Rules enforcement

[Chadd 916]

Anyone else notice a huge difference between games? I saw 10 things in the first half of the first period of the Flyer - Devil game that had been called in the preseason or in the games I watched on Wednesday. Lots of cheap stuff away from the puck and sticks on the puck carrier. Meanwhile some of the other games continued to have very strict enforcement.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Yep, I saw the same thing.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I've watched every Leaf pre-season game, their opener and Montreals and there has been huge changes from game to game. It makes it very difficult to adapt when each Ref is playing by their own rules.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I've watched every Leaf pre-season game, their opener and Montreals and there has been huge changes from game to game. It makes it very difficult to adapt when each Ref is playing by their own rules.

That's part of the problem when bad AHL refs like Langdon and Spada are given NHL jobs.

[chippa13 1844]

The problem isn't so much the newer refs up from the AHL as the older guys. The older guys just have a hard time changing how they call the game. When you've called it a certain way for 10-15 years it isn't easy to change, just like how some of the veteran players are having a hard time adapting.

[Chadd 916]

The problem isn't so much the newer refs up from the AHL as the older guys. The older guys just have a hard time changing how they call the game. When you've called it a certain way for 10-15 years it isn't easy to change, just like how some of the veteran players are having a hard time adapting.

I agree. One of the new former-AHL guys worked the Hawks - Sharks game and did a very good job of sticking to the new standard until the last few minutes. He probably could have banged each team a few more times.

[hockechamp14 0]

I think it's the same thing as we had before though, when the refs taper off call towards the end of the game if they're grinding it out, which I don't necisarily mind. If towards the end, the game loses the flow, it can really ruin it with mass penalties. But I do see what you guys are saying and I do agree.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Man, did anyone see the Flyers/ TO game today? A lot of missed calls.

I am not fond of Forsberg, but one time his hand was slashed to hell w/ no call and he had another against him that should have been called.

I didn't see the Philly game, but the Ottawa game the other night was weird. No calls (or very little) in the first, second was filled with all of the "new rules", third started off the same, but once it hit the 10 minute mark, everything was let go for the rest of the game.

[ktang 34]

I can just see a call or visit from a ref supervisor going on between the first and second periods!

[Chadd 916]

I can just see a call or visit from a ref supervisor going on between the first and second periods!

phone call from Toronto most likely