I think the officiating has more to do with gross incompetence than any kind of conspiracy theory, but to go with your theory...
The Flames make money hand over fist off the Hitmen. For teams like the Warriors, the difference between breaking even and losing money is playoff games and the stipend the NHL pays a junior team when a player is drafted from their roster. The Warriors need the money a second playoff round would bring a heck of a lot more than the Hitmen do. I have been told that this is why the Flames didn't bid on the Memorial Cup. Brandon needs the revenue more than we do.
Anyway, as I've said several times, game 1 was the only game changed by the refs, and after they handed Moose Jaw four goals, they tried to flip their bias so as to appear neutral. The other five games have been won by the team that deserved it, but given the Hitmen have generally outplayed the Warriors, the piss-poor handling of this series by the officials benefits Moose Jaw far more than it does Calgary.
|