114 replies to this topic

[Neb00rs]

What is going on with the refs? Is it corruption or are we becoming soccer?

First in the Devils-Rangers series I have watched the Rangers get calls exactly when the Devils are gaining momentum numerous times. And most have been pretty crappy calls. Even the usually reserved Pete Deboer became visually frustrated on the Devils bench, he even voiced the frustration in an on-bench interview with Pierre Mcguire right after looking like he was about to explode. Deboer was also seen asking Adam Oates, "For what?" in reference to a horrible delay of game call on A-Train.The refs have also skipped over easy calls against the Rangers from interference to closing your hand over the puck. The Devils have had to fight through the refs swinging their momentum away and then not giving them calls. I mean what are the Rangers a clean team or something?

Then, I just watched game 3 of Phoenix vs. Los Angeles. In this game the Coyotes looked a lot better for a lot of the game. But the Kings were given 5 PP's to the Coyotes 1. Each time the Coyotes would find a way to gain the upper hand, they would find themselves in the penalty box. The usually reserved Dave Tippet was seen on the PHX bench yelling to the refs, "This is a fvcking joke." Then the refs refused to make calls on obvious Kings penalties from a Slava Voynov hook to what should have been a PHX PP from a Drew Doughty take down on Shane Doan. And then a horrible slashing call with 46 seconds left to put PHX away? In Tippets postgame in reference to the calls the mild mannered coach said, "If I told you what I really think I would probably lose a lot of money." He then went on to talk about Kings players embellishing penalties and putting the refs in a hard position.

Anyways I'm tired of some people telling me it's all being called fair - IT IS NOT. The question is why though? Are some teams just willing to work the refs more and are the refs falling for it because they're in a hard position or are refs taking some sort of implicit hint that whoever does a good job of helping the Kings or Rangers is going to get rewarded later on?

Something is going on and I don't want to watch teams lose because of the refs.

[SterioDesign]

Its pissing me off cause i hate when people blame the refs or wtv when their team lose

But man.... Is it ever hard not to do it in the playoffs this year..... We've been RAPED so many times im really starting to wonder

Im always bitching about the refering and defending myself that usually im not like that... I mean we all know the refs are just bad all the time in the playoffs but it seems like were always on the wrong side... Except maybe 3-4 times against the flyers i gotta admit

[Jerrydevil]

The reffing isn't biased. It's just not very good or consistent. Go to any fan site, and you're gonna see posts just like these.

[Neb00rs]

The reffing isn't biased. It's just not very good or consistent. Go to any fan site, and you're gonna see posts just like these.

This doesn't answer anything. I know fan sites have lots of ref complaints and usually I don't attack the refs but something has gone on in this round and it may very well be the choice of teams to work the refs more.

[Jerrydevil]

This doesn't answer anything. I know fan sites have lots of ref complaints and usually I don't attack the refs but something has gone on in this round and it may very well be the choice of teams to work the refs more.

There is no answer for a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

The Zajac and Bernier penalties were not good calls, and it cost us. But I'm not prepared to call that Ranger bias.

[Default]

There is no answer for a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

The Zajac and Bernier penalties were not good calls, and it cost us. But I'm not prepared to call that Ranger bias.

Amen.

All fans feel their team has been screwed. There is no league wide conspiracy.

Hell I know Ranger fans who were claiming the NHL made favorable calls for the Sens because they were the last Canadian team left.

[Neb00rs]

There is no answer for a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

The Zajac and Bernier penalties were not good calls, and it cost us. But I'm not prepared to call that Ranger bias.

Nothing I said was a far-fetched conspiracy theory - i didn't even theorize really at all. The last thing I said wasn't even a conspiracy theory - it was are some teams working the refs better than others putting the refs in tough positions? Thats far from far fetched and ignorant to think it plays no factor at all.

Simply coming on here and saying, "The refs aren't biased" adds nothing to this thread,

Edited by ben00rs, 18 May 2012 - 01:11 AM.

[RunninWithTheDevil]

historically speaking the Devils have been handed the short end of the stick in terms of calls for a majority of post-lockout hockey, goal reviews included. or i could just be a major homer.

[devilsfan26]

Nothing is "going on with the refs," it's just a very difficult game to officiate, and this time of year it becomes more difficult and every mistake is magnified because the stakes are higher.

[peteyvegas]

I believe it's called economics. See NBA, Michael Jordan years.

[Triumph]

historically speaking the Devils have been handed the short end of the stick in terms of calls for a majority of post-lockout hockey, goal reviews included. or i could just be a major homer.

probably the latter. NJ led the league in penalty differential in 2007.

