Until (or unless) the NHL instigates a review of penalties it's going to be tough to properly punish this in the game without post-game suspensions... which I don't see happening.
I wish it would, but besides the absolutely blatant dives, the diving (or unsportsmanlike) calls will be rare. It's very easy for us to watch the slow-mo version, see the expression on the players face, and analyze the contact vs. reaction to determine a dive. But on the quick plays I can see these being very hard to detect.
Good dives will always go undetected on the ice. But man would I LOVE to see suspensions handed out for dives. Would be embarrassing, and put an end to diving VERY quickly.
And as far as embellishment being an effective part of the game, I argue that it's cheating. Playing beer league with buddies, if a friend was to claim that he took a high-stick when he in fact didn't... I think we'd all consider that friend a cheater. There's no place for that in any game, no matter what the stakes. Winning based on lies and deceit, no matter how good you are at it, is not a part of the game I ever want to see. The only embellishment I've ever approved of happen in the games where the refs clearly have no intention of calling anything, and it's more of a 'ARE YOU SEEING THIS NOW?!'.
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