[PGT] Flames lose 2-1

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Chingas

I agree with all of the above. However is there a guy in the league that gets away with more cross checks/stick infractions than Weber? The guy is a beast no doubt, but he looks like a friggin lumberjack out there. He has the size and strength to be effective without that, but i feel he takes the stick work a bit far. It is straight conjecture but i feel that almost any other dman would be called on a lot of those plays.

Agreed - he gets away with a lot, and got away with several should-be infractions against the Flames.

That is the nature of the league though (unfortunately). Guys 'earn' respect from the refs over time. Teams seem to as well.

I wish the NHL reffed the way the NFL does: a penalty is a penalty every time, regardless of player of situation.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Agreed - he gets away with a lot, and got away with several should-be infractions against the Flames.

That is the nature of the league though (unfortunately). Guys 'earn' respect from the refs over time. Teams seem to as well.

I wish the NHL reffed the way the NFL does: a penalty is a penalty every time, regardless of player of situation.

Officials simply aren't calling penalties anymore relative to past history. Last season only 3.11 PP's per game compared to 5.84 in 2005/06. More telling is that in the clutch and grab days of the late 90's the average PP's per game was always over 4.

I can't be the only person that remembers the Flames playing a stretch of games last season where they didn't even get a single minor penalty called against them and wondered how that could happen. I get that they were playing more disciplined but it's hard to imagine through multiple 60 minute games not one infraction was committed. I really dislike the NHL officiating culture of "putting their whistle's in their pockets" as a penalty is a penalty regardless of how or when it happens and the NHL is the only league that operates on a principle that in overtime or close games that officials change how they officiate and let things go.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Officials simply aren't calling penalties anymore relative to past history. Last season only 3.11 PP's per game compared to 5.84 in 2005/06. More telling is that in the clutch and grab days of the late 90's the average PP's per game was always over 4.

I can't be the only person that remembers the Flames playing a stretch of games where they didn't even get a single minor penalty called against them and wondered how that could happen. I get that they were playing more disciplined but it's hard to imagine through multiple 60 minute games not one infraction was committed. I really dislike the NHL officiating culture of "putting their whistle's in their pockets" as a penalty is a penalty regardless of how or when it happens and the NHL is the only league that operates on a principle that in overtime or close games that officials change how they officiate and let things go.

The difference though is the playing style has changed. There's less booking and holding than before, ergo, less penalties.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

The difference though is the playing style has changed. There's less booking and holding than before, ergo, less penalties.

Is there? There's certainly less now than pre-2006 but less than two years ago when they were higher? I still see a lot of obstruction as pick plays are as prominent as ever and players get squeeze against the boards all the time when chasing pucks.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Is there? There's certainly less now than pre-2006 but less than two years ago when they were higher? I still see a lot of obstruction as pick plays are as prominent as ever and players get squeeze against the boards all the time when chasing pucks.

I believe so, yes. In a 5 goal/game league, PPs unfortunately decide games. Players get punished by coaches for taking penalties more than ever