When your team is skating really well, as the Kings have been, I think refs tend to see that and make the calls accordingly. NJ did get a huge penalty advantage in Games 4 and 5 against Philadelphia - I know you'll tell me 'well, they deserved it', and maybe they did, but it helps how well NJ was skating.

[DJ Eco]

I don't know what to think anymore. I don't SEE MYSELF as biased. I watch other games and the slanted and horrid officiating is clear as day, been happening all playoffs long. And then I see the same things happen against the Devils.

I remember there was a game against Philly earlier in the season that we won 6-4. I thought the officiating was terrible and totally unfair toward Philly. I was unbiased enough to see that their horrible calls helped us win the game. So when I watch this most recent Rangers-Devils game, I see the same thing (working against the Devils). I don't want to believe in any crazy theories but it's hard not to. It's just clear as day.

But just when I think it's clear as day, I see Rangers commenting on NHL.com saying the referees handed us the win hahahaha... I don't know, maybe we're all just mutually unreasonable?

[justdo3043]

obviously the nhl wants a new york vs la final for tv ratings

jk...prob just bad luck

[Legion15]

There is a growing theme of inconsistency throughout these playoffs, it's pretty evident. Calling the most questionable penalties at the most critical times, when other times in the series/game, it is allowed.

[daneyko_booster]

In the last 2 minutes of the third of game 2, Ponikarovsky got away with an obvious goaltender interference call. After he barrelled into Lundqvist, the puck sat right in front of the net. A Blueshirt cleared it, so it wasn't a big deal. If a Devil had pounced on it and put it in, the Rangers would be screaming bloody murder.

Then a minute later Parise pushes a defenceman over right in front of the net when he wasn't playing the puck, then picks up the puck as it comes in and turns around for a shot. Again, if he scored, the obvious interference call would have had Rangers fans up in arms.

Even without goals being scored, the Rangers deserved a power play on at least one of those glaringly obvious interference penalties, and my Ranger fan brother was furious about it. That more than evened things out in my mind for the ticky tacky BS calls on the Devils earlier.

The refs let us get away with two seeringly obvious gimmes in the last two minutes of a one-goal lead and some Devils fans have the audacity to claim bias? Take off your rose-coloured glasses or just stop being mentally retarded.

[NJDevs4978]

Ponikarovsky's goalie interference, he did make an attempt to stop. Even if you want to claim it was a penalty, Lundqvist could have also been called for a dive, going down like he was shot.

It probably looks worse than it is cause the PK stinks again, but when one team dominates 5-on-5 and the other team's the one getting suspect calls to kill off our momentum that's mind boggling.

btw, the Poni penalty that was called and cost us was far worse than the other two referenced. Zajac did take a penalty and Bernier did hit Staal a milisecond early (though other similar hits weren't called). Then we get a gift call with 30 seconds left in Game 1 to make the ratio look more unbalanced. **** that noise.

[David Puddy]

In the last 2 minutes of the third of game 2, Ponikarovsky got away with an obvious goaltender interference call.

Obvious? No, actually it's a good non-call. Lunqvist lost his balance bracing for an impact that never came.



IMO the problem with the officiating is they no longer seem to be thinking about how the foul affected the flow of the game like they used to. (Did it take away a scoring chance? Did it cause a scoring chance?) It's basically, see a penalty call a penalty, which leads to this inconsistent scattershot officiating. Officiating used to be about game management, and it doesn't seem to be like that any more.

[DJ Eco]

In the last 2 minutes of the third of game 2, Ponikarovsky got away with an obvious goaltender interference call. After he barrelled into Lundqvist, the puck sat right in front of the net. A Blueshirt cleared it, so it wasn't a big deal. If a Devil had pounced on it and put it in, the Rangers would be screaming bloody murder

Let's get something straight. If Brodeur went down in such a dramatic fashion on a play like that, the Rangers would be calling it "the big flop". No one in their right mind can look at that and honestly say Lundqvist got hit with enough force to be impacted toward the back of his own net. I don't think he "dove", but he definitely "flinched" and fell backward afraid of Ponikarovsky, who's definitely not a small guy. Not only is there the intent to stop and NOT hit Lundqvist, but he barely even grazes him, so obviously he stopped in time. Phenomenal non-call; another more stressed out ref might have called either the dive or the goalie interference.

Edited by DJ Eco, 18 May 2012 - 10:54 AM.

[ATLL765]

Thought this might be relevant to the discussion here: Puck Daddy: Penalties in 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Who’s drawing them, and who’s taking them?

[Marshall]

What's going on with the refs? I think they're being human.