Cracks in the Crackdown?

After such a promising start are the refs now starting to swallow their whistles thus letting some of the clutching and grabbing calls go that they were making earlier in the season? Some think so.

"If you compare the first two weeks to now, it's a big difference," said Sundin, moments after scoring the winning goal in overtime against Montreal on Saturday night.

"I talked to one of the refs during the game. Now it's not back to where it was (two years ago) but I told him there's more clutch and grab out there. There's some hooking and holding going on.

"Guys are getting away with it. I have nothing against it. But the game is not exactly every call where it was earlier when, if you put a stick on a guy, you were sent off.

"It hasn't gone all the way back, but it's definitely different than it was at the beginning of the year."

And how did the referee respond to Sundin's theory?

"He said: 'You think so?' I said: 'A little bit. I don't mind it.'

"He said: 'Well, maybe ...' "

I'd agree that there appears to be some back sliding going on in terms of the strict enforcement we saw earlier in the season. Hopefully it's not a sign of a return to the old days. Stay tuned.

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Police Blotter Hockey:

A puck love triangle gone bad.

Bad boy, bad boy, what you gonna do when they come for you?

Today's Hockey quote:

"There are still two or three guys who aren't willing to pay the price to win a game. This is not Wal-Mart. There are no discounts in this league."

- Former San Jose coach Ron Wilson