Rough Times for these Pens
Zach Boslett | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jun 1, 01:24 PM | Hype this story!
As a Penguin fan I’ve seen some tough losses. I’ve been more distraught, more depressed, and more disgusted.
However, I have never been more angry and frustrated after a Penguin loss than I am after the Game 2 loss in the SCF against the Detroit Red Wings.
The reason for the anger and frustration? As the Pensblog said today, “You just know it’s bad if you’ve watched 90+ games this year and you’re contemplating turning the game off, ‘cause it just isn’t hockey.”
This season, the officiating was consistent on what is and isn’t a penalty, until once again, the Stanley Cup Finals.
Why should the officiating regress to the mid ’90s as soon as it reaches the Stanley Cup? How do the Detroit players get away with mauling any Penguin player within reach?
One example sticks out in my head the next day… Jordan Staal dumps the puck behind Kronwall and attempts to go around him to retrieve it, like he had done so effectively in the Carolina series. Kronwall proceeds to skate into his path, hold his arms out to keep him from getting around him, and cross checks him in the chest and Staal falls to the ice.
To his credit, Staal looks at the official and skates directly to the bench. I think I would have thrown my stick at the official if I had been in that position.
Another rule that has been driving me crazy is rule 63.5. Don’t know it? That’s not surprising since the referees do not know this rule either.
Rule 63.5 states: No defending player, except the goalkeeper, will be permitted to fall on the puck, hold the puck, pick up the puck, or gather the puck into the body or hands when the puck is within the goal crease.
For infringement of this rule, play shall immediately be stopped and a penalty shot shall be ordered against the offending team, but no other penalty shall be given. The rule shall be interpreted so that a penalty shot will be awarded only when the puck is in the crease at the instant the offense occurs.
Twice Henrik Zetterberg has used his hand or body to cover a puck in the crease which is an automatic penalty shot for the other team. It happened 3 or 4 years ago to Rob Scuderi. These rules do not have expiration dates on them. What is a penalty in October is a penalty in January is a penalty in April is a penalty June… or at least should be.
And while this may be considered whining. The rules are the rules. And Detroit can get away with the obstruction and such because that is always how they have always played. They are the epitome of the old ways of the NHL.
The Penguins are the prime example of the what the NHL wants all teams to play like. High speed, tons of skill, exciting action and obstruction-free play. But until the NHL begins calling the play using the same rulebook used for the 90+ other games the Penguins have played, they will be hard pressed to change their game mid-series to adapt to the new old rules.
But the part that makes me the most frustrated and angry is that OUR Pittsburgh Penguins have fought and clawed their way back into the playoffs. They fought through Philadelphia. They survived Washington. They proved they were the best against Carolina.
They have fought as hard as I have ever seen them fight against a superior, obstructing Detroit team and have even been controlling the play at some points. They have to fight for every puck. Tyler Kennedy dumps the puck in and has to fight through 3 guys just to retrieve it. Sidney Crosby is encased by red jerseys blocking his path, interfering with his every move.
I find it so frustrating that this team, who has given everything they had, could lose like this. Last season, they were overmatched and unprepared. This season, they can’t buy a break from the hockey gods or the officiating and it is enough to make this writer go insane…
How do you think they feel?
Comments
Dan
Jun 1, 01:37 PM
Holy hell, I wanted to gauge my own eyes out whenever I saw him laying on the puck and then, even better, right after they get the puck and score.
You are so right, but the thing is that we have no say in it. I wish one of those referees from the game would read this and commit suicide.
REBEL
Jun 1, 02:34 PM
Zach, I have read FF faithfully for the past two years but have never left a comment until now. You are exactly right—these two teams are playing by different rules. You did not mention the two high sticks Jordan Staal received to the face which were not called, even though he developed a nosebleed from the first one. There were many instances of interference not called, so many that even Olcyk, a man who enjoys pointing out Penguin flaws and sometimes imaginary ones, had to talk about it.
The episodes you mentioned, Zach were particularly egregious, but have you noticed how often the Wings “lose an edge” or otherwise fall down, blocking the path of their opponent? This occurred more than a dozen times in each game—it appears this is another “legal” way of interfering with your opponent.
