There is definitely no conspiracy as in mandates or memos or emails to "screw the Flames", but some of the officials, due to the Wideman incident, certainly didn't call things fairly as they relate to the Flames, whether intentionally or not. I think that phase of bias has all but passed now, though.
But, the review last night was straight up bizarre. For them to say the call was "confirmed" shows they are either incompetent or were taking the opportunity at the Flames' expense and lying as a result.
__________________ "I think the eye test is still good, but analytics can sure give you confirmation: what you see...is that what you really believe?" Scotty Bowman, 0 NHL games played
In case you were wondering if the "refs are just consistently terrible and incompetent" crowd were just making it up, the Habs just scored a game tying goal with six guys on the ice. For the entire scoring play.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
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In my opinion, Calgary just aren't getting the breaks/bounces. Bad calls are happening all around the league, not just in the Calgary/Anaheim series. They need to make changes, it's been a long time coming.
I will add that I do think refs call penalties on the team that's leading sometimes, to make the game more interesting. Also, I think in the past they favoured American teams to try and sell the game to the US (Tampa Bay comes to mind). It's a big business, obviously.
No conspiracy. Just really poor officiating that the Flames are regularly on the wrong side of.
I'm still salty over the goal last night and my only explanation is the war room being half asleep and not bothering the give it a proper review. It would be nice to get an apology from the NHL that they blew the call but that will never happen.
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No conspiracy whatsoever. Just been bad luck, some bad penalties and lousy play. As stated earlier in the thread. You don't blow a 3 goal lead in a must-win game 3 because the "refs screwed you". Just bad play, and one questionable high stick goal. The Ducks were the worst possible match-up for Calgary as I have said before. I predicted it would end in 5 and I will stick to that prediction. Flames will win tonight and then be rocked at the Pond again. Conspiracies don't exist, but curses do!
I was talking to an individual and he mentioned an interview Kerry Fraser gave. I can't find the interview, but apparently Kerry Fraser was on a radio show last week and was asked how many refs are high enough caliber to officiate in the playoffs. He said he would only trust two. Anyone else hear the interview? I thought that was an interesting and pretty damning perspective.
I have to try and find it, but I tend to agree the inconsistency and incompetence has a lot to do with so many officials just not being capable.
The NHL needs to start actively recruiting and developing referee and linesmen talent if they desire any normalcy in their rules. Don't just hope a good one makes it through the grueling system and works his way up, go out and find former players and teach them have to referee. Plenty of good smart hockey talent out there. If money is an issue pay them more. Attract talent, our game is falling apart due to how poorly called it is.
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Come on none of this is possibly true except in the minds of weirdo's. there is no such thing as reptilians, nor chemtrails. By the way, did you happen to watch all of the Flames highlights from the Saddledome in Calgary?
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The NHL needs to start actively recruiting and developing referee and linesmen talent if they desire any normalcy in their rules. Don't just hope a good one makes it through the grueling system and works his way up, go out and find former players and teach them have to referee. Plenty of good smart hockey talent out there. If money is an issue pay them more. Attract talent, our game is falling apart due to how poorly called it is.
Even the CFL is collaborating with the NFL in the offseason to have their officials work together in hopes of improving the quality of officiating. IMO any sport is only as good as its weakest link and right now the NHL's weakest link is officiating. The league needs to invest more into training and development as money spent there will help build and improve the overall product which should always been their main priority. Fans of this sport are getting pretty jaded.
Thankfully in the last couple years the NHL started holding their referee intro combines, directed at attracting former junior/college and pro players to the role.
I don't think it's a coincidence that two of the three referees who actually played pro, Dan O'Rouke and Wes McCauley, are among the most highly-regarded officials. McCauley is probably the best in the game right now. As far as I know Dean Morton is the only ex-NHLer (1 game) who is a referee, but he isn't rated highly.
Hopefully their combine campaign results in a good crop of referees making their way to the NHL full-time in a few years.
__________________ "I think the eye test is still good, but analytics can sure give you confirmation: what you see...is that what you really believe?" Scotty Bowman, 0 NHL games played
It's not Flames fans. It's CP. No one in the office is blaming the teams misfortunes on the refs, my friends and family are not blaming every loss on the refs.
No team is ever down 3-0 in a series cause of the refs. No team ever lets a team score 4 unanswered goals to beat them in a must win game at home cause of the refs.
If this were any other fan base acting like this we'd be laughing at them.
Sure there have been questionable calls and two sketchy goals but that sh*t happens. Good teams figure it out and don't put themselves in a position to let the refs dictate the outcome.
CP is a great site, I look at it daily. But in the last couple of years it has become the worst place on the net if you are looking for obljecive takes on how the Flames are doing.
