This is just a bad article full stop.
The premise - that playoff officiating is different from regular season officiating - is a very hot take that no one has ever suggested before in the history of time. Speaking personally, I am going to need a stiff drink and to sit down and contemplate all of my assumptions about the universe now that this revelation has been committed to print for what must surely be the first time ever.
That some random person claims to have seen 30 penalties committed against poor little McDinglepuss (without providing any evidence of any penalty, let alone 30) is the definition of subjective. Provide the list of these egregious 30 penalties with clips so that people can review the evidence. I mean personally, I see at least 4 penalties committed by McDavid a game (at least 2 dives/embellishments and then several holding the sticks, slashes, holds). Drysaddle is by far worse, committing a slew foot at least once a game along with the same embellishments, slashes, holdling the sticks, etc. Dude should have been suspended when he pulled that chickenpoop slew foot against Tkachuk a few seasons ago. How do you know that's "objective"? Well, I just said it so it must be so. No need for further corroboration or evidence.
If this "journalist" wanted to demonstrate what he thinks he was demonstrating, he would have used more than just one player to do so. As many have pointed out, there are far more successful superstars in the playoffs that actually win and score points (MacKinnon for example). Does no one ever commit a foul against them that goes uncalled?
The fact is, the Jets did a very good job of shutting down the two Wonder Crybabies. They had a man on them as quickly and as often as they could, they had sticks in lanes, and they shut down the rush - McCrybaby's bread and butter. The Oilers had 3 5-3s in the playoffs, the Jet's had zero despite the obvious over the glass penalty on Nurse that went uncalled.
Perhaps he should be focused on writing an article on how the refs tried to rob Winnipeg of the win in game 4 in a futile attempt to extend the series by having an extremely quick whistle on a loose puck that the Jets near immediately put in the net for what should have been the series winning goal.
As other's have pointed out - there are a ton of missed calls in all games, regular season and playoffs. There are probably more in the playoffs, but they are also magnified by the importance of every call (or non-call), every shot, every faceoff.
I anxiously await his next hot take that ice is cold, and that pucks sometimes bounce in unfortunate ways.
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