Embellishment: How to Rid it From the Game

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

I'd vote for you if you ran for any public office...

Thanks, but if I became a public official I would have to stop making sense.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Thanks, but if I became a public official I would have to stop making sense.

Is a public official the same as a Talking Head?

 

[Lobster57]

what about a retroactive 10 minute misconduct and a fine? Play is review by the league after the fact and the diver has to miss the first 10 minutes of the next game. You can't hand out a powerplay for the next game because the Flyers shouldn't benefit from a play that happened against the Hurricanes. But making the guy who did it sit makes him miss a few shifts and embarrasses him. The team gets hit a little as they have to go with 17 skaters for a bit.

 

[ksp1957]

I'd still like to see an unwritten rule of a green light hit with the refs looking the other way right after the 'embellishment'

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

I'd still like to see an unwritten rule of a green light hit with the refs looking the other way right after the 'embellishment'

Like this or..:

 

[MillerTime 86]

 

[nmbr_24]

If they would fine the team and the player and have in game reviews the same way they do for goals and penalize every player that dives even if the refs miss it then I have a feeling it would stop.

Right now too many teams use it as a tactic and it works.

I decided I was going to watch a few San Jose games because of how well they were playing and what I noticed is that they dive like Montreal and Vancouver at their worst.

 

[GloveSave1]

Last night when Seidenberg interfered with Crombreen and Crombreen took a dive, it got me thinking about the state of embellishments in the NHL, how they are penalized, and whether the league is acting seriously enough to deter players from flopping and rid these ridiculous antics from the game.

On the play I had in mind, Seids definitely interfered with Crombreen, but the dive ultimately went uncalled resulting in only an interference penalty to Seidenberg and a Lightning power play. Clearly an oversight on the referee's parts there, but it got me thinking about embellishments on a larger scale.

People have varying theories on how embellishments should be handled ... Some want just the embellishment called, negating the penalty that led to the embellishment. But to drop one penalty in favor of another isn't a good idea, IMO, because two wrongs don't make a right.

Some want both penalties called, which then cancel each other out. Not a very strong deterrent to prevent diving since the worst that will happen is being caught and getting a matching 2 minute minor which results in a 4-on-4 situation.

Sometimes (but rarely called this way) there is embellishment without any other penalty, in which case the embellishment itself leads to a powerplay for the other team.

To truly rid this from the game, the embellishment needs to carry a higher weight with the consequence being a power play for the other team regardless of any minor penalty which may have led to the embellishment. It's how to do this, without negating the other infraction (if applicable), where the NHL seems to be stuck in the mud on this issue right now.

My suggestion is to make embellishments an automatic double-minor. That way, if there is another minor penalty like last night when Seidenberg interfered with Crombreen, the embellishment (if called correctly) still would have led to a 2-minute power play for Boston. And in the rare event that it's called on it's own, it stings that much more for the diver's team being down for 4 minutes instead of 2. It needs to carry a higher punishment than it does now to truly be addressed. Only then, when the entire team is put at a disadvantage because of it, will players think twice about flopping IMO.

A dive should carry more weight as it's not only an infraction, but also works to mock the officials and taint the image of the entire league

Curious to hear others' takes on this, but an embellishment-free NHL would certainly make the game better and preserve it's integrity. This isn't soccer. Yet.

Just what I was thinking - double minor...and don't be afraid to call it...

Going on the PP, to being shorthanded, would have a big effect on the ice...and hopefully in players' minds. But you have to call it...not sure our zebras have the guts...

 

[BergyWho37]

Not exactly the right place but wanted to voice MO ...did anyone see Dion purposely fall to the ice when he was going to get rocked by John Scott. ? I'm wanting to know how this is different .. Marchy having a guy charge at him and then Marchy ducking (low bridge) suspension ...

 

[Kelly23]

Sart embarrasing kids and high schoolers and juniors and all the other lower leagues players when they dive, after growing up with diving costing you your shure as hell not going to do it in the NHL. Once the lower levels start getting harsh the NHL can justify suspensions..... BUT chicks dig goals so get used to diving.

 

[bruins repeat time]

Not exactly the right place but wanted to voice MO ...did anyone see Dion purposely fall to the ice when he was going to get rocked by John Scott. ? I'm wanting to know how this is different .. Marchy having a guy charge at him and then Marchy ducking (low bridge) suspension ...

I personally don't think marchand should have been suspended because I have seen many incidents like his and nothing is ever done. With that said what marchand did was a dirty play and I would like to see the guys disciplined for it but not just one guy one time in the history of the game. Last of all I don't like Dion but he simply fell and didn't do it on purpose so I don't really get the comparison in this case. I know Scott said he did but when I watch the replay it seems pretty clear.