>  I'm admittedly no expert on the arcania (sp ??) of the rulebook, but I
>hadn't realized that this infraction was coupled to a CHOICE of outcomes.
>Are penalty shots always offered as a choice to the appropriate team/coach,
>or are there instances where a penalty shot is AUTOMATICALLY awarded ??
>And given the choice, why would a coach choose to accept a power-play ??
>My understanding is that the odds of successfully completing a PS are ca.
>50-50, whereas a good PP scores only on roughly 30% of its opportunities,
>and there's always the danger of surrendering a SHG too.  If I'm the coach,
>and the ref offers my team a PS, I think I'd be foolish to decline ....
 
A Delay of Game penalty with less than 2 minutes remaining in regulation or
overtime results in a penalty shot rather than a power play.  It may be that
a team has the choice of which to take, but, as you point out, it's an easy
call; I've never seen anyone opt for the power play, so I don't know for
sure whether it's an option.
 
J. Michael Neal
 
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