Check out this blog post from Japers’ Rink. And now check out the two videos embedded within. And then cringe and go into the fetal position.
So — honestly — what was the right call?
Interference on both calls — with a penalty called or goals allowed on both plays? Or just right the way it was “as is” on both calls – you decide?
It is hard for me to answer people when they ask me — as they have — what was the difference — why was one goal allowed and one goal disallowed — so I wont discuss it — but will let you comment away.
Ouch — this brought up bad and tough memories for me.
Teddy, How many Canadian refs are in the NHL? Maybe Art, the previous blogger has a point. I will take it a step further and say maybe the USA and other countries need to be more represented in “The League of Officials”. I know Teddy you are a huge supporter of mentor programs. Why not encourage “The League of Officials” to start up such a program in the good old USA. My son is an ice hockey referee and would love a little more direction on the path to become an NHL Referee. Just so the Canadians don’t get mad at me, I love Canada as my mom was born and raised in Newfoundland. And I will discuss the rule with my son.
There is a key difference in the two plays: Puck location.
The NHL defended their ruling after last year’s game 7 with the following statement:
“Washington’s Shaone Morrisonn plays the puck and Philadelphia’s Patrick Thoresen lays a legal body check on Morrisonn. No Philadelphia player makes contact with Washington goaltender Huet (Rule 69). This play is not reviewable.”
These are NOT the same circumstances of the play in which the Carolina goal was disallowed. On that play, Hal Gill had never played the puck and was nowhere near it when he checked into Marc-Andre Fleury. Thus, it was an illegal play and interference was the right call.
People should read the rule book before stating their opinion on these matters.
As I have said a million times on the Boards: non-calls are where the referees really show their bias.
Good call in this case. Bad non-call in our case.
It’s almost comical to me now as a Caps fan just how brazen they’ve become at screwing us.
Sapper
Kuwait
Ted-
It sucks and I agree with what I read between your lines; things I have thought many times over the last couple of years.
But we need to stop complaining and just work harder. It’s easy for us to look at this, and other questionable decisions by the referees over the past two playoffs, and blame this for things, but the truth is there have been many other things/mistakes that have had an even greater impact.
Keep up the great work and thank you for a truly wonderful season.
The NHL refs can’t back off their rulings or there would be chaos. They have to play it like Bush plays his decisions to invade countries, i.e. they know they screwed up but there’s no way the president can’t be like “oops! I screwed up! My bad! Do over”. If you make a bad call. You have to spin it like it was the right call and stick your fingers in your ears and go “LALALALALALALA” I’m not hearing you.
Otherwise you’ll end up like the referee in the east side vs west side basketball game in season 1 of the wire where he called for a do-over and Avon Barksdale called him a chump.
This comparison exemplifies what I hate about hockey right now. Extremely inconsistent calls from referees. Its ruining my love of the game. Not only extremely inconsistent game to game, but even period to period or play to play. I don’t care if they call it tight or loose, as long as they call it consistently.
If the owners and the managers want to address something in the offseason that’s spoiling the game, this is the issue. And its starting to fester and smell really bad.
Why can’t we just go back to the simple rule that said you can’t have your foot in the crease. I don’t remember seeing any team bowl opposing players into thier own net when that rule was in place. They already cut the size of the crease to make things easier, so why cut the rule that says to stay out? What’s the point of even having the crease if there’s no boundary implied?????
Ted,
I think what the NHL would say, and it’s wrong, is that there was no play on the puck in the Carolina goal, while for some reason Morrisson who never touched the puck or reach it, could have made a play. Watching that again makes me forget about my 401k woes.
I know that you love crazy ideas from fans, here is one. I think the organization as a whole has been building to Cup run the wrong way. Please tell your organization to start influencing Russian referees to start working games for the NHL. We have too many Canadian refs and I think zero Russian. Just some real “constructive” criticism.
PS My mom taught some of your kids in elementary and junior high and she had nice things to say about your family.
The Pens certainly seem to be experiencing an incredible run of good calls. A 14 power play advantage against the Caps. Seemingly blatant penalties going uncalled (Semin breakaway, Varlamov cross-check). And now the Carolina interference. I’d sure like the Pens to pick my next lottery ticket.