When the shootout was introduced in 2005, it was an exciting, new way to decide games. It added a breath of fresh air to a game that was quickly growing stale amidst strategies like the trap and the thugs that were all too prevalent at the time.
In 2016, the tide seems to have turned against the shootout, with many fans in favor of bringing back ties rather than decide games via a skills competition.
For Buffalo Sabres fans, getting rid of the shootout should be front and center on their NHL wish list.
The Sabres fell to 1-5 in the shootout this season thanks to the Florida Panthers, who eliminated a third period deficit to force overtime and eventually a shootout, where they made the Sabres look like chumps in a 4-3 win.