What does the NHL have to do to fix officiating?

[kevman]

I'd just like to see penalties called in the playoffs that are called in the regular season. Call me crazy but both sets of games should be played by the same rules. The hooking, holding and obstruction does NOT make for a better game.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by kevman

I'd just like to see penalties called in the playoffs that are called in the regular season. Call me crazy but both sets of games should be played by the same rules. The hooking, holding and obstruction does NOT make for a better game.

Thats prob true.

But the big hits would probably happen less

[CaptainCrunch]

All I know is that its a grab fest in the Colorado end of the ice, the one handed grabs are happening quite a bit.


It does feel like there's a double standard in this series.



But the Flames are still the architects of their own demise.


But its infuriating to me.


How can the NHL fix it? That's the wrong question, its "why should the NHL Fix it?" Because this has been going on forever. Maybe we need robots.

[Inferno]

Hold refs responsible for being ####ty at their jobs. No ref is going to be perfect and there's going to be infractions that happen out of his line of sight but there's so many calls/non-calls that are just inexcusable.

When a ref has a horrible game like the last two games sit them down and go through all the bad calls they made and didn't make. Give them less games until they improve and if they don't fire them. Just like umpires refs know they can get away with doing a half ass job and being ######bags to certain players/teams they don't like. People say Johnny complains too much but that's no excuse for a ref to be a dick.

If I don't do my job right and/or act unprofessional I get disciplined. They should be no different.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by kevman

I'd just like to see penalties called in the playoffs that are called in the regular season. Call me crazy but both sets of games should be played by the same rules. The hooking, holding and obstruction does NOT make for a better game.

Yet, if you ask most fans, it’s been an exceptionally entertaining series.

The clutching and grabbing hasn’t stopped the Avs fast guns from running amok.

Calgary is, for the most part, getting beat by players who are raising their game to a level unseen during the regular season. If the Flames cannot do that, they won’t last long.

McKinnon right now will not be denied. You can’t say that about the Flames players.


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[Hot_Flatus]

There certainly been a handful of very poor non-calls the Flames way, but I have a hard time being sympathetic when the team is simply not executing at a high enough level. If they were, these razor thin margins would be non-existent and the game would not be in the refs hands as much as it is/has been at times like these. I still think the series has been entertaining and much better to watch than the slow, mind numbing series against the Ducks we all had to endure in recent past.

This has also been a common narrative the last 2 playoff series the team has been in to get all bent over about the officials. Everyone knows the officiating hurtles towards this point in the post season. The Flames (and fans) should all be well aware that you can't expect it to go your way and you need to be the team dictating to avoid as many of these situations as possible.

After 30+ years of watching the NHL, I can say that it's not going to be fixed, it is what it is.

[Philly06Cup]

Studies have shown that home teams get more favorable calls. The biased officiating in Game 3 and 4 is largely because of Home Ice Advantage. When home crowds cheer loudly, it motivates refs to be on their side. Refs are human - they subconsciously want to be cheered and make the home fans happy. It's not new, it's not something that can be fixed, it happens in every sport.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I wonder if Gavin top tier team's with smaller, energetic players getting bounced in round 1 will be enough to have a change?

It's one thing if Gaudreau is obstructed into oblivion with no calls.


Sidney Crosby was swept, 0 goals 1 assist
Nikita Kucherov was swept, 0 goals 2 assists

It's not just the Flames.

There might be enough for a tipping point to have the desire to fix playoff officiating given it's effect on this year's playoffs.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

I wonder if Gavin top tier team's with smaller, energetic players getting bounced in round 1 will be enough to have a change?

It's one thing if Gaudreau is obstructed into oblivion with no calls.


Sidney Crosby was swept, 0 goals 1 assist
Nikita Kucherov was swept, 0 goals 2 assists

It's not just the Flames.

There might be enough for a tipping point to have the desire to fix playoff officiating given it's effect on this year's playoffs.

It must be said that much like the Flames, the Lighting and Penguins weren't good enough as a team but it is an issue if skill players can be taken away via obstruction in the playoffs that isn't allowed to happen in the regular season because you are making the regular season somewhat meaninglessness in regards to winning the cup as teams are being equalized by playoff obstruction.

[calgaryred]

Reffing is poor in every league

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[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I’ve been a loyal season ticket holder for more than 20 years and I’ve had it.

Gary Bettman is a lawyer. I would love to package up all these clips in an email to him and present the evidence as to why good fans like us are bailing on the league.

