What does the NHL have to do to fix officiating?

[CGY12]

Maybe Johnny isn't the man to lead a team to a cup, maybe he can't be a Stanley Cup winners best player. However after taking a night to sleep off the emotions of last night, reading the officiating thread and thinking back upon the first 4 games, the refs have really completely taken him out of this series. From the diving call in game 2, to last nights blatant scoring chance hook, to all the wacks and hooks he's facing in general, it would be pretty hard to create any space out there (especially considering who his centre is). The standard of officiating is clearly different in the Avs dzone compared to the Flames.

Case in point the hook on Brodie CALLED and the NO CALL on Nemeth.

The Flames can play better but last night was a joke.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Not Flames specific, but the NHL needs to find consistency between the regular season and playoffs.
Being a top team for 82 games has to mean more and having to build 2 different types of teams to succeed in the season vs playoffs is stupid.

No other league or sport operates this way.

Maybe the season should be shortened as well so teams can be in that do or die mode all the time and build teams appropriately.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Officiating has been a debacle all year long. Nobody should be surprised that it remains inconsistent and capricious in the playoffs.

And Split98 - every single team has guys whining non-stop to the officials. Gaudreau is not why the officials seem to have a hard on for the Avs.

Every team does have dialogue with the refs, for sure. But I think Johnny has to be near the top of the league in communicating with the refs.

It doesn't help that he's looking for calls but has a quick button-hook to get up ice when we regain possession either. There's a maturing here that Gaudreau is going to learn as the Flames (hopefully!) play more playoff games. But right now, the theatrics aren't doing us any favours.


The calls they've missed have been atrocious, and far past what I think would be retribution for Johnny whining - it's just that it doesn't help. When a call is missed, the last voice that's going to win favours is another shrill "&*^#" from Johnny.

And if you listen to the fans in Denver, it doesn't sound like they're too jazzed up about the officiating either.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

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.

Fine with it. Nope.

But whining incessantly about non calls is getting really old. Every year this team is in the playoffs it's like fans are surprised that your team has to have puck possession and dictate the play regularly in order to get calls. It is what it is at this point.

Any Flames team that has ever had post season success has done so because they outworked and out competed their opposition into the ground. It's no different in any other series and the Flames are where they are because they're giving up too many chances, not competing hard enough and doing next to nothing with the PP opportunities they are given.

The intellectual honesty part:
Barring a massive shift on Friday, this team is nowhere near being able to hang with any team that advances into the second round. Getting all butthurt about the officiating is a completely trivial exercise.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Then don't call the incidental trip by Backlund if you don't want to influence the game.

Or the weakness of 'slashes' while Mary Poppinsing a 5 on 3.

It's not even subtle how much those decisions influenced the game.

[nickerjones]

AC do you have the gif of the interference at the blue line?

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

AC do you have the gif of the interference at the blue line?

Which one of the 20?

[dissentowner]

The NHL will never admit they have a huge problem with their product and it is the officiating. No consistency, one sided games, getting calls wrong both on the ice and in the war room. It is a joke.

[Flames0910]

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.

So true, but it's even worse than that. The standard changes from game to game, period to period, shift to shift depending on a variety of factors including: who's winning, who's fans are upset, the position on the ice (especially front of the net) the optics of making or not making a call, and the time of the game.

Honestly I don't know how teams are supposed to know what is a call and what isn't because it's always changing.

[edn88]

I agree the reffing has been infuriating. Especially last night. Changed the outcome of the series.

[SofaProfessor]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

So true, but it's even worse than that. The standard changes from game to game, period to period, shift to shift depending on a variety of factors including: who's winning, who's fans are upset, the position on the ice (especially front of the net) the optics of making or not making a call, and the time of the game.

Honestly I don't know how teams are supposed to know what is a call and what isn't because it's always changing.

This. I dislike that the standards for officiating change from regular season to playoffs but I can live with that reality. The problem is the inconsistency within a game. Let everything go, fine. Call everything, fine. I don't really care either way but it has to be consistent because the refs set a standard for how a game will be called and that standard has to be true from puck drop to 6th overtime.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

The NHL will never admit they have a huge problem with their product and it is the officiating. No consistency, one sided games, getting calls wrong both on the ice and in the war room. It is a joke.

Very true and very strange. What I don't get is why?

Have an off-ice official reviewing footage of the game from multiple angles. Take feedback from the bench behind the scenes even, as that would nearly eliminate the players need to communicate with the on-ice refs.

