 2 points and an overtime loss 1 point meaning each game awards the same total points.
Rant over! Enjoy tonight’s game
Mark
