Around the League 20-21 Thread: Playoffs Edition

[KINGS17]

If the Vegas forwards don't pick it up and get to the net, Vegas is in trouble even though the series is tied 2-2.

That OT goal is exactly the kind if effort it is going to take from Vegas. Their forwards have to get to the net for tips and rebounds.

 

[Herby]

If the Vegas forwards don't pick it up and get to the net, Vegas is in trouble even though the series is tied 2-2.

That OT goal is exactly the kind if effort it is going to take from Vegas. Their forwards have to get to the net for tips and rebounds.

Mark Stone has been complete ass in this series, guy can barely make a play without falling down, even Dustin Brown thinks he is falling down a lot.

All things being equal this series probably is where it should be, Vegas deserved to win Game 3 and Montreal deserved to win Game 4. Still though this is a tough loss for Montreal with how well they played, I don't think Vegas was beating Carey Price 3 games in a row.

This has been my favorite playoffs in a few years though, I love the contrasting roster construction and playing styles of the four different teams.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Lehner is the ULTIMATE competitor. He reminds me of Quick. Watching his eyes during warmup I knew he wasn't losing that game.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Did you ask him why he doesn’t fight more?

Johnny Utah FOUGHT HIM instead!

 

[Steve Zissou]

Lehner is the ULTIMATE competitor. He reminds me of Quick. Watching his eyes during warmup I knew he wasn't losing that game.

Robin Lehner... the GOAT.

 

[kingsfan28]

This is getting ridiculous, blatant missed calls on back to back shifts and then they get Montreal the shift right after.

This is starting to get into Lakers/Kings territory, where people are going to start asking questions.

I missed the game, but from what I've been reading,it sounds like nothing has changed , if anything, its gotten worse. EJ usually never get involved, so there's this..

 

[Herby]

I missed the game, but from what I've been reading,it sounds like nothing has changed , if anything, its gotten worse. EJ usually never get involved, so there's this..

Yup, EJ not someone who is going to post something like that unless its obvious.

I think everyone who has been on this forum for awhile and follows GDT's knows that I am usually the one defending officiating to the bitter end, these guys are human and I think a lot of people forget that.

But this is to much to ignore, the blatant missed high stick in Game 3, then those consecutive shifts today where first Nosek blatantly boarded Weber and then Stone ran even more blatant interference on Gallagher leading to a prime scoring chance for Vegas followed by Montreal being called for a penalty. That was on three successive shifts today. Montreal has had 3 PP's in the last 222 minutes of play.

Something truly stinks in this series, like I said earlier, it has that Kings/Lakers vibe and that was the most blatant referee dictation of any Big 4 sporting event/series I have ever seen in my life. I truly think it's on par with that, the Marchessault high stick was Kobe's elbow on Bibby. There is just no logical or valid defense for it being missed so it's fair to question if there is something more sinister. There has been evidence that has come out since then that shows that series very well may have been fixed, I love hockey and I hope that isn't the case here, but it really makes you wonder.

 

[Reclamation Project]

I missed the game, but from what I've been reading,it sounds like nothing has changed , if anything, its gotten worse. EJ usually never get involved, so there's this..

What does Mr. EJ think of the blatant dirty elbow that sidelined Vegas' #1 C? Plenty of calls that should have been called against Montreal like that clear as day elbow by Chiarot to the head of Stephenson that gave him a concussion and he's been out since. There was a ref looking directly at that in the corner. I've seen plenty of sequences where Montreal players make contact with the head, especially their D and Anderson. There's zero reason for the NHL to rig these calls against Montreal of all teams. Why didn't Weber get another penalty after he swung his stick like a baseball bat against McNabb AFTER his initial penalty was already called? Total nonsense. If people think the reffing is bad (like the Perry penalty which evened out because they won) that's fine, the notion that the NHL is rigging it for Vegas is pure delusion. I've seen tons of awful calls.

 

[Herby]

What does Mr. EJ think of the blatant dirty elbow that sidelined Vegas' #1 C? Plenty of calls that should have been called against Montreal like that clear as day elbow by Chiarot to the head of Stephenson that gave him a concussion and he's been out since. There was a ref looking directly at that in the corner. I've seen plenty of sequences where Montreal players make contact with the head, especially their D and Anderson. There's zero reason for the NHL to rig these calls against Montreal of all teams. Why didn't Weber get another penalty after he swung his stick like a baseball bat against McNabb AFTER his initial penalty was already called? Total nonsense. If people think the reffing is bad (like the Perry penalty which evened out because they won) that's fine, the notion that the NHL is rigging it for Vegas is pure delusion. I've seen tons of awful calls.

How do 4 officials miss a guy swinging his stick like a baseball bat when the puck is right there?

