from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

I say this every spring, and it seems to go unheeded, but it's worth noting again: On-ice officials need to follow the same regular-season standards for calling penalties during the playoffs.

Officiating is a thankless, merciless job, no question. But here's hoping that, this spring, the hook or the interference minor that is easy to call in the first period in Game 1 gets a consistent reaction from officials in overtime of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals -- and at every point in between.

You often hear people say, "Let the players decide the games." We would counter with, "Let the players who know how to play by the rules decide the games." Here's to calling the game as the rules were designed. That's the way to ensure the best or most deserving teams win the most important games. It doesn't happen by not calling penalties just because it's the playoffs.

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