I don't hate the shootout. It is a quick and dirty route to finality. But the only way the NHL is truly going to water down the impact of the gimmick is to change its entire point structure. Put more emphasis on regulation wins. Make them worth three points. Make overtime and shootout wins worth two points. You can still award "one loser'' point, the T-ball equivalent of a participation trophy, since it did require some effort to battle to a tie for 65 or 70 minutes.