Goldobin Skeptical of KHL's Pre-Match Shootout Idea
SKA forward Nikolai Goldobin says he can't picture how a penalty shootout before the opening face-off would work, as the KHL weighs the format change.
Nikolai Goldobin, the SKA forward, admits he cannot yet picture how a penalty shootout before the opening face-off would actually look on ice.
The KHL is weighing a plan under which tied Fonbet Chempionat matches would be settled by a shootout held before the game starts rather than after it ends. League president Alexei Morozov outlined the idea earlier, saying the shootout would decide the winner in the event of a draw and "create hype."
"When I read about it, it didn't even cross my mind that it could work that way — it's hard to picture. Seeing it live might turn out to be brilliant, but for now I can't imagine it at all. If people want it, let them do it. Who are we? Just hockey players," said Goldobin.
The KHL has not set a date for a decision on the format, and Goldobin's response suggests players are being asked to react to a proposal still on the drawing board rather than one close to adoption.
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