Officiating

[CentreHice]

At the halfway mark of the year, many people are saying that a lot of players haven't got the grasp of the "new" rules yet. Well, perhaps that's because many of the refs don't have one either.

Just watched the Canucks-Flames game and the refs handed it to Vancouver.

Flames up 3-2, in control with 2 minutes left. Huselius gets called for "holding the stick".....and both replays showed he was holding his own stick. Sutter couldn't believe it.

Then Bertuzzi is tripped behind the net resulting in a 5-on-3 with a minute left. I was so incensed (and I'm not a fan of either team) that I'm not even sure if Crawford pulled Auld to make it a 6-on-3 or not. Of course, Vancouver tied it up....and had a PP going into OT.

Flames kill it off.....then Leopold gets a really questionable call for tripping Bertuzzi. For all the physical play that went on in that game, that was a horrible call. Morrison scored to win it 4-3.

And so the Flames get a point stolen, and the Canucks get two points handed to them by the refereeing.

I can just imagine Sutter's post-game comments, I'll bet he's fined.

Sure hope the Ref Pool gets their act together for the playoffs....this is but one of several games I've seen them decide with inconsistent calls.

[PTH]

centrehice said:

Just watched the Canucks-Flames game and the refs handed it to Vancouver.

Flames up 3-2, in control with 2 minutes left. Huselius gets called for "holding the stick".....and both replays showed he was holding his own stick. Sutter couldn't believe it.

Then Bertuzzi is tripped behind the net resulting in a 5-on-3 with a minute left. I was so incensed (and I'm not a fan of either team) that I'm not even sure if Crawford pulled Auld to make it a 6-on-3 or not. Of course, Vancouver tied it up....and had a PP going into OT.

Flames kill it off.....then Leopold gets a really questionable call for tripping Bertuzzi. For all the physical play that went on in that game, that was a horrible call. Morrison scored to win it 4-3.

And so the Flames get a point stolen, and the Canucks get two points handed to them by the refereeing.

I can just imagine Sutter's post-game comments, I'll bet he's fined.

Sure hope the Ref Pool gets their act together for the playoffs....this is but one of several games I've seen them decide with inconsistent calls.

I kind of half-watched the game, and most calls made seemed ok, the problem is in the calls that aren't made - ie, if they're going to be tight on some calls, they need to be tight all-around. I'm starting to think that on some plays the refs should be able to let the play develop, and choose to stop the play when neither team is in a dominant position, and then check with the video replay. Or even check some penalties - or check them if the refs don't agree, or check 5 of them per team if the coach asks for a review, etc, etc, because I think the refs are getting passed by a game that moves so fast, and they have 12 guys to keep an eye on, too.

[CentreHice]

pth said:

I kind of half-watched the game, and most calls made seemed ok,

I'm not talking about most calls...I'm talking about the phantom holding the stick penalty with 2 minutes left. Also the borderline trip on Bertuzzi in OT.

Like I said, I have no passion for either of these teams. I was enjoying a great, physical hockey game (glad the Habs weren't in that one)...Flames were in control....then it was taken from them. I don't care if it was Chicago vs. Columbus. It's inconsistent and it better be fixed come playoff time.

Refereeing is always capable of casting a shadow on a game....but with the inconsistency shown this year with the interpretation of the crackdown, something very trivial is going to have monumental consequences. Just hope the victim isn't Montreal.

[MC Habber]

I'll admit to a bias toward the Canucks, but I thought the calls for tripping on Bertuzzi were the right calls. Unless you think he dove, I'm not sure what there is to complain about them. The holding the stick call was bad though, at least, the 2 replays certainly didn't show anything. The ref was in a better position to see it though, so maybe....

A really bad call was a crosschecking call to one of the Flames (McCarty?) when he went to hit Cooke who dodged the hit - there was no contact between the players at all. Millen thought it was to make up for having missed a high stick on Cooke earlier in the shift.