Razin Slams KHL's Pre-Match Shootout Proposal
Metallurg coach Andrei Razin criticized the KHL's plan for pre-game shootouts, arguing it would kill teams' incentive to attack in overtime.
Andrei Razin, head coach of Metallurg, has poured cold water on a plan under consideration at the KHL to settle drawn matches with a shootout played before puck drop rather than after the final whistle.
Metallurg beat Ak Bars 3-2 in a shootout on Friday. Speaking afterwards, Razin was asked about the proposal, floated by KHL president Alexei Morozov, under which a pre-match shootout would decide the extra point in the event of a tie, with the league arguing it would add spectacle and draw fans to arenas earlier.
Razin said the idea itself was a reasonable one, recalling his own struggle to find parking and get to a rink on time as an out-of-work coach, and predicted crowding at some venues if fans were required to arrive well before face-off. His objection was to what it would do once the game started: a team that had already banked the shootout win and its two points would have no reason to press for a goal in overtime, which he said undermines the entertainment value the league is chasing. He suggested the shootout could instead be held during the intermission.
The KHL has not set a timetable for a decision, and Morozov's proposal remains under review by the league.
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