Tuesdays With Hildy: Do the Refs Intend to Blow?

by hildymac on May 4, 2010 4:33 PM CDT

It's been a bit of a long day, and I'm fried as well as short of ideas, and there's been a LOT of talk of this going around. Do the refs need to step back and let guys play, and do they need to figure out what the hell a penalty is? I, like a lot of you, have been watching the playoffs, and the thing that I've been struck by more than anything else is the inconsistancy of what the refs are calling. I know they're horrible during the regular season, too, and maybe it's just magnified because of the playoff situation, but this whole thing looks just off.

The series that stand out the most to me as being reffed horribly are the New Jersey Devils/Philadelphia Flyers series, the Sharks/Avalanche series, and the current Sharks/Detroit one. There have been iffy calls throughout, but those three have really stuck out in my mind the most. Are these things going on, or are they byproducts of hysterical fan bases wearing tinfoil hats?

What gives, for example, on Rob Blake's boarding of Peter Mueller during the quarter-finals. Full on thrust into the boards that wound up giving him a concussion. Compare this:

To this: Marian Hossa's hit on Dan Hamhuis during the Hawks' series with the Preds

How does one get nothing, and the other at least gets a major and gets looked at?

The Jersey/Flyers series wasn't one thing in particular, but just a series of constant penalties that wouldn't let the game get any sort of momentum - any of the five games. We all know about the Detroit freak-out over the 10 penalty kills the Wings were on Sunday night - half of them were warranted for sure thanks to their horribly sloppy play. Yes, a few were a bit borderline, but so were calls on the Sharks - like the goalie interference call on Dany Fuckin' Heatley when he was shoved into Howard.

What gives? Are people just imagining things, or is this more of a problem this year than it usually is?

Poll

Do the refs need to take a look at how they're calling games in these playoffs?

Yes - there've been some bad calls.

25 votes

No - things are being called fine, especially against Detroit.

21 votes

They're no worse now than they are during the regular season.

38 votes

84 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I was going to chose the HATE ON THE REFS option...

until you gave me a HATE ON DETROIT option. That’ll always tip the scales in a poll for me.

I know it's time for hockey because I've started singing "Don't Stop Believing" with the words "...born and raised in FUCK DETRIOT!!!"

by J-Mill on May 4, 2010 6:13 PM CDT reply actions

That Devils-Flyers series was BAD. Pronger and Richards would literally bearhug Parise and the Refs wouldn’t call anything. Richards was even punching Parise from behind (which prompted Fisch to start calling Richards “The Honourless Captain™”) and the Refs didn’t call anything

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by Kevin Sellathamby on May 4, 2010 6:14 PM CDT reply actions

The officiating in the NHL over the last few years has been pandemically (if that's even a word) dreadful.

Makes me wonder if the fuckers can even see straight, it’s that bad.

There are a few, and I won’t mention names, that have been alright in short bursts. Others, and again no names here, who have been atrocious.

Sure, the game is fast. But if you’re going to get paid to officiate in a sport that’s this fast, you need to be able to see, think and react quickly. Even with two referees on the ice, they’re not getting the job done.

St. Louis Game Time . . . I need another beer.

by Donut King on May 4, 2010 7:05 PM CDT reply actions