spin-omark-a

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5powwre3H8I

Here is the link to Linus Omark's flashy yet controversial first shootout attempt in the NHL.  Following the game, Martin St. Louis told the media he thought it was disrespectul.  Steve Yzerman didn't like it, neither did Doug Wilson.  Give me a break.  The only reason the shootout is part of the game is for the entertainment value.  If you really think about it, a miniature skills competition isn't the most logical way to end a hockey game after 65 minutes of hard fought action.  Don Cherry said it right on Coaches Corner, "it's a gimmick within a gimmick."  Look at the crowd's reaction, they absolutely loved it.  After the game, TSN put up a poll asking "Do players have to earn the right to be flashy?" Absolutely not.  Omark is a young kid with all the confidence in the world, and if he has the stones to pull off a move like that then good for him.  To all those Tampa players who cried foul after the game, stop whining.  This new crop of young players have a level of creativity the NHL has never seen before.  It's exciting, and the league needs to see more of it.