I love watching hockey and the Pens in particular, but this is being officiated like “a garage league.” My wife has noticed, and therefore I am sure even the casual hockey fan watching has noticed, and that can’t help the popularity of the sport. My wife suggested the Pens just leave the ice after the stoppage for all the fights with about 18 seconds remaining, citing the “CROOKED OFFICIATING” as her reason. I should point out her favorite team is the Blues, so she is not a rabid Pens fan.
I’m going to watch at least the beginning of game 3, but if this level of officiating continues, I will probably turn it off. It will have then progressed to “a garbage league.”
syniper
Jun 1, 02:35 PM
TRUTH!
Gpclay
Jun 1, 03:11 PM
@Rebel:
and don’t forget the elbow to the head that Samuelsson laid into Staal after the whistle. If Max spearing Osgood was a penalty, then surely that little love tap was as well.
And my wife feels the same way yours does (she is a converted Pens fan dating back to the 1996 run to the Conference Finals…)
DAVID SCOTT
Jun 1, 03:15 PM
I commented on this in the Game one Grades, and also started a blog on the NHL.com site about this, but it seem appropriate to repost it here. I would love your feedback (either here or on http://fans.nhl.com/members/DisplacedPensFan/boards/33505)
REFEREEING: EAST VS WEST
Having watched most of last year’s post season and this year, I see a significant difference in Western and Eastern Conference games.
Let me state that I am a Pittsburgh transplant living in So Cal. I am not a “the Refs stole the game from us!” conspiracy theorist.
The Western Conference games, throughout the season and the post season, appear to be allowed more “physical” play than the the Eastern Conference games. Many hooks, cross checks and interference calls that are called in the East are considered “hockey plays” in the West.
The East seems to feature the player’s skill and speed, and discourages plays that will diminish that, while the West seems to promote “old time hockey” that is more popular in Canada.
If Philly played in the West, I seriously doubt they would have been the most penalized team in the league.
When the two conferences meet in the SCF, if the refs call it like they do in the West (which has been the case in both this year’s games 1 & 2 and 5 of the 6 games last year) the Pens are at a distinct disadvantage. The Red Wings are accustomed to this “Let ‘em play” mentality in the west, and can take advantage of it.
Just like teams prepare for each game, the officials also prepare for the teams and games they are about to offficiate.
I am curious — Does anyone else see this?
TIM
Jun 1, 03:29 PM
My buddy who is a big Hawks fan living in Chicago called me yesterday outraged that the Wings continue to get away with this type of play. While maybe they don’t call it in the West it seems Western Conference fans believe IT SHOULD BE CALLED. EJ Hardek said in his blog the Wings are constantly accused of cheating on faceoffs. He said every team cheats but they are the best at it. Am I wrong or is it insane for an analyst to defend such play on the ice? With all that said The Pens still need to find a way to win. Take it one game at a time. Keep your head, Bury your chances. Play 10X harder than the wings. Hit 10X harder than the wings. Skate 10X harder than the wings. LET’S GO PENS!
Jesse Marshall
Jun 1, 03:48 PM
Rebel, thanks for your first comment. I hope you can leave some more.
I agree with all of you guys.
george
Jun 1, 05:36 PM
Like Rebel, I’ve been reading this blog for a while now and this is the first time I’ve felt compelled to comment, but when did the Wings turn in to the 1995 Devils? These were the most boring two playoff games I’ve watched this year.
Brad
Jun 1, 05:51 PM
@ David Scott
I have noticed your point BUT I watched most of the Ducks/Wings series and the reason the Ducks pushed it to seven was because the officials were calling penalties on Detroit. They had to back off from their normal amount of “cheating”.
To sum up the Canadian influence on NHL Stanley Cup Finals:
“Let’em play” = “Let’em cheat”
So which ever team is willing to cheat the most wins the cup.
Now there’s a sport I want my kids to be influenced by.
