Officiating Thus Far in the Playoffs

[Don]

This hasn't reared its ugly head in our series. Mostly because if they give a pile of penalties to the Rangers, we score on the power-play. If they give a pile of penalties to the Devils, we score shorthanded. So no problem.

However, I've been watching a lot of other games, and reading a lot of other boards and there seems to be one common problem - CONSISTENCY.

I was discussing this with a friend (who happens to be a Habs fan, who I think are the most upset at the moment). I think hockey is just too fast a game for two referees to see everything. The high-stick to Koivu for example. The Lidstrom interference last night.

On the flip side, while they are missing the big important calls, they are catching all of the small things. That was a ridiculous call against Montreal in OT in Game 3.

HOWEVER!!! I see no solution to the problem. What everyone has to understand is that these officials ARE THE BEST OFFICIALS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. We can't get rid of the referees that we have and bring in better ones from Russia.

I think the NHL is in a world of hurt right now, stuck between a rock and a hard place. We either let just about everything go and return to the clutch-n-grab hockey of the 90s which nobody liked. OR we continue as we are and have a teams fate decided randomly by the whim of an officiating crew. Neither option seems rather appealling to me.

[swampdevil]

It is what it is i guess,you look at some whistle happy games(1st devs rags)and then turn to another game and there seems to be another level of leniancy.Maybe its just the games Bettman attends in person?

BTW there was a brutal non call in last nights wings vs oilers game.A blatant pick play while the oilers were down 5 on 3 led directly to a goal....could cost em the series.

[Don]

It is what it is i guess,you look at some whistle happy games(1st devs rags)and then turn to another game and there seems to be another level of leniancy.Maybe its just the games Bettman attends in person?

BTW there was a brutal non call in last nights wings vs oilers game.A blatant pick play while the oilers were down 5 on 3 led directly to a goal....could cost em the series.

(A) Bettman was AT the Oilers-Wings game and they still missed the pick.

(B) That was the Lidstrom interference that I was referring to.

I have trouble leaving it as "it is what it is" as it admits that there is a rather large problem with the game of hockey that deservedly places the sport below that of, say, NASCAR.

[CRASHER]

I can't say I disagree and when a call is as blatant and game changing as that non-call was (anyone remember the Pandolfo no-goal that Fraser refused to review even after 3 Devils screamed at him too?)... you gotta do something... how about fining officals and/or taking playoff games away from them... do your job or someone else will... what an idea

['7']

it's not just the officials fault, but the players have to adjust some. They should've learned already.

Some might argue that they have learned for the most part, and a lot of the penalties being called now are minor one's that really don't impede a players progress *much* and do not eliminate scoring chances.

I'm kind of sick of all these 5 on 3's, when a team is 5 on 4, you give them a little more leeway.

Edited April 28, 2006 by '7'

[RowdyFan42]

Would it help to have a third official stationed in the press box? That person could, if he sees something that the two on-ice refs miss, press a button that turns on a light at ice level and alerts the crew to a penalty. Or is that too "out there" to work?

[Devils731]

I've always thought it would be great to have an off-ice ref since the stands seem to be able to see so many more things since we have a larger view of the ice.

[BlueSkirt]

it's not just the officials fault, but the players have to adjust some. They should've learned already.

Some might argue that they have learned for the most part, and a lot of the penalties being called now are minor one's that really don't impede a players progress *much* and do not eliminate scoring chances.

I'm kind of sick of all these 5 on 3's, when a team is 5 on 4, you give them a little more leeway.

Interestingly, just last night I was flipping between the Sens/Bolts game & the Rangers Classic Game from 1986 that was being broadcast. Please note this is a simple comparison of just 2 games.

In the 1986 game, there was a lot of obstruction on the non-puck carrying players.

Definitely many of them would be called penalties today.

Of course that was with the single Referee then, and there was tons of stickwork behind the play too.

Also, today's game is full of much more hitting & Wow the passing today is so much crisper.

Ironically Stevens was laying out some of the biggest hits, the rest of them were minor-bumps compared to today.

very noteworthy was the Goalkeeper style. Not only was everything smaller, but that standup style appeared almost comical at times. Seeing the Bolts goalie down on the ice practically all the time, and flopping around really showed how the game has changed.

