The slashing in this league is too damn high UPDATE: League cracking down

[Phil1111]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

Hah. That lasted long.

I wonder at what point there became such an attitude towards games with high amounts of penalties being unbearable to watch?

In 1987-88, teams averaged 5.5 PP's per game. That means in many games teams would have had 7-8-9 or ten PP's.

I'm a little young, but did fans moan about too may PP's back then when it was common to see 6-7 PP's per team?

I really don't mind it. I think more PP's in a game generally means that the better players get more icetime at ES than they would in a game with less special teams.

You always hear coaches talk about how they need to stay out of the box so they can "roll four lines". While I don't mind watching bottom sixers slog away out there, (They have their moments), I'd rather see the top six go at it.

Penalties are a drag until the coach lays down the law with a couple benchings and players change their styles.

Ref's keep your whistles in your mouths.

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Perfection.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Proof again that there's a Simpsons quote for everything.

And if there isn't, there's a Seinfeld one.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by AC

@FriedgeHNIC
Further to @JSportsnet report, understand refs told not to worry w/slashes to pants/legs...focus hands/wrists, don't back down on those

When they said they were going to crack down on slashes this was what I thought the intent was. Confused the hell out of me when any and everything was being called.

[Huntingwhale]

A slash is a slash, is a slash. So essentially it's ok to whack a players legs?

I guess we'll see if it makes a difference at all. I predict by Xmas, we'll be back to the status quo of not knowing what's a penalty is and having the refs manage games based on the player, score and time left in the game.

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

A slash is a slash, is a slash. So essentially it's ok to whack a players legs?

I guess we'll see if it makes a difference at all. I predict by Xmas, we'll be back to the status quo of not knowing what's a penalty is and having the refs manage games based on the player, score and time left in the game.

I'm not going to get hung up on that because slashes to the pants or shin guards generally don't injure players or take away scoring chances. I'm sure they'll still call the two-hander to the back of the leg.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by BloodFetish

I'm not going to get hung up on that because slashes to the pants or shin guards generally don't injure players or take away scoring chances. I'm sure they'll still call the two-hander to the back of the leg.

Plus, since hitting a stick near the ice with your stick is legal, I imagine they take into account that a hit to the legs in that area could just be a miss. Whereas, there's no legit hockey reason to have your stick near the other guy's hands.

[TheFlamesVan]

If you take a swipe at someone's legs/pants, you are generally out of position or behind the play. The move offers zero defence benefit outside causing pain. They should all be called.

[Tiger]

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

If you take a swipe at someone's legs/pants, you are generally out of position or behind the play. The move offers zero defence benefit outside causing pain. They should all be called.

if anything bad happens with it a trip is called anyways

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I yell "hack the bone" literally every time I play hockey.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

A slash is a slash, is a slash. So essentially it's ok to whack a players legs?

I guess we'll see if it makes a difference at all. I predict by Xmas, we'll be back to the status quo of not knowing what's a penalty is and having the refs manage games based on the player, score and time left in the game.

Yeah the issue becomes that the first two months there will be a lot of penalties and the media will write articles that the game is unwatchable, blah, blah, blah especially if teams in markets like Toronto get off to slow starts. As the season progresses the officials will ever so slowly start relaxing things and come playoff time will be exactly as you said in bold. Maybe people have short memories but the 2016 playoffs will go down as one of the worst officiated playoffs I have ever seen. Pure trash most nights and I don't have a lot of faith there's enough talent in the ranks to pull this crackdown on slashing off long term. IMO there are serious issues with the officiating in this league. I get that nobody is perfect and officials take abuse in all leagues but the NHL has come really close to CFL quality officiating.

[Phil1111]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah the issue becomes that the first two months there will be a lot of penalties and the media will write articles that the game is unwatchable, blah, blah, blah especially if teams in markets like Toronto get off to slow starts. As the season progresses the officials will ever so slowly start relaxing things and come playoff time will be exactly as you said in bold. Maybe people have short memories but the 2016 playoffs will go down as one of the worst officiated playoffs I have ever seen. Pure trash most nights and I don't have a lot of faith there's enough talent in the ranks to pull this crackdown on slashing off long term. IMO there are serious issues with the officiating in this league. I get that nobody is perfect and officials take abuse in all leagues but the NHL has come really close to CFL quality officiating.

Well if last nights game was any indication. Power play goals against may turn Flames games into a night of heavy drinking.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Phil1111

Well if last nights game was any indication. Power play goals against may turn Flames games into a night of heavy drinking.

Ha ha ha. I would hold off the drinking as I have a feeling the team will do a little better with the top pairings dressed.

[Robbob]

Or any of the main PK guys.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

A slash is a slash, is a slash. So essentially it's ok to whack a players legs?

[MisterJoji]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-adds-penalty-f...lenge-1.868068

So looks like they added a delay of game penalty for failed challenges. Should definitely cut down on the “what the hell” challenges.

Also, no longer allowed timeouts after an icing.

And as mentioned before, crackdown on slashing and face off violations.

[dino7c]

we are gonna take like ten slashing penalties against McDavid opening night...

New rule/golden boy

I just know it

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-adds-penalty-f...lenge-1.868068

So looks like they added a delay of game penalty for failed challenges. Should definitely cut down on the “what the hell” challenges.

Also, no longer allowed timeouts after an icing.

And as mentioned before, crackdown on slashing and face off violations.

I like the idea of decreasing unnecessary challenges. And offside tends to be less debatable than goaltender interference (I'm not sure anyone really know what goaltender interference is).

However, there are still debatable offsides, particularly when camera angle isn't perfect / obscured, but you can assume one way or another. It will suck to see a debatable call turn into a penalty.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by PugnaciousIntern

I like the idea of decreasing unnecessary challenges. And offside tends to be less debatable than goaltender interference (I'm not sure anyone really know what goaltender interference is).

However, there are still debatable offsides, particularly when camera angle isn't perfect / obscured, but you can assume one way or another. It will suck to see a debatable call turn into a penalty.

They should just let the linesman make the call on the fly and live with it...its not like anyone stops playing. Worst is when the play goes on for 30 seconds and they bring it back after a team has turned over the puck 3 times in their own zone or something.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They should just let the linesman make the call on the fly and live with it...its not like anyone stops playing. Worst is when the play goes on for 30 seconds and they bring it back after a team has turned over the puck 3 times in their own zone or something.

Yeah. There's got to be a statute of limitations on when an offside is no longer actually contributing to the play