I wasn't on the ice, so I can't say for certain that the referees made a series of bad calls against the Blues tonight, but I can say this: anytime your team is guilty every time the whistle blows, it affects your game. The Blues became less and less likely to play their game as it progressed because every time they hit someone, they went to the box. So that's it, I'm done talking about the referees tonight. Promise.
Some other cheap-seat observations from tonight:
- Those referees were so clearly trying to make the game theirs and to screw the Blues, I thought there might be a riot up in the stands. One of the ladies sitting next to me said she wanted to "go down there and hit that guy in the face with a stick."
- Jeff Woywitka plays the softest game a 6'2, 220 pound man has ever played. I'm glad he's gone and I'm glad that Alex Pietrangelo's first NHL goal deflected in off of him. When he let Cam Janssen try to facewash his grill right off his head and did nothing to stop him, despite the fact that his team was up four goals late in the third period I knew that Blues management was right to let him leave as a free agent this summer. Pussy.
- If you're a referee and you call Steve Ott for taking a cheap-shot on B.J. Crombeen and then Crombeen and Ott fight, how the hell do you then call an instigator penalty on Crombeen? Didn't the cheap shot that you already called instigate the fight? Retards.
- Alex Pietrangelo looked pretty solid again tonight and both he and Erik Johnson showed an offensive penchant by carrying the puck deep to the net when the opprtunity presented itself. It's been a long time since we've seen such a talented defense here and these two could be really, really fun to watch in the coming years.
- When a scrum develops after (guess who?) Steve Ott cheap-shots Carlo Colaiacovo low at the knees well after he's moved the puck, how the shit do you give anyone other than Ott a four-minute double minor? Pietrangelo's four minute call was bullshit and those refs should be ashamed of themselves for failing to pick the right guy to punish in all of that.
- Marty Turco is still a good goalie. He might not be the same guy who used to keep track of the times he was beaten cleanly all season, but he's still a damn good goalie. The Blues got plenty of shots and good-quality chances tonight, but Turco definitely frustrated them all with his play.
- People in Dallas love Steve Ott. They think he's a shit-disturber and a valuable asset for their team. They think he's one of those 'love him on your team, hate him on any other team' kind of guys. They are wrong. I wouldn't want him on my team. It's one thing to run around the rink and hit everyone moving. Tyson Nash did it to perfection, for one. But Nash always hit people clean and he always hit them like a man, when they knew it was coming. Steve Ott is attempting to injure people. Fans in Dallas should be ashamed that he's on their team and sullying their jersey with his stench.
- For the record, tonight's refs were Eric Furlatt and Dave Jackson. By checking the Game Time Ref Stats we see that their combined history in Blues games since 2007 is fairly even: 19 games called, 78 Blues power plays, 82 penalty kills and a combined record of 10-7-2. Tonight their line was 5 Blues power plays (15 penalties against) and 7 penalty kills (11 penalties against Dallas). So, it wasn't just the cal;ls that went against the Blues, it was the power play-negating calls that also went against them.
Wednesday night is the next game, on the road against Carolina. Here's hoping Jackson and Furlatt are busy elsewhere that night.