Got the call wrong? Even without implementing any new tech or hiring a single person... look up at the gigantic TV all the fans are booing at. Does it look like the fans have a point? Have another look, apologize for human error and drop the puck.

The refusal to get this right can only be explained as the need for tradition - and human error and influence is a part of the game. What I don't get is why (if that's why they refuse as surely it can't be money... ) they think tradition is more entertaining than fair?

[Weitz]

Its only a problem if the GM's and owners think it is, and they don't.

Hell, you look around this very forum during the season you see a ton of comments about teams success that "won't hold up to playoff hockey" well here we are.

The NHL has become a fast paced skill league in the regular season but is still years behind in the post season.

[djsFlames]

The call that stole a victory from the Flames wasn't even a penalty.

The game management has to end. This appeasing the home crowds with these "reach" calls when they're down can't keep going on in the playoffs.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Not Flames specific, but the NHL needs to find consistency between the regular season and playoffs.
Being a top team for 82 games has to mean more and having to build 2 different types of teams to succeed in the season vs playoffs is stupid.

No other league or sport operates this way.

This has really been frustrating me as a fan the last couple seasons. I hate that I have no idea what will be or won't be a penalty in the regular season or playoffs anymore.

And hate that like clockwork you know when the team trailing will have a penalty called against them late in a close game.

Way too much game management from the refs in the regular season & playoffs. In the regular season there is so much inconsistency and they tend to miss the big calls and call chincy stuff. In the playoffs they will go through stretches where they won't call it even if you murder someone, but then call a late even up type call.

Maybe the season should be shortened as well so teams can be in that do or die mode all the time and build teams appropriately.

This is off topic but once the league goes to 32 teams with 16 per conference you could get rid of divisions and expand playoffs if you wanted to.

Go to a 62 game regular season - every team plays a home and away game against another team so it's a balanced schedule for all teams in the league.

Then actually celebrate your regular season title champions - make it a big deal that over a 62 game schedule, that is balanced for all teams, you were the best team in the league. Draft positioning would also be based on the 62 game schedule.

Then after that 62 game schedule you go to a full 32 team tournament for the Stanley Cup with 1 vs 16 seeding in each conference.

Would never happen since teams would only be guaranteed 33 home games instead of 41 and they wouldn't want to give up 8 guaranteed home dates but I think that would be a fun structure, and the first two rounds of the playoffs would be really exciting with the potential for lots of awesome stories.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by CGY12

Maybe Johnny isn't the man to lead a team to a cup, maybe he can't be a Stanley Cup winners best player. However after taking a night to sleep off the emotions of last night, reading the officiating thread and thinking back upon the first 4 games, the refs have really completely taken him out of this series. From the diving call in game 2, to last nights blatant scoring chance hook, to all the wacks and hooks he's facing in general, it would be pretty hard to create any space out there (especially considering who his centre is). The standard of officiating is clearly different in the Avs dzone compared to the Flames.

Case in point the hook on Brodie CALLED and the NO CALL on Nemeth.

The Flames can play better but last night was a joke.

My thoughts exactly.

Until the BS of hockey culture’s mentality of “letting them play” or “having a ref decide the game” changes I’ve lost interest in the NHL. Not hockey, just emotional investment in NHL hockey & it’s outcomes.

The players decide the game with their actions, not the officials. Call the game, or at least the blatantly obvious ones.

Still, I understand the challenge of officiating. On every shift you could POTENTIALLY call a penalty. But the Gaudreau’s coincidental in Game 2 & last nights water skiing on him dropped my jaw. I was laughing near the end of the game. It was a foregone conclusion for me.

Yeah the Flames need to execute better, but the joke of officiating is demoralizing to everyone, fans, players, & personnel. Yeah you need to fight through some things, but it’s become absurd.

[Haplo]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

AC do you have the gif of the interference at the blue line?

You mean this one? This is seconds after the high stick on Gaudreau. Sure Lindy makes a bit of contact, but Mackinnon chops the stick out of Lindholms hands. So two Avs infractions and one Flames infraction within seconds and they only call a Flames penalty to stop a Flames odd man rush.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Yup. But after that initial reaction, bear down. Don’t skate away holding your face (when there is clearly no injury). You’re an NHL player in the playoffs, every shift should hurt.

Ya I obviously agree, no idea why he skated away. It’s been a mess of a series for him, no doubt about it


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