EDMONTON, AB -Talk of strict penalty enforcement around the National Hockey League prompted pre-season water cooler conversations.
But in the Oilers home opener on Wednesday, only three penalties were called. Two were holding the stick infractions and the other was a hooking minor.
It's a stark contrast to what was on display in the exhibition campaign. In one of the Oilers two split-squad tune-ups against the Calgary Flames, Edmonton was awarded 12 power plays.
"It's still a trend around the League," said Oilers forward Mark Letestu. "They're still cracking down. I don't think the officials in our game put the whistles away."
Instead of believing the officiating was going back on its word, Letestu thinks the Oilers played a disciplined game.
"For the most part, we did a pretty good job keeping our sticks on the ice and eliminating the hack and whack," he said. "It's something we focused on really all camp."
BLOG: Penalty enforcement softened in season opener
After a pre-season replete with penalties, the Oilers home opener only saw three minors