Today's game is much faster, harder hitting, and the talent of the Defenseman as well as the Fowards has really increased. The goalkeepers today are way ahead of their predecessors.

Like the players, I think today's officiating is improved as well. Especially over the past style of a single Referee deciding what was a penalty based on the situation.

If its a penalty at 5-on-5, then it's a penalty at 5-on-4.

You wanna see questionable officiating, then watch a Major-League game where the Home plate umpire makes hundreds of calls per game but with a much higher error rate than the NHL officials.

[CRASHER]

the problem with an off-ice ref is though:

1. Where do they stand

2. How do they signal an upcoming penalty and blow whistles... or do stuff like signal goals ??

Other then that anything that makes more ice space I'm all for

Funny how the last two major blown calls in the playoffs have been series changing calls against popular Canadian teams....

[LizDevil30]

Do we really want hockey to become footbore? A whistle, stoppage and players being moved backward on the field further from the end zone every two seconds? Where's the outrage and wailing for lack of scoring in that game?

I don't think I'm one to make good comparisons of the two games because I don't get all the whistle blowing in football and I find the game dull. A study was done (they will do studies on everything) that said that out of an entire football game, the players actually move about 15 minutes. I thought it was more like 10. And don't get me started on basebore.

EDIT: Do fans of other sports complain about their sport as much as hockey fans do? Mind boggling.

NO other sport, IMHO, is as exciting as hockey.

Edited April 28, 2006 by LizDevil30

[CRASHER]

Liz to be fair the NFL officals are just as bad if not WORSE then the NHL refs... we just complain about it less cause it's a once a week sport

[Devils731]

I would think first row in the upper tier would be the best place for the official. They would communicate to the on-ice officials by something like a beeper or cell phone that could let the on ice officials know the off ice guy made a call and who it is going to be on. Then the off ice guy can communicate by phone to the time keeper who can announce the call or discuss it with the on-ice guys if needed.

[Triumph]

Funny how the last two major blown calls in the playoffs have been series changing calls against popular Canadian teams....

You can't be serious.

I haven't seen this pick play but refs miss offensive zone picks all the time.

What wipes out any sort of conspiracy argument is Paul Devorski's refereeing in Game 3 against Ottawa in 98. Go watch that overtime and tell me the league wants American teams to win.

[CRASHER]

You can't be serious.

I haven't seen this pick play but refs miss offensive zone picks all the time.

What wipes out any sort of conspiracy argument is Paul Devorski's refereeing in Game 3 against Ottawa in 98. Go watch that overtime and tell me the league wants American teams to win.

As a conspiracy throry?? I don't mean it... I just find it kinda funny that the no-goal that Gelinas scored in game 6 of the Finals in 04 and this pick (which lead directly to the goal cause right after Lidstrom made the pick he was wide open to charge the net and ripped it in the high-slot being one of the all time great missed calls in a playoff game)....totally turned the tide in that game.....I just find it to be a wacky coincidence

BTW here's the goal:

http://www.nhl.com/video/app?component=%24...WMV&sp=154&sp=3

[Triumph]

Even people in Calgary don't think Gelinas's 'goal' was a goal.

Lidstrom's pick was close - he sold it well if it was. Could've gone either way, but probably should have been called.

[LizDevil30]

Do we want hockey to be a contact sport or a finesse sport? I really don't get what is so hard about this penalty calling. It's quite simple, a player doesn't have the puck, YOU CAN'T TOUCH HIM. If he had the puck, there's the 3 second rule, you can hit him up to 3 seconds after he released the puck. As for the guy with the puck. You can lean into him, you can check him of course, and your stick must remain ON the ice and you must have 2 hands on your own stick, if you take your hand off your stick it better be to scratch you ass or your nose, but not touch the other player's stick or body. Stick handling (I liken to fencing) is how you get control of the puck. I really don't think it's complicated. Will refs miss infractions? Sure they will. But if they do call all infractions, everyone will learn to keep their hands to themselves. It isn't hard. Keeping ones hands to themselves has been preached to all since they are toddlers. And as for the male species, they hear it their entire lives.

[BlueSkirt]

Lidstrom's pick was close - he sold it well if it was. Could've gone either way, but probably should have been called.

