I will be fine with any of those four, it is all a crap shoot when you get deeper down in the draft.
- LeafMan

well at that spot.. you gotta grab whats lacking and not so much the best guy available.. (as you said.. crapshoot)

so the leafs are missing true power forwards with net prescence and centres mainly in the pipeline imo

If the refs called everything according to the book, there would be little to no 5vs5 play.
- Pecafan Fan

Then there would seem to be a problem with the rule book. Does it accurately reflect the way the game ought to be played?

And if it does, then maybe the problem is with the players falling into line with the rule book by enforcing everything evenly.

They managed to adapt their styles after the first lock-out, despite the increase in obstruction calls.

I don't buy that. The plays in baseball happen in the blink of an eye. I think it would be just as hard to call safe/out at first base or balls and strikes on 90 MPH breaking balls as it would to tell if a player legitimately boarded another.

Football is a contact sport where almost every player on the field is involved in the contact in a single play. Yet, there seems to be a consistent standard set there, as well.

The NHL is a league where the championship winning goal was once awarded to a team that, to use a comparison, missed a field goal by 3 feet. It's embarrassing.
- Leeman4Gilmour

There is a big difference on calling strikes at 90mph, and the stuff that goes on in a hockey game. When a pitch is coming in, an ump knows where the pitch is coming in. There is only one play to be watching at that time. There are 10 guys on a hockey rink, and stuff goes on all over the ice.

If the refs called everything according to the book, there would be little to no 5vs5 play.
- Pecafan Fan

exactly... let em go.

I'm not blaming the refs for any calls made...I'll never accept the "swallowing the whistle" sh*t...Never!
- Flyfreaky

as a flyers fan that surprises me coming from you..

i bet that there was as many non calls against the leafs in that final ten minutes as there were for boston.. only leaf fans arent coming the highlight reels for them

exactly... let em go.
- Dozzer

Why even have refs?

Why even have refs?
- Flyfreaky

to drop the puck.. to call blatant penalties.. etc.

but an elbow here and there in the final ten minutes of game 7?

you let that poop slide

If the refs called everything according to the book, there would be little to no 5vs5 play.
- Pecafan Fan

Yeah then you will get the, "I wish they would just let them play" rant.

The only problems I had with that game seven was the hit from behind by Lucic, that has been called in every game I watched (the force of the hit into the boards was very callable). The Marchand throwing the bottle on the ice was just a bush league move that he got away with.

But it is over and done with, on to next season.

to drop the puck.. to call blatant penalties.. etc.

but an elbow here and there in the final ten minutes of game 7?

you let that poop slide
- Dozzer

Breaking a guy's nose isn't just an elbow here or there

I'm not blaming the refs for any calls made...I'll never accept the "swallowing the whistle" sh*t...Never!
- Flyfreaky

I agree.
I think what pisses me off is the calls that have to be made that arent. its one thing to have a refs discretion on a hook that could arguably be called.
but when they see blocker punches, elbows that make a guys nose bleed, and, the worst one, poop being thrown on the ice by fans, they need to call them.

You cant use discretion on penalties that are made to be called in black and white. a ref cant watch a guy flip the puck clean over the glass and say "nah, not this time. im putting the whistle away"

as a flyers fan that surprises me coming from you..

i bet that there was as many non calls against the leafs in that final ten minutes as there were for boston.. only leaf fans arent coming the highlight reels for them
- Dozzer

I honestly don't think so...The Leafs were in a total meltdown and incapable of doing anything good or bad in the last 5 minutes and I just can't believe they didn't call that Gunner crosscheck...It was so blatant that even a Habs fan would have noticed it...

exactly... let em go.
- Dozzer

Here's the problem: at some point, they call something. So, where's that line?

They play an 82 game season where some consistent standard of officiating is aimed for, then in the most important games of the year, the winner is decided to be whoever is willing to take the most liberties.

Breaking a guy's nose isn't just an elbow here or there
- Feeling Glucky?

game 7

fine by me

Yeah then you will get the, "I wish they would just let them play" rant.

The only problems I had with that game seven was the hit from behind by Lucic, that has been called in every game I watched (the force of the hit into the boards was very callable). The Marchand throwing the bottle on the ice was just a bush league move that he got away with.

But it is over and done with, on to next season.
- LeafMan

Yes, Lou, you know exactly what I'm talking about...

game 7

fine by me
- Dozzer

If Orr did it he would have been suspended for 18 games...

@77emac77

Any making fun of someone having or had cancer will not be tolerated by me here, you have been warned and for others here, same goes for you.
- LeafMan

Gotcha
my apologies, no offense meant.

Gotcha
my apologies, no offense meant.
- 77emac77

That is why no ban was handed out, long wait for the next round to start for you guys, lol.

Here's the problem: at some point, they call something. So, where's that line?

They play an 82 game season where some consistent standard of officiating is aimed for, then in the most important games of the year, the winner is decided to be whoever is willing to take the most liberties.
- Leeman4Gilmour

here is the thing.

if the leafs had won and it was the boston fans moaning about poop we'd all be saying "oh its playoff hockey, thats the way it goes"

blaming the refs is childish.

the leafs lost. the refs didnt lose for them. anything else, to me.. is nothing more than whining and crying.

If Orr did it he would have been suspended for 18 games...
- Flyfreaky

Sorry to just jump into your conversation, but it wouldn't be 18 games, that's crazy. I would guess 14-16 games max depending on how pleased Shanahan was with his breakfast that day.

If Orr did it he would have been suspended for 18 games...
- Flyfreaky

speculative. nothing to prove it

have you ever removed a nose hair, to be confronted with a veritable monster, 4-5X larger(and thicker) than any nose hair should be?

here is the thing.

if the leafs had won and it was the boston fans moaning about poop we'd all be saying "oh its playoff hockey, thats the way it goes"

blaming the refs is childish.

the leafs lost. the refs didnt lose for them. anything else, to me.. is nothing more than whining and crying.
- Dozzer

I don't really watch hockey that way...It's the blatant sh*t that really pisses me off...The elbow to Chara's face in that Ranger series that wasn't call is mind boggling to me...

game 7

fine by me
- Dozzer

You still see roughing the passer penalties in Super Bowl.

Everybody is aware that these players are going to be sacrificing the body and playing with a little extra intensity in the big games.

However, there is still a standard. Players train under this standard, refs are paid to be as consistent as possible under this standard. The league has instituted it for a good reason.

If you can't win a game 7 under the same rules that 30 teams have played 82 games each, do you really deserve to advance?

here is the thing.

if the leafs had won and it was the boston fans moaning about poop we'd all be saying "oh its playoff hockey, thats the way it goes"

blaming the refs is childish.

the leafs lost. the refs didnt lose for them. anything else, to me.. is nothing more than whining and crying.
- Dozzer

Speculative. Nothing to prove it.

speculative. nothing to prove it
- Dozzer

*calls two Star reporters who saw the video*