Quote Originally Posted by Youngblood View Post
Yes, I was pretty surprised pittsburgh won in spite of the obviously bias officiating in game 7 for Detroit. lol

I understand what they do, with the officiating, and sorta agree with it. It is a long season, where rivalries and tempers are often spawned and feuled. Much like a child, or maybe a repeat criminal offender need harsher treatment them the norm to correct abhorrent behaviour, so works the NHL. Where it sees problems, it focuses on those problems and strictly punishes to deter it getting out of hand.

In the playoffs, they try to let the teams play with less of that. This should be the accumulation of their seasons goals of creating a mindset for tolerable play. And who wants to watch a playoff penalty filled game based on minor infractions? No one that I can think of.

That's how I see it.
But the rules can't change based on the circumstances, that's a ridiculous standard (or lack thereof). I'm not talking about refs controlling tempers etc., that's fine as long as it's done in an equitable manner. However, when a player gets called for a hook in the season they should be called for the same hook in the post-season, it's unfair for the players (who universally cry out for consistency) and no other major sport changes their rules based on what time of year it is. The same thing should be the case during a game. I literally cannot count how many times I've seen an identical play called for a penalty in the first and second period and not called in the third. It's ridiculous and it makes a lot of fans want to throw up their hands in disgust.

Futhermore, I think this inconsistency actually leads to more penalities and a general worsening of the quality of the product on the ice. Players do not know which standards they will be held to an as such are unsure of how to act. As for the rules being different in the playoffs, penalties, powerplays etc. directly result in who is included in the playoffs (teams with shitty special teams almost never make the post-season), so why should the standard suddenly be changed? I don't want to see a penalty-fest in the playoffs either, but I want consistency.