too many penalties

[Cheechoo 0]

I have felt all season long that the there have been way too many penalty calls in "my NHL", but thanks to Bettman's "whistle in the pocket and you're out" policy, it's gotten even worse for the playoffs. I mean, come on, I wanna see some 5-on-5 battles. This game has become a lottery of who gets more power plays. The new rules were supposed to improve the flow of the game, but all these penalty calls are doing the exact opposite: There is absolutley no flow during the 30-seconds between penalty calls. This sucks!

[Chadd 916]

Blame the coaches and players for not learning. Hell, they're still letting a lot go in some of the games I've seen.

[Eazy_b97 1]

It's too jumpy to learn. It's been hit and miss since the 15-20 game mark. Then you have little things called and high sticks to the face missed. There's no "penalty line" where you know what is a hook and what isn't. I feel for the refs, it must be awful, but there doesn't seem to be a middle ground.

[willy0314 0]

Refs aren't perfect, they are going to miss some calls. But there is no way this is killing hockey. Teams like the sabres adjusted to the rules just fine. why? because for the most part they stay out of the box. Its the big goony slow players and teams that have problems with all the penalties because the only way they can defend certain plays is to grab onto you.

[Eazy_b97 1]

People forget Buffalo was VERY good for the last half of the season before the lockout. They aren't an overnight success.

The question is, what do you adjust to? Some refs let you get away with alot more than others. Do you risk taking a penalty late in the game to stop a scoring chance? What if you don't, but then the other team does and it goes uncalled? This is what I see happen alot. That and the make-up calls.

[notquitedeadyet 13]

Refs aren't perfect, they are going to miss some calls. But there is no way this is killing hockey. Teams like the sabres adjusted to the rules just fine. why? because for the most part they stay out of the box. Its the big goony slow players and teams that have problems with all the penalties because the only way they can defend certain plays is to grab onto you.

And now the game is more exciting & less frustrating to watch.

[bucko 0]

well, all in all the idea why they changed some rules isn´t to bad at all! more goals more room for those skilled little forwards and so on... i can´t really tell if the refs all have a common line in the nhl, cause it´s not easy over here to watch a lot of games. but what i can tell you is that i was always more physical then a technical player, and for this kind of player it is very hard over here in europe... the problem is that the refs can not find a straight line, so o.k. it´s the first year with that zero tolerance thing, but there are so many games with a lot of very bad calls... for me fair bodychecks and a hard type of game is what i want to see, also the technical finesse is something the fans out there wanna see, i absolutely agree that slashing and so should be called but over here in europe some of those refs don´t even know the difference between x and o... so ok for those who played the game and do reffing it might be easier, cause you can see it just better if ther´s a foul or not, cause you know how to foul... so i hope specially the quality of the ref´s is getting better, so theyr lives would be a lot easier, and you can look at a hockey game with zero tollerance rules without bein´frustrated that nice fair checks bein called...

just my opinion what it is in europe... ;)

[TBLfan 25]

I just want to see a fair game called for the entire 60 minutes. I know that we can be biased towards our teams but I know when there should be a call and when there shouldn't be.

[bullet1 0]

The number of hooking calls made is sometimes frustrating, but I think they have been pretty consistant in making the calls. If you get your stick into the midsection of an opponent you are going to get a penalty. This concept shouldn't be too hard to understand for NHL Players. Its been called all year and sooner or later they will understand.

Neidermyer's SHG yesterday would have never happened in previous years in the NHL because he would have gotten held before he even got out of his defensive zone. But the Calgary guy decided not to get a penalty and let him go and it cost him a goal. That is the exact type of play that makes the new game more exciting. Players just have to learn what they can/cannot do.

[DarkStar50 679]

I agree with bullet1. The refs have been doing it this way since October. If teams either haven't adjusted by now or think that because its the playoffs, they can go back to the old hook'em, hold'em rodeo NHL, well they will obviously be gone at the end of round 1. One or two games are now over with. The playoffs are also about making adjustments. If certain teams can't figure it out, c ya! Let the teams that play within the rules advance. Gee, what a funny idea that sounds like.

