Résumé
Shootouts are used in professional hockey and soccer to resolve tied games and are often regarded as high-pressure, skill-based contests that can resemble a coin-flip outcome. In hockey, shootouts follow a best-of-three format, with each team choosing three shooters (six total) for a one-on-one breakaway with the opposing goalie. If a tie remains after six shooters, the shootout continues on a best-of-one basis until a winner is determined. Previous research in soccer, which uses a best-of-five format, has shown that players are more prone to choking in high-pressure situations (loss-imminent vs. win-imminent). Most of this work has focused on shooters, despite goaltenders statistically holding the advantage in shootouts in hockey, unlike in soccer. Given hockey’s format, analyzing goalie performance on the sixth shootout attempt offered a chance to explore whether elevated psychological pressure affects goaltender success in win-imminent versus loss-imminent situations. It was hypothesized that goaltenders on the sixth attempt would be more likely to make a save when facing a potential win than a loss. To test this, data from all NHL shootouts between the 2015–16 and 2024–25 seasons were collected. Of 903 total shootouts, 302 ended before a sixth shooter appeared, resulting in a final analysis of 601 shootouts. Contrary to expectations, results showed no significant difference in goaltender performance based on the situation (win-imminent save percentage, 71%; loss-imminent, 70.2%). These findings highlight the potential influence of sport-specific contextual factors on shootout performance and raise a need for further research.
