To me, calling a player for diving when he just lost an edge/tripped over a stick is just as bad as letting diving players go unpunished. I think walking that line is giving refs the yips. They call no dives, or call them on blown tires or head snaps. Look back at the Avs game. DK could have had a pair of embellishment calls and I wouldn't have blinked an eye. Loui gets tangled up, trips, and then pops right back up to contest for the puck. They call that embellishment? I thought the original penalty was a bit ticky tacky anyway, but still. WTF?
I think continuing to fight for the puck should be proof against a diving call. All else being equal, the player who keeps scrambling should get the benefit of the doubt, and the player who takes their time while waiting for the arm to go up shouldn't. I think if the refs took that into account, the whole thing would be a lot easier to call. You're already calling the penalty, take a second to assess the possible dive.
That said, they also need to man up and call some solo dives, even on stars. No way to do it but to do it.