As far as the rigged stuff.

Why would a boxing judge screw over Roy Jones Jr. in the 1988 Olympics?
Why did Canada threaten to not play a Summit Series Game in 1972 if the ref wasn't changed?
Why did the refs in Game 6 of the 2002 NBA western finals do what they did?
Why did the refs in Game 3 of the 2006 NBA finals do what they did?

Sometimes some shady crap can happen for a variety of reasons. I know it's complicated with Covid, but I don't think the same guys should be officiating consecutive games in a series, just opens you up to discussions like the one we are having. I know getting into and out of Canada right now is about as difficult as getting into Mordor but there has to be a bunch of NHL refs living relatively close to Montreal where they can have some kind of rotation. Even if there isn't any intentional dictation, there clearly is incompetence and poor job performance and that should count for something too and should be addressed by the league. These guys should not be back for Game 6.

 

[kingsfan28]

What does Mr. EJ think of the blatant dirty elbow that sidelined Vegas' #1 C? Plenty of calls that should have been called against Montreal like that clear as day elbow by Chiarot to the head of Stephenson that gave him a concussion and he's been out since. There was a ref looking directly at that in the corner. I've seen plenty of sequences where Montreal players make contact with the head, especially their D and Anderson. There's zero reason for the NHL to rig these calls against Montreal of all teams. Why didn't Weber get another penalty after he swung his stick like a baseball bat against McNabb AFTER his initial penalty was already called? Total nonsense. If people think the reffing is bad (like the Perry penalty which evened out because they won) that's fine, the notion that the NHL is rigging it for Vegas is pure delusion. I've seen tons of awful calls.

While I understand it if it only has happened once in their playoff history, but EVERY YEAR it has happened. From our series that started it, to today's game, there are straight up ignored calls that have been call constantly , either in the playoffs or reg season on other teams. With Vegas, it's like they got a get out of jail free card when they entered the league. As far as I'm concerned, they are the NHL's team and will continue to get calls overlooked, and be the shiney new toy, to showcase how expansion teams can succeed right away.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Also, they can’t have Centre Bell full because of COVID, so attendance is capped to 3,500. BUT they can have a couple thousand people huddled directly outside the building wearing no masks. What the f*** is going on up there!?!

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Par for the course for this series.

This series is something else

Vegas has 1 top-100 center in the league right now in their lineup
Vegas is getting all their offense from d-man
Montreal is getting no offense from their d-man
Montreal's most dangerous offensive player is 5'7 165 lbs
One of Montreal's best players in this series was on waivers earlier in the year
Vegas is playing their backup goalie in a make or break game

And ofcourse the officiating throws another wrench into it. I hope I am wrong but you get the feeling Vegas wins on a weird one. Both these series just feel like they will find a way to go 7.

And give PDB credit, the goaltending change was the difference, if Fleury is in goal there is no way this game is going to OT.

I ride DeBoer pretty hard for being a f***ing tool but that was a ballsy move that could easily have blown up right in his face. It was reactionary and desperate...and it worked.

The game completely changed with Lehner's save on Caufield, and then once McNabb scored it just felt like it was inevitable that the Knights were going to win this game, just like with the Anderson goal last game, you just knew Montreal was going to win.

I really can't stand PDB but he really is a hell of a playoff coach, that takes some balls to bench MAF. I'd love to have this guy coaching the Kings.

Oh, I see you said what I was going to Like I said I ride him pretty hard, I've never thought he was very good, I think he tinkers TOO much and he opens his yap FAR too much...but it's hard to argue with results when he gets them.

Lehner is the ULTIMATE competitor. He reminds me of Quick. Watching his eyes during warmup I knew he wasn't losing that game.

I absolutely love that guy and I despise that he's on Vegas. Agree very much with the Quick comparison, he's just absolutely ferocious.

Something about dudes named Robin/Robyn, I guess they just have to grow up tough as shit

 

[lumbergh]

I missed the game, but from what I've been reading,it sounds like nothing has changed , if anything, its gotten worse. EJ usually never get involved, so there's this..

I’ve seen refs swallow whistles, but this is pretty extreme. I can’t say it’s intentionally tilted to one side, but it’s pretty obvious the refs are going to let the players dictate the outcome. Favors Vegas, the bigger and nastier team,

 

[JTeller97]

Something about dudes named Robin/Robyn, I guess they just have to grow up tough as shit

Better than being named Sue

 

[YP44]

Actually the Hawks are doing something about it, they've put Bobby Hull in charge of the investigation.

surely you're joking right?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

In retrospect that Caufield breakaway no goal reminded me of the Frolov breakaway vs. Vancouver--could have iced it, but instead bad things followed. Rough pull for the Habs.