Are penalties in the playoffs different?

[Grover]

There'es always been the assumption that the NHL calls penalties in the playoffs differently than in the regular season...personally I think it's bullshit that a penalty call can differ between playoffs and the regular season...a penalty is a penalty period.... why do the rules change once the playoffs start?

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[pi314]

These guys don't want to decide games. (And ironically they usually do by not trying to decide games.)

 

[cowboy82nd]

I guess you don't watch the playoffs then. Yes, the game is called differently in the post season. What would be an interference call in the regular season gets overlooked in playoff hockey. Don't know why the rulebook changes, but it does.

 

[AzHawk]

yeah

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

The idea is that as playoff hockey is more intense and players engage in constant 1 on 1 battles it would be nothing but special teams all game long if they called it as tight as in the regular season.

I don't mind it, gives the playoffs it's own flavor, but of course it leads to inconsistencies how they call it. But the refs will always be under the spotlight no matter what so meh.

 

[Brainiac]

The worst part is that the rulebook changes during the game, according to the score etc. Refs have huge egos and want to be an important component of the game.

Just call it like you see it, period. It's the only way not to interfer with the game.

 

[3074326]

Just throw the rulebook in the trash if it doesn't mean anything in the playoffs. I just want consistency.

At least we don't have to watch NBA officiating. Man oh man.

 

[trick9]

Question.

How many times the team that has the lead in the 3rd period has gotten a PP in these Playoffs? As opposed to the team chasing them?

 

[ArGarBarGar]

The worst part is that the rulebook changes during the game, according to the score etc. Refs have huge egos and want to be an important component of the game.

Just call it like you see it, period. It's the only way not to interfer with the game.

The rulebook changing and them calling it less in more important games/moments is the exact evidence that shows they DON'T want to be an important component of the game.

 

[tony d]

I think they let things go moreso in the playoffs than they do in the regular season, good to let them play.

 

[Bougieman]

I often hear that it's better in the playoffs, because the refs just "let them play", and it makes for better hockey. I agree, but if everyone agrees that its so great, then why doesn't the NHL have the refs simply call the game that same way during the regular season?

It's really just one more way that the league tells the fans: "The regular season games don't mean much", and I think that's a weird message to send to people you're trying to get the amount of money the league is asking to enjoy their product.

And the lack of consistency throughout the year is frustrating for everyone, not just the fans.

 

[Scott Stevens]

There'es always been the assumption that the NHL calls penalties in the playoffs differently than in the regular season...personally I think it's bull**** that a penalty call can differ between playoffs and the regular season...a penalty is a penalty period.... why do the rules change once the playoffs start?

You just discovered something nobody else ever has.

 

[Lshap]

The rulebook changing and them calling it less in more important games/moments is the exact evidence that shows they DON'T want to be an important component of the game.

Yup. Refs are just another set of fallible humans who are painfully aware of the heightened stakes and scrutiny of these games. In an honest attempt to be invisible guiding hands, they overcompensate and simply become invisible.

Thankless job. And that's why I've changed my mind about leaving my career and going to ref-school. You guys don't deserve me.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I often hear that it's better in the playoffs, because the refs just "let them play", and it makes for better hockey. I agree, but if everyone agrees that its so great, then why doesn't the NHL have the refs simply call the game that same way during the regular season?

It's really just one more way that the league tells the fans: "The regular season games don't mean much", and I think that's a weird message to send to people you're trying to get the amount of money the league is asking to enjoy their product.

And the lack of consistency throughout the year is frustrating for everyone, not just the fans.

It’s because more guys would get hurt. One reason why the playoffs are so tough is because the refs put the whistles away. At least late in the playoffs they do. This isn’t good for smaller guys unless they can skate fast and aware enough to avoid guys. There would be more allowed interference like the one you saw Wilson did on March and Girardi did on Ovi. All the other things players do at this time of year that go uncalled can be dangerous.

