Major changes with NHL referees this season are hurting Edmonton Oilers
Photo credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
Oilers reporter Jason Gregor of the Jason Gregor show has revealed that power place is at an all-time low throughout the NHL due to referees simply not making the calls.
He explained that there are 747 fewer calls being done this season which is significant for teams that have high talent like the Oilers with players like Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid who give the Oilers a strong advantage.
Gregor feels that NHL officials are simply not calling penalties
Power play opportunities are the lowest in league history and through 1,038 games this season. We've seen 747 fewer power play opportunities compared to last season through the same number of games played. That is a massive drop, and there is no rational reason for it. The players aren't suddenly more disciplined. The referees simply aren't calling the infractions. - Jason Gregor
Over the past couple of seasons, egregious hits and other major infractions have been not called like they were in the past.
Even simple infractions that were obvious on our television screens and even color commentators who have either played the game or have covered the game for many decades are noticing the same issues.
The NHL has not given an explanation why there are so many less penalties being called and it's certainly not because the players are far more disciplined.
Oilers making the most of the power play opportunities
Despite having an incredibly low amount of power plays, the Oilers are making the most of their opportunities as they currently sit fifth in the NHL in terms of power play efficiency at 26.1%.
Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl leads the NHL in power play goals with 15. Draisaitl Also holds the most goals in the NHL which he has held for several weeks.
The Oilers have won three of their last five games and look to continue to build off of these numbers as they are set to play the Utah hockey team which the game will be held on March 18th and puck drop will be at 9:00pm eastern.
| POLL | ||
MARS 17 | 501 ANSWERS Major changes with NHL referees this season are hurting Edmonton Oilers Do you think the NHL referees are not calling enough penalties this season ? | ||
| Yes | 422 | 84.2 % |
| No | 79 | 15.8 % |
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