I had a feeling we would get screwed by the refs again tonight. And they did not disappoint.

The problem is that good fans like us aren't bailing on the league. We can't because we're too invested.


PS thanks for all the gifs AC. Truly amazing to have you in the community.
Would you be able to dig up the even-up diving call on Johnny from Game 2 as well? I remember thinking it was particularly egregious at the time.

[Weitz]

People always say they love playoff hockey.. I was never really one of them, its a different game than the regular season. Thats why you see the upsets in the playoffs. The league loves it probably but I don't.

I always say the NHL is the only league in the world that changes the rules in the playoffs. And while officiating is poor in pretty much all sports only in the NHL would I say it actively changes in the playoffs.

[GioforPM]

The one player on the Flames that's benefiting is Bennett. In the regular season he gets a lot of calls for over-exuberant forechecking (little hooks or holds to try and get an advantage). He's not getting called for that now.

I admit I'm baffled by the non-calls on Johnny (and his diving call). I think the only explanation is that the refs don't believe him, don't like him or a combination of the two.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Do people not realize that that was the linesman and not the ref on the Vali high stick?

Yes... but linesman can consult the referee on high sticking calls.

[Lord Carnage]

Originally Posted by JackIsBack

Yes... but linesman can consult the referee on high sticking calls.

Pretty sure that's only on the double minor or major types, not the 2-minute variety...

[TheIronMaiden]

Nothing we can do about the officiating in the last two games. That said, 8 power plays for the flames in game 5 would be nice.

[stazzy33]

AC do you have the play where Johnny got a stick or glove in the face just before Lindholm took a penalty for "interference"? I think this is a perfect example of why Johnny doesn't get any calls, it makes him look like a soccer player. He stands there with his glove on his face for a good five seconds before slowly starting to skate back out to the blue line, then the puck gets turned over and all of a sudden he is back to 100%. I ref minor hockey and if I see #### like that, the player loses all credibility with me. However I may be a terrible ref, so what do I know.

[Muffins]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Hold refs responsible for being ####ty at their jobs. No ref is going to be perfect and there's going to be infractions that happen out of his line of sight but there's so many calls/non-calls that are just inexcusable.

When a ref has a horrible game like the last two games sit them down and go through all the bad calls they made and didn't make. Give them less games until they improve and if they don't fire them. Just like umpires refs know they can get away with doing a half ass job and being ######bags to certain players/teams they don't like. People say Johnny complains too much but that's no excuse for a ref to be a dick.

If I don't do my job right and/or act unprofessional I get disciplined. They should be no different.

The refs for last nights game were the same ones that called the disaster that was game 2 of Bos/Tor, which they were supposedly "reprimanded" for.

Obviously a reprimand in the leagues eyes is getting to do another game right away.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Weitz

People always say they love playoff hockey.. I was never really one of them, its a different game than the regular season. Thats why you see the upsets in the playoffs. The league loves it probably but I don't.

I always say the NHL is the only league in the world that changes the rules in the playoffs. And while officiating is poor in pretty much all sports only in the NHL would I say it actively changes in the playoffs.

Just call the damn rule book. Consistently. NFL doesn't suddenly stop calling holding in the playoffs. The stupid "put away the whistle" garbage is just that: garbage.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

There certainly been a handful of very poor non-calls the Flames way, but I have a hard time being sympathetic when the team is simply not executing at a high enough level. If they were, these razor thin margins would be non-existent and the game would not be in the refs hands as much as it is/has been at times like these. I still think the series has been entertaining and much better to watch than the slow, mind numbing series against the Ducks we all had to endure in recent past.

This has also been a common narrative the last 2 playoff series the team has been in to get all bent over about the officials. Everyone knows the officiating hurtles towards this point in the post season. The Flames (and fans) should all be well aware that you can't expect it to go your way and you need to be the team dictating to avoid as many of these situations as possible.

After 30+ years of watching the NHL, I can say that it's not going to be fixed, it is what it is.

Haha. But not every game is going to be a 5vs5 blowout, neutralizing the refs. There are going to games your team is in that are very close games where one play here or there makes all the difference.

Was it 2-0 or 2-1 when Johnny has that partial break? A Flames PP might not have done anything on the scoreboard but it keeps Colorado in their zone for 2 of the remaining minutes, gives Smith and others a rest and is maybe just enough to keep them from tying it near the end.

But you’re fine with officials blowing the most obvious calls.