I think a reason why it’s more exciting for me is because of what is at stake and doesn’t have much to do with the refs putting the whistles away. However I think late in the playoffs it makes sense that they put them away. I don’t think it makes sense to do it this way during the regular season. It kind of adds another thing that you’re team has to overcome. Like I think the Lightning need to add a little more size to go with their speed. They get eaten up in the playoffs when the refs put the whistles away. They just haven’t been able to get past these last stages. Good enough to get there with their skill, not tough enough to get past it.

 

[4thTierSport]

Makes no sense to sell one product for the actual season and then have something completely different for the random tournament. More and more I believe the playoffs are a random tournment that in no way, shape or form tells us who the “best” team.

 

[Fataldogg]

Makes no sense to sell one product for the actual season and then have something completely different for the random tournament. More and more I believe the playoffs are a random tournment that in no way, shape or form tells us who the “best” team.

I don't believe the best team wins the Cup. Didn't think the Penguins were the best team this year, and don't think the Capitals or Knights are the best this year.

Winning a Stanley Cup takes an astronomical amount of luck. It is far more luck oriented than the NBA, MLB and NFL. Players shoot the puck, hoping it goes in off someone's ass, and that can be the game winning goal of the series.

While I don't think NHL officiating is the worst amongst the four major sports, it's up there and they're incompetent to a large degree. Their calls/missed calls further amplify the magnitude of luck in the sport.

All the playoffs show is [a] which team got hot in May, which team was consistent, and [c] what team had the most luck.

 

[txpd]

1. The regular season is used to reorient the players on the priorities of the league. No sticks into the hands of a player. Don't do or get called. By the playoffs they aren't doing that anymore.

2. The league adjusts how they call the games one game at a time. They wanted to nip that crosschecking in the bud after g1 and by the end of g2 I think they had made their point.

3. This idea that referees not calling penalities lets the players decide it is a load of crap. If one team has a dominant power play, not calling penalties is literally penalizing that team. If one team has a crappy penalty kill, not calling penalties is protecting that team.

BTW, its been my feeling that the decrease in playoff power play opportunities is why the Caps prioritized Tom Wilson. They can call the games tight and the Caps get to use their PP. If they choose to let them play, then the Caps can turn loose Wilson. The way it has turned out is that the league doesn't want Caps series to be power play battles. Instead they are almost always highlt physical series. Remember the Islanders series a couple years ago. Few PPs. Mass amounts of hitting from both teams. Wilson with the series changing hit. A ppg for the Caps would have been better but the Caps didn't make that call

 

[Not So Mighty]

In my opinion, the referees are not always right.

 

[Avelanche]

im sure all the people asking for consistency would love a weak but technically a hook in game 7 of the cup late in the third of a tie game

 

[kihei]

A player decides the game when he takes a penalty. A ref is far more likely to "decide" a game when ignoring the rule book and letting obvious infractions slide.

 

[sandysan]

There'es always been the assumption that the NHL calls penalties in the playoffs differently than in the regular season...personally I think it's bull**** that a penalty call can differ between playoffs and the regular season...a penalty is a penalty period.... why do the rules change once the playoffs start?

is water wet ?

 

[Chips]

Normally I’d say it’s the same, in that it’s inconsistent... but this year it absolutely seems significantly less consistent. And huddle ups. Sometimes they cant do it, sometimes they can. Sometimes they will, sometimes they just won’t.

 

[Fataldogg]

im sure all the people asking for consistency would love a weak but technically a hook in game 7 of the cup late in the third of a tie game

Yes, I would. If they called it like that in the regular season, and they called it like that from puck drop of game one of the playoffs, then players would adjust. If the player did not adjust and made a "weak" hook [if it's a hook by the rule book it should be called] that player deserves it.

 

[pezpunk]

yes. next question?

the NHL has a real reffing problem. i dunno if it's solvable, but it's a problem.

 

[Grover]

Makes the league look really bad