The NHL should be required to run the following warning before every game of the Stanley Cup finals:
“Due to the disturbing content of the following program parental discretion is advised”
Moq
Jun 1, 07:34 PM
As I wrote in response to Matt’s “I’m Worried” entry, which probably would make more sense here, the sheer disregard for the rules is mind-boggling. The obvious interpretation is that following the rulebook is detrimental to the sport itself. If that is the case, then change the rules to fit the game you want. The “It’s the Stanley Cup finals” caveat is idiotic.
In my mind, there’s nothing wrong with the rulebook and the intentions behind it. The weighting between strict interpretation and flow of the game were fine for most of the previous playoff games. I think the Washington-Pittsburgh was an example of how a Stanley Cup could be without utter lawlessness. Now it’s “let them play”, which isn’t a more neutral approach than “call everything”. Someone will benefit from either set of rules or lack thereof.
Personally, I’m done watching the Stanley Cup series. I hope the Penguins turns it around and wins, but I refuse to sit and yell at the screen like a lunatic because idiots in charge ruin the game.
Albert
Jun 2, 12:55 AM
I agree w/ the comment about the Wings-Ducks series. I watched almost every minute, and while there is more physical play in the West, the refs were definitely calling penalties.
Anaheim’s PP kept them in the series. And b/c they were making Detroit pay, Detroit had to back off the BS.
The 2 non-calls on Zetterberg in the crease, Hossa’s hook/slash of Dupuis which lead directly to the game winner, and the high-stick and then elbow to Jordan “Pinata” Staal were the worst I’ve seen. The Kronwall charge on Malkin was also ridiculous. The first 3 were LITERALLY game-changing non-calls.
Disgusting.
You don’t call an entire LEAGUE one way all year…AND in the entire playoffs…AND THEN stand the rules on their head just for the Final.
That’s $#@! ridiculous.
This has to balance out. Pens will find a way to win the next 2 at home and hopefully the NHL will grow some brains in the meantime and start making the correct calls.
Dave
Jun 2, 07:27 AM
I’m can’t believe all the interference non calls on the Wings. That’s been thier game plan all along and it won’t change unless the refs call them for what they are. I’m a firm believer in letting the boys play but you can’t just change the rules for the Stanley Cup finals.
SprJudd
Jun 2, 09:52 AM
The problem I have with the “Let ‘em play, the refs don’t want to impact the play” mentality is that by not calling penalties, the refs ARE impacting the play. By allowing one (or both) teams to play outside the rules, they’re giving one team an unfair advantage over the other. And I am not speaking specifically about this series, just in general.
It really gets me that if coaches have bad stretches, they’re fired. I players consistently have bad games, their benched, demoted, traded, or cut. If refs consistently have bad games, they’re given the chance to officiate on the game’s biggest stage. The fact that Gary Bettman worries more about keeping a freakin’ team in Phoenix than he does about the quality of play in the CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND is embarrassing! That Colin Campbell cares more about Sean Avery slandering his ex-girlfriend than he does about player safety and consistent, proper enforcement of the rules is a joke!
Yes, the officiating is typically very bad in the NHL – but it seems to get worse with each passing round in the playoffs. I’ve even heard casual fans say they won’t watch hockey anymore because they’ve tuned in for the first couple games of the Finals only to ask what happened to the speed of the game. When casual fans who know very little about hockey are turned off by the obviously poor officiating and clutch ‘n’ grab tactics, you know it is bad.
Ray aka WildcatRay
Jun 2, 10:47 AM
I wonder if the reason for all the non-calls is that the league in its efforts to appease NBC is wanting to insure that the games fit nice and tidy into the allotted 3-hour window that the network probably prefers and may also equate to the least amount of money the league has to pay NBC.
Oh, and just so you all know, I wholeheartedly agree the officiating has been terrible. It is a big black eye for the league.
DAVID SCOTT
Jun 2, 05:54 PM
@RAY AKA WILDCATRAY I wondered the very same thing with my wife!
The thing about that, if it is true, is that it speaks loudly to the Leagues complete lack of understanding about marketing the game.
Two of the FEW nationally broadcast games, SCF Games at that, and instead of showing the new product (the “New” NHL), the League decides to maximize short term revenues, and in the process, alienate any new fans by showing them an old product – 1995 Rodeo Hockey.
Absolute Idiocy!
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