NHL Season Opens Tonight!

[adder70]

jiveturkey once bubbled...
Adder70:

I see your point and I'm sorry that you feel playoff hockey is ruined for you. HOwever, I think you're in the minority by far.

Yes, the game is completely different during the playoffs. That level of intensity couldn't be sustained during the regular season. The relaxed rules style of play is for our benefit. Most of us enjoy it.

I'm not saying hooking and grabbing make it enjoyable to watch but the game is faster and more intense. Too many whistles slow everything down. This is no recent development. It's always been like this.

Interesting thaty everyone assumes that tighter rules would result in more whistles and looser rules would result in less whistles. If players were penalized in the post season, they would learn to play by the rules at all times, not just when they feel like it. The increased whistles would only be there long enough for the players to realize that rule breaking would actually be punished and wouldn't benefit them. Imagine how much better the game would be if half the developing breakaways weren't prevented by holding and hooking! Imagine if hall of fame players who can defeat cancer didn't have injury shortened careers due to consistent and rarely called cross checking! Imagine if they weren't ejected for protecting themselves ( MARIO Lemieux vs Tinordi, circa about 93 playoffs) It's simply a tactic to allow inferior hockey players to compete. If you can't play hockey, play NHL!

This ignores the message sent to children: "Never cheat! the rules matter... unless it's really important. Then you should cheat and see if you get caught. And when it's really important, even if they catch you they may just decide you need an advantage to compete."

Actually, it hasn't always been like this. Until recently, the skill players were protected by enforcers who used fighting in their aarsenal to define limits on the other team's behavior. :boxing: Now that the officials have so greatly limited the protection offered by teammates :whack: (how many careers were shortened due to these tactics), the referees should assume responsibility for safety, and not by using inane rules that protect idiots. (If you face the wall, from 3 feet away while holding the puck, you are asking for injury. No one used to do it because you were assumed to be at least somewhat responsible for you own safety.) Now safety rules are being used to reduce the intensity of the game. Don't want to get hit? face the wall, then anyone who even brushes you against the wall finds the sin bin. Unless it's playoffs, when safety becomes ssecond to entertainment, and rules become a distant third place in consideration.