[Cheechoo 0]

I agree with you DarkStar, but in some of the games I've watched (SJ-NASH, CAL-ANA, BUF-PHI), it seemed that no teams have "adjusted". How do you adjust when you get called for reaching for the puck and your stick happends to be in front of an opposing player's hips? Just don't reach for the puck and let the other guy skate with it? Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to the rule changes or the ideas behind them, but I think it's gone overboard and a lot of minor, unintentional contact is being called. During yersterday's SJ-NASH game, Preissing was amazed that he drew a penalty when an opposing player briefly got his stick under Preissing's arm while they were battling for the puck.

And by the way, it hasn't been called like this all season. The first month of the season and now the beginning of the playoffs have been called much tighter than the rest of the regular season.

All I can say is that I have not really enjoyed any of the games I've watched. Too little flow and too little 5-on-5.

[jjtt99 0]

I'm all for it and I'm hoping this is just part of the learning curve/adjustment period to open up the NHL so speed and skill are rewarded. If I want to watch low skill but hard work hockey there are many other leagues that offer that -- inclusive of local pay-to-play stuff.

[technophile 0]

The number of hooking calls made is sometimes frustrating, but I think they have been pretty consistant in making the calls. If you get your stick into the midsection of an opponent you are going to get a penalty. This concept shouldn't be too hard to understand for NHL Players. Its been called all year and sooner or later they will understand.

Yeah, it's damn obvious what they've been calling as far as hooks go. If your stick is horizontal to the ice and the blade is touching someone, you are going to the box. I've seen some marginal calls (where a trip did/didn't get called, or a hook or interference was borderline), but by far most of the hooks have been either "I can't believe he tried to get away with that" or "he had no choice, otherwise it was a clean breakaway" situations.

[technophile 0]

As far as "no flow/no 5-on-5", the problem isn't the reffing. When teams are playing according to the rules, the flow and even strength play is there. The first period of the Apr. 17 Detroit/Dallas game was hockey as it should be; I think they went something like 13(?) minutes without a whistle, and it was a fast, high-skill game.

If players just quit with the stupid penalties (and hooking is the ultimate stupid penalty in the current refereeing situation), the game would be great.

[donkey87 0]

I think the problem is that its playoff time and players are trying to elevate their game and they are forgetting what they learned at the beginning of the season. Players are going to have to be disciplined not to take stupid penalties. The hooking calls being made in the playoffs are the same calls that were being made in March. I think that once teams play a few games, the players will settle into the playoff atmosphere and the number of penalties will decrease.

[jjtt99 0]

The Tampa Ottawa series is great! I agree the Calgary Anahiem games have a lot of whistles, but I see that up to the players and coaches to play the game within the rules as they're being enfoced now.

[lil_mikey69 0]

According to some numbers they gave during one of yesterdays games there really hasn't been that many more calls this playoffs as compared to the last one. After each series started and some teams played twice there were only like 15-20 more pentalies called this year as opposed to the last playoffs. So 20 more pentalies over that many games really isn't that big of a deal. Maybe 2-3 more per game?

[ktang 34]

I think I'm seeing more 5-on-3s and negated power plays than in 2004, though.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Watching this Hab game goes right back to what I was saying. I've seen 2-3 hits that have been very dangerous and obviously illegal go uncalled. A couple scoring chances taken away from trips and such as well. Now a terrible hook on the stick was just called taking all the momentum away from Carolina. It looks like the Philly game is fairly similar as well.

Looks like the Habs just scored on it too.

[Chadd 916]

Philly just can't stop taking penalties

[gp3r 0]

The only thing that ever killed the game was the 70's Flyers. Ther are the ones that started that holding, grabbing and cheap hitting game. It took a few years after, and teams that did not have enough talent started playing the same way.

Calling more penalties is just better for the game. Big, slow players that hook and grab won't have their place in the league anymore, which is good.

The only new rules that I don't like are the restricted zone where the goalies can handle the puck and the delay of the game calls when the puck leaves the ice. But otherwise, the calls are good.

