The big question is, how physical will it be in the playoffs? What will the refs be calling?
I noticed just now that one of the hottest teams in the NHL has pretty much an all-small forward lineup. New Jersey, with the exception of Kozlov. That team makes Montreal's forwards seem big. (Bonk, Bulis, Downey, Kovalev and Murray are bigger than all of New Jersey's forwards except Kozlov. New Jersey has several key forwards easily smaller than both Ribeiro and Koivu, including Gionta, their leading scorer...They're also very small on defense with the exception of White, one of the smallest bunch of defensemen I've seen.)
The big question is, how physical will it be in the playoffs? What will the refs be calling? I noticed just now that one of the hottest teams in the NHL has pretty much an all-small forward lineup. New Jersey, with the exception of Kozlov. That team makes Montreal's forwards seem big. (Bonk, Bulis, Downey, Kovalev and Murray are bigger than all of New Jersey's forwards except Kozlov. New Jersey has several key forwards easily smaller than both Ribeiro and Koivu, including Gionta, their leading scorer...They're also very small on defense with the exception of White, one of the smallest bunch of defensemen I've seen.)
I have a feeling they'll keep calling these silly penalties! My hope is that if a player dives, he goes off also!
It's crazy how players fall down just by being touched by someones stick. That has to stop because it's ruining the game!
I do feel that the Devils will succeed because of these rules and because they still have the best goalie in the world.