For the second straight game, the National Hockey League has decided to throw rule enforcement out. For the second straight game, Gary Bettman’s threat of rule enforcement rang hollow.
Hey, at least I’m consistent in talking about the problem plaguing the Conference Quarterfinals. You can’t get something like that (consistency) from NHL officials.
I know I should be talking about the game downright slaughter on ice tonight. I’m bitter though. Not just bitter at the loss, but bitter at the sham of first period, where referees had no control of the game and seemed grudgingly to try to get control when chaos and anarchy ensued.
Oh wait, it gets better!
Kerry and the boys got bored in the 2nd period and decide to start messing with things some more by not doing anything. Lets start with Ryan Craig taking a puck in the face from an errant pass. A player goes down after a puck in the face — you have the potential of a devastating injury and what is the deal? Play continues.
That’s right, play continues. No whistle. No nothing. Watch the replays and you see Zedeno Chara standing behind Craig as if the play is dead… It’s after a moment things haven’t been stopped that he finally gets going again.
And then there is the case of Ruslan Fedotenko and Chris Neil. Rusty play the puck close to Ray Emery, there is a good bit of traffic in front of the net and some contact because of it. Typical defense of your goaltender by the Senators players in front of the net… Well, except Chris Neil.
Neil isn’t exactly in front of the net. He’s close by and when he sees contact, he charges in on Fedotenko, shoving Fedotenko into Ray Emery. All hell breaks loose from that point on…
With Neil only pulling in 2 minutes for the charge. This is after he threatened Sean Burke with retaliation for Ruslan “running” Emery. This comes after Neil flicks off fans.
I’m bitter that the Lightning lost, that we got downright schooled by the Senators… But I’m sick and f’n tired of the antics of the “officials” who are supposed to maintain order on ice. Kerry Fraser and his team aren’t maintaining shit. They’re making the crew from game 2 look like sticklers for the rules — and that’s saying something!
Look, the outcome of the game would be different if the rules were actually followed. It’d be a hockey game and not this farce that was supposed to resemble hockey.
The Sens might kill us worse in a regulation game where order was maintained by the officials… I really wouldn’t mind that (that’s right, I wouldn’t mind it) in part because the game would have proper enforcement of the rules. The better team would truly win and assclowns like Chris Neil wouldn’t be a factor. The skill of Martin Havlat would be the focus and further accentuated, or Dany Heatly’s machismo, Martin St. Louis’ deftness or Brad Richards total game. In other words - the players and their performance would be the focus, as it’s supposed to be.
Instead, the officials are doing what they always do and grabbing the spotlight by trying not to do anything.
Game 4 is Thursday. Don’t be surprised when Kerry makes sure more of the same bullshit is the norm for that one.
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17 Comments until now
Great hockey blog — very weird 3rd period.
Neil must now be to you what Darcy Tucker is to Ottawa. I feel your pain.
He was an assclown tonight and can be a liability if the officials are in control. They clearly lost it tonight.
CBC reported that the hostility between he and Burke goes back to an earlier Battle Royale.
Ottawa has two games and Tampa can beat them when they bring their B game.
It ain’t over.
good comparison with Darcy Tucker… Though I can find that devil a little entertaining sometimes with his persistance. Then again? He played on the Lightning in the past. Call it nostaligia.
And just sorta re-iterating something here: they never had control tonight. The players settled down by the third and there were some forms of hockey during that final stretch. But the game was a joke in general.
The Senators played well though. And like I said in the post — it’d be easier to take an asskicking if the officials hadn’t botched this game up from start to finish. Where Dany and Daniel were our bane during the season, Martin Havlat has been that this playoff series. He’s like Brad Richards clone with less spotlight (maybe that’ll change if you guys go all the way. He’s gotta be the leader currently in the Conn Smythe “Chase” )
John, are you complaining about the officiating in regards to not enough calls for Tampa? Because it sure seemed to me like they got the benefit of the doubt.
I’d also disagree with how you view Fedotenko and Neil’s exchange. Fedo was digging for a puck that had been whistled dead pretty hard. What do you expect is going to happen?
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Well John, I think you better be careful what you wish for because if the officials start calling everything St. Louis will be going to the box for diving at least once every period!
Regardless of the score, the best thing was seeing Neil curl up in the fetal position when challenged by Dingman.
How was Neil challenged? Dingman started throwing punches before Neil could even drop his gloves.
The only good thing about last night was listening to Phil Esposito incoherently ramble when calls were missed. Them’s tasty sound bites!
A tampa bay fan bitching about the reffing last night is nearly as Hillarious as the leafs thinking they’d make the playoffs this year. I don’t see you bitching about fedentenko not being called for running the goal tender, or punching ray emery in the head.
You know, Graham, seeing you haven’t read my posts on this blog before — your comment is just sticking your foot in your mouth.
I bitched about refs when the Lightning won on Sunday — not because I wanted more calls in my teams favor, but because the lack of officiating ruined the hockey game.
I don’t get what the deal is with some of the morons like yourself who jump immediately at the topic of officiating and think everything is simply being a sore loser antics.
I did not stick my foot in my mouth - im just curious as to why you do not include any examples of the Sens being fouled and having no call. If you want the honest truth - that is what caused Chris Neil to start acting up. The amount of non-calls for the lightning
Graham, you can accuse me of poorly writing that piece for not picking out specific instances where the Lightning were causing infractions. Just don’t say I am “bitching” about non calls in my teams favor.
I emailed Chris McMurtry trying to clarrify my complaining a bit earlier today and I pointed out stuff from game 2. One specific infraction was a mid-ice check by Lecavalier leading with his elbow. I don’t think it’s necessary to point out (with both teams, mind you) the number of checks thrown where player left their feet to throw checks, or the number of boarding calls that should have bene called.
I’m not targeting the Senators. I got no problem with the Sens in general. I’m not going to turn around and suddenly think all is right in the NHL officiating world if the Lightning win on Thursday either. I might come off writing like the Senators were the villians — but then again, I’m not blogging at Sensmag now am I?
“…the Sens being fouled and having no call. If you want the honest truth - that is what caused Chris Neil to start acting up.”
What a courageous and noble soul, this Chris Neil, his cheap shots and obscene gestures apparently motivated by a love of truth, justice, and the Canadian Way.
Anyway, you have to give him credit: for 6:46 TOI, 0 shots, and E +/-, Niel had an impact on the game that far outstrips his capacities as an actual hockey player.
Bolts have to play with intensity and intelligence, simlutaneously, for 60 minutes. They did that in game two, but not games one and three.
And just a point about Chris Neil not being a factor if the games were called properly, the guy had 17 goals this season. So to dismiss him as a goon isn’t really fair.
We have been dissed mightily not only by the Senators but also by Mike Brophy at The Hockey News. Ouch. While I think Ruslan Fedetenko was shoved into Emery and was definitely boarded in period 3, the larger issue is that the Bolts need to play with some discipline and not rely so much on emotion. To trot out a tired NFL phrase, there’s such a beast as “emotional intelligence” that could help us play some hockey with the beast of the East.
Dingman single-handedly stifled any chance at a comeback in Game 3. Overcoming a three goal deficit in sixteen minutes is not impossible. Dingman’s penalty added two goals to Ottawa’s tally and took seven minutes of offense away from the Lightning. What a hugely stupid mistake. Rather than jumping Neil right off the faceoff, Dingman should have made sure Neil was complicit in the fight. If Neil backs down, then he looks like a wimp. If he doesn’t, then he’s penalized too.
I know this isn’t the purpose of your site, but I totally read it so I’ll be a hit at happy hour on Friday. All knowing and powerful Katie.
The men are always so impressed.