Maybe sometimes hookings are accidental, but a player should always be in control of his stick.

It's great to finally see the most talented and speedy teams in the playoffs. Taking the hooks and grabs away just makes it harder to play the trap. If you want to play a defensive style, like Calgary does, you still have to be fast and quick on the puck.

[sabre09923 0]

On one hand, I hate some of the outrageous calls on hooking and tripping calls. If your stick even touches someone and they flinch in the slightest way, you're off to the sin bin. Sometimes players (like Danny Briere) just will dive whenever (okay not whenever, but occasionally) a stick even comes near them, and the refs call a penalty on the unlucky guy who just happened to be near the diver. I think it becomes a huge battle of the team who stays disciplined. But then again, shouldn't the more disciplined teams be the ones to have that advantage? Yes, but a player's stick randomly touching an opposing player with no hindrance to that player shouldn't be consdiered undisciplined.

As for 5-on-5 importance being diminished, I don't think so. 14 of the 16 teams in the league are in the top 16 in the league for 5 on 5 goals for/goals against. The two teams that didn't make it in that top 16 are Edmonton and Tampa Bay-the two 8 seeds. And Edmonton is in the top 16 in power-play percentage, and Tampa Bay isn't. So, presumably, Tampa is the freak of the playoffs. But further investigation shows that Toronto (the 9 seed in the east) shows that they are below Tampa in every one of those statitics. So all of these stats do apply in the playoff teams and the new rules' effectiveness towards them. The new rules haven't hurt the teams that are good at 5-on-5.

And as for the new rules "ruining the game"... No, they haven't. The removal of the two line pass rule, the increase of the pace of the game, every change up until the harsh crackdown on hooking & holding. But that had to happen anyways. So, now, just be grateful that hockey is back and is much, much better than the game that it previously was. I don't think any of you liked the lockout, personally.

[bullet1 0]

I think the problem is that its playoff time and players are trying to elevate their game and they are forgetting what they learned at the beginning of the season. Players are going to have to be disciplined not to take stupid penalties. The hooking calls being made in the playoffs are the same calls that were being made in March. I think that once teams play a few games, the players will settle into the playoff atmosphere and the number of penalties will decrease.

I agree with this totally. Everyone is trying so hard to start off the playoffs right that they might fall into bad habits. Like the NYR having 10 penalties, thats just unreal. I watched most of the game, almost all of them were legit calls. If players want to go back to old style NHL they are in for a quick exit out of the playoffs.

[Cheechoo 0]

Calling more penalties is just better for the game. Big, slow players that hook and grab won't have their place in the league anymore, which is good.

I agree with you about big, slow players having no place in the NHL any more. I'm glad the Marchments of the past are being phased out. But the penalties I'm seeing being called aren't by big, slow players, but fast and skilled forwards that happen to tap their stick on someone's body. Joe Thornton hardly ever gets penalties and he got two in the last game. I just think the refs are overdoing it on otherwise good rule changes beacuse they're shit-scared of Bettman. Basically, if you see someone fall, you can be sure there will be a penaltiy, no matter what actually happened.

[Cheechoo 0]

As for 5-on-5 importance being diminished, I don't think so. 14 of the 16 teams in the league are in the top 16 in the league for 5 on 5 goals for/goals against. The two teams that didn't make it in that top 16 are Edmonton and Tampa Bay-the two 8 seeds. And Edmonton is in the top 16 in power-play percentage, and Tampa Bay isn't. So, presumably, Tampa is the freak of the playoffs. But further investigation shows that Toronto (the 9 seed in the east) shows that they are below Tampa in every one of those statitics. So all of these stats do apply in the playoff teams and the new rules' effectiveness towards them. The new rules haven't hurt the teams that are good at 5-on-5.

I agree that there was plenty of fun 5-on-5 action during the regular season. I just haven't seen much of it during the playoffs. A 4-on-3 powerplay used to be a very rare thing. No they happen pretty regularly in almost every game.