Officiating is taking the enjoyment out of the NHL

[Nylanderthal]

Last night game was one of the most entertaining games the Leafs had played in long time.

Kudos to Spezza, Simmonds, Ritchie, Bunting and Clifford. That needs to be the normal way the team plays every night. Bring a few more guys into the fight.

Yes, watching the skilled players get rag dolled and mugged so they can’t y’know exhibit their skill and having numerous cheap shots taken with the potential for serious injuries sure is entertaining…..
Go watch wrestling if you’re into that clown shit

 

[Nylanderthal]

No. I like tough canadian hockey. Not polite, safe, and soft hockey like you do.

Molson Canadian, timmies, darts and blue jean jackets.
That wasn’t hockey that was a goon show.
Funny that dusters mention “Canadian hockey” meanwhile team Canada has been its most successful when playing a puck control & speed game.

 

[tmlms13]

No. I like tough canadian hockey. Not polite, safe, and soft hockey like you do.

Just FYI

The winner of the game is the one that puts the puck in the net more often than the other team.

 

[LeafsFan89]

You can have good, fast paced, nail biter games without goonery. If it's a penalty, you call it. I don't care if it's game 1/82 or game 7 of the SCF.

If you want more integrity in the game, you call penalties. You also make refs held accountable after the game to the media. It's that simple.

 

[Lilou]

Whats the point of having a skilled team if the opposition can turn it into a side show. We lost Sandin to a dirty hit, Spezza will get suspended, and are lucky no one else got injured. The officiating isn't going to change. The team will have to adapt and be ready to play a dirtier style if the refs aren't going to do their job. I hate to say it but it has to happen. Especially in the playoffs where the refs really take a vacation.

 

[Fogelhund]

Man gets away with murder after eyewitness turns out to be NHL referee

The Beaverton writers are apparently Leafs fans....

MONTREAL – A homicide has gone unsolved after the eyewitness who was right there turned out to be an NHL referee, and therefore somehow missed the entire thing.
“He was standing right next to the victim when he got shot in the face,” said Constable Maurice Duhamel. “There was blood everywhere and people screaming. But he says he didn’t see a thing.”
“He also told me he didn’t want to ‘decide who wins at trial, especially during the playoffs’.......

 

[glue]

My biggest issue with the current 'disciplinary' process is the COMPLETE lack of visibility or transparency surrounding the officials. I would feel infinitely better knowing that the officials from last nights game received some kind of discipline or penalty for their MAJOR part in not making the right calls and completely allowing the game to get out of hand. It almost look like they were protecting Winnipeg by allowing them to do what they wanted and when the leafs tried to fight back 'they stepped in'. Its incompetence of the highest level. If players are made an example off openly, then so should the refs - it is unreal that this operates like a mafia where the rules only apply one way.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I don’t know what people wanted Matthews to do in that situation. It’s not like last year in the playoffs with Montreal when he actually had a chance to fight back instead of getting ragdolled. Dubois was on top of him the whole engagement, and Dubois isn’t small, and only when Matthews tries to fight back does Brad the Bastard blow the whistle. Dubois checking to see how far out the linesman is before leaping off after having his fun also gives no chance for retaliation.

 

[Antropovsky]

Last night game was one of the most entertaining games the Leafs had played in long time.

Kudos to Spezza, Simmonds, Ritchie, Bunting and Clifford. That needs to be the normal way the team plays every night. Bring a few more guys into the fight.

cant happen every night or else Clifford and Simmonds would likely be on IR or never playing healthy but I agree it was fantastic to see some push back and tough response from our guys.... Winnipeg players were giggling at the end but i think that may have been a sign of fear and nervousness. They escaped this one but we have more games coming up and they will likely have Simmonds, Ritchie and Clifford watching over them. Cant get over Dubois, playing dirty but literally running away and hiding from fights and then celebrating his smaller teammates for fighting for him. Guy looks like a total pansy.

 

[AngryScotsman]

No. I like tough canadian hockey. Not polite, safe, and soft hockey like you do.

I enjoy tough Canadian hockey too, I don't like knees to the head or seeing my star forward getting tossed around like a rag doll and no one can do anything about it. That's not being tough, that's cowardly.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

No. I like tough canadian hockey. Not polite, safe, and soft hockey like you do.

It takes real tough men to sit on top of someone and shove their head, stick out your knee on a hit, hide behind refs during scrums, and be the third man into a fight. That’s good ol’ Canadian Hockey Toughness TM.

 

[frog]

I enjoy tough Canadian hockey too, I don't like knees to the head or seeing my star forward getting tossed around like a rag doll and no one can do anything about it. That's not being tough, that's cowardly.

Agreed, think we are on the same page. Happy that richie went after dubois and leafs responded without be scared of the referees.

 

[ottomaddox]

Its starting to get very difficult for me to enjoy watching NHL games lately. Blatant missed calls, one-way officiating, dirty plays not being called... then a guy turns around and cleanly lifts another players stick and it's like they can't call that a penalty fast enough. Dubois jumps on Matthews back and shoves his head into the ice repeatedly and it's called coincidental...

Worst part of it all, is that they don't even let the players sort it out themselves. They are so quick to jump on guys who are ready to Duke it out. So what happens? Knees, heads hots etc... it's really taking the enjoyment out of the game for me.