Its possible that pick was unintentional, but ya never know.

Nieds was (is) one of the best at picking players in the defensive zone to keep them out of the play.

Too bad for the EDM player as if he hit Lidstrom or restrained him in anyway, then the EDM player would get 2:00 for Interference.

I agree the pick should've been called, its much to easy to feign that you got confused/out of position and then you get open for a good shot on net. Whereas the D has no real incentive in that situation to fake that he got picked.

[CRASHER]

It sounds odd to say this in this alleged zero tolerance era but the play should have been more likely to call cause it lead to a DIRECT scoring chance (not to mention a goal).... ironically this may have been more likely to be called in playoff years past (well so I think)

Just always sucks when such a missed call (and maybe I feel more about it when you see it live... adds more emotion of the moment to it) leads to such a turning point in the series

and for what it's worth I did scream THAT'S A GOAL in my friend's basement on the first replay they showed of it... and his neighbors for a half mile around him can vouch for it back in 2004

[Cowutopia]

It is what it is i guess,you look at some whistle happy games(1st devs rags)and then turn to another game and there seems to be another level of leniancy.Maybe its just the games Bettman attends in person?

BTW there was a brutal non call in last nights wings vs oilers game.A blatant pick play while the oilers were down 5 on 3 led directly to a goal....could cost em the series.

The first Calgary game had so much bumping and slight hooks and clutching, I really couldn't believe what I was watching. What are you gonna do? I don't like it either, but as long as I get to watch hockey I'll just take it.

[devilsfan26]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't think Lidstrom picked him. I think the refs did the right thing by letting it go. It wasn't like he was going out of his way to take the Edmonton guy out, although it may seem that way if you don't think about what Lidstrom was actually doing. He was just skating to where he was supposed to be going to get out of Schneider's way and to create a passing option for him. The Oilers guy just happened to be on the way there. Lidstrom also never really pushed the guy either. If you look closely, it looks like their skates touched and the Oilers guy tripped and fell. If anything, the ref could have could Lidstrom for tripping.

[BlueSkirt]

it's true Lidstrom may not have planned the play, but the result was tough to swallow for EDM.

I think Crasher may be right, a few years back the Ref would have blown the whistle once the pass was headed towards Lidstrom.

This year, while it was a pick, the Refs don't blow the whistle because they want to "let the boys play" and call the more obvious obstruction fouls (stick, holding etc) and not the subtle "bumped" into ya play.

['7']

The league is still very much a work in progress. I'd like to think that if the refs let up the players would know enough to not resort to too much clutching and grabbing, but that's not a guarantee. Still, you just can't have so much powerplay time, it's not hockey. The games have no flow.

There have been some great games during these playoffs, as well as some pretty awful one's. I think most fans viewed the regular season as a success, but the postseason as a total disaster thus far.

[Triumph]

The league is still very much a work in progress. I'd like to think that if the refs let up the players would know enough to not resort to too much clutching and grabbing, but that's not a guarantee. Still, you just can't have so much powerplay time, it's not hockey. The games have no flow.

There have been some great games during these playoffs, as well as some pretty awful one's. I think most fans viewed the regular season as a success, but the postseason as a total disaster thus far.

You have been complaining for *years* about clutching and grabbing. The league finally decides to do something about it, in the playoffs even, and you moan and complain? You're unbelivable.

In the playoffs teams will do everything to get the extra edge. If they sense the referees are not calling penalties as they did in the regular season, they will begin hooking and holding more than they did.

[NJDF]

The Lidstrom interference was the worst f'up by the refs i've seen in these playoffs.

GO DEVILS!!!

[Don]

I've always thought it would be great to have an off-ice ref since the stands seem to be able to see so many more things since we have a larger view of the ice.

I remember a Peter Puck magazine they were giving away at the bank back when I was a kid (about 1980). There was a picture in it called "Hockey 2020". The playing surface was under a giant plexiglass dome so the puck couldn't go out of play. There was no need for linesmen, as microchips in the skates would record if someone was in or out of the zone, causing the light to flash if someone was offside. And the referee wore a jet-pack so he could see all the action from high in the air.

I don't think Peter had a solution as to who would break up the fights.