Been watching for 36 years, I've seen the league go through drastic changes...

Maybe I just need to vent, but surely I can't be the only one who feels this way. It's not just this last game either, this has been an ongoing problem for a few years now. That last game just amplified by displeasure.

Officiating in the NHL is a joke, but don't you dare tell them that.

Referees don't have the convenience of network television's slow motion, and multiangles. They cannot slow the game down with "wait while I check all the video footage."

 

[AvroArrow]

Whats the point of having a skilled team if the opposition can turn it into a side show. We lost Sandin to a dirty hit, Spezza will get suspended, and are lucky no one else got injured. The officiating isn't going to change. The team will have to adapt and be ready to play a dirtier style if the refs aren't going to do their job. I hate to say it but it has to happen. Especially in the playoffs where the refs really take a vacation.

The problem is when we "adapt" and play a dirtier game, we get called lol. If that's us running a goaltender, accidental or not it's a call 10/10 times. If that's us going knee on knee, that's getting a 5 minute penalty + multiple games. I think the streak of zero suspensions for players playing against the leafs is still going strong. It's been how many years now since an opposing player was suspended for a dirty hit ? 10 ? more ?

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Referees don't have the convenience of network television's slow motion, and multiangles. They cannot slow the game down with "wait while I check all the video footage."

Sandin had the puck and all four zebras had eyes on Pionk’s knee. If none of them can see it’s a penalty clear as day they shouldn’t be NHL referees. They’re either stupid or didn’t call it due to game management. Either way, f*** ‘em.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

The problem is when we "adapt" and play a dirtier game, we get called lol. If that's us running a goaltender, accidental or not it's a call 10/10 times. If that's us going knee on knee, that's getting a 5 minute penalty + multiple games. I think the streak of zero suspensions for players playing against the leafs is still going strong. It's been how many years now since an opposing player was suspended for a dirty hit ? 10 ? more ?

It was broken with the Sergachev hit against Marner, and I believe there was one from last year too.

Lightning's Sergachev suspended two games after hit on Maple Leafs' Marner

Before that, it was Ference in 2013.

 

[Captain14]

Mac has been known to drop his gloves, he knows how to fight, AM , has been known to grow terrible moustaches...

Fighting is an art form, how you balance yourself, how you protect yourself, how you don't bust your hand on the guys helmet. Too much risk in having a Rocket Richard winner fight. As a fan it would be something that gets us out of our seats , I personally would love it but if Austin breaks a bone in his hand and is our for a couple of months, that fight was not worth it in the end.

True statement right here. It’s also the difference between playing your junior hockey in the Men’s Swiss League vs. the Canadian Junior Leagues.

 

[Notsince67]

The Tim Peel incident was never adequately addressed as an issue of policy. Even allowing players to "play" in the playoffs is bullshit. Game management only anti-selects the wrong players to succeed in this league. The refs should call it as they see it and everyone needs to accept that sometimes they get it wrong. Managing mistakes by calling soft or not calling obvious penalties is blatantly corrupt. There is extensive game footage in every game and officials should have performance reviews that can determine their termination if necessary

 

[sdf]

Officiating is taking the enjoyment out of the NHL

Bastards

 

[leafsfan5]

Matthews needs to defend himself in that situation

But the NHL officiating is ridiculous, only league in the world that favours plugs over skill

 

[Nineteen67]

Yes, watching the skilled players get rag dolled and mugged so they can’t y’know exhibit their skill and having numerous cheap shots taken with the potential for serious injuries sure is entertaining…..
Go watch wrestling if you’re into that clown shit

Nah, I like hockey, especially when the players offer a pure emotional physical response.

 

[Cynical]

Whats the point of having a skilled team if the opposition can turn it into a side show. We lost Sandin to a dirty hit, Spezza will get suspended, and are lucky no one else got injured. The officiating isn't going to change. The team will have to adapt and be ready to play a dirtier style if the refs aren't going to do their job. I hate to say it but it has to happen. Especially in the playoffs where the refs really take a vacation.

And when the Leafs try to retaliate (Kadri) they will end up suspended as usual.

 

[Bluelines]

No. I like tough canadian hockey. Not polite, safe, and soft hockey like you do.

He's trolling you, trying to get you to say something to get a ban, don't bite.

I think you are in the majority, IMO most fans love seeing their team stick up for each other. I think most fans agree, pre scheduled fights between two goons who play 3 minutes a night has no value in hockey.

I guess the guy who was trolling you likes it when other teams kick the snot out of his team. To each their own I guess?

 

[Joey Hoser]

I became a basketball fan a couple years ago and it's opened my eyes to the problems with NHL hockey.

In basketball, if you play committed strong defense, and shoot the ball well, you will be rewarded with a win most of the time.

In hockey, not the case. Goalies, fluke goals, and refs game management determine who wins most of the time. If you watch a hockey game with no scoreboard and don't count the goals, you'd have no idea who is winning. You can dominate for 60 minutes and lose. Nothing matters.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Ref's need to be reviewed on a regular basis, and if its found that they have tendencies to 'miss' calls for any team(s) they should be banned from ref'ing those teams or fired outright, if they are not calling blatantly obvious offenses.

They are reviewed on a daily basis. The ones who seem competent are reprimanded because they're making the rest of them look bad.