NHL Needs Answers From Game 6 Refs

[Clark Kimble]

Not one single minor penalty all night long? SERIOUSLY??!!

There were high sticks and callable offenses on both sides, but ignoring the blatant trip on a rushing McDavid in the 3rd period with FL up 3-0 was grievous.

Refs finally woke up in time to send Evander Kane packing (hopefully for good) with a misconduct. I hope it didn't burden them too much.

Great Florida Panthers team...and Tkachuk playing all 4 series through a groin muscle ripped OFF THE BONE??? Hats off and a standing O.

[Spyro Gyra]

Not one single minor penalty all night long? SERIOUSLY??!!

There were high sticks and callable offenses on both sides, but ignoring the blatant trip on a rushing McDavid in the 3rd period with FL up 3-0 was grievous.

Refs finally woke up in time to send Evander Kane packing (hopefully for good) with a misconduct. I hope it didn't burden them too much.

Great Florida Panthers team...and Tkachuk playing all 4 series through a groin muscle ripped OFF THE BONE??? Hats off and a standing O.

I believe you misunderstood what he said. That injury is what he suffered at the 4 Nations tournament, not during the SC playoffs. He said he was over that injury and feeling better every game during the playoffs. The refs putting their whistles away during games like this is certainly nothing new and didn't surprise me in the least. Let the boys decide it has been the mantra ever since I started watching hockey in 1967.

[netboy65]

Not one single minor penalty all night long? SERIOUSLY??!!

There were high sticks and callable offenses on both sides, but ignoring the blatant trip on a rushing McDavid in the 3rd period with FL up 3-0 was grievous.

Refs finally woke up in time to send Evander Kane packing (hopefully for good) with a misconduct. I hope it didn't burden them too much.

Great Florida Panthers team...and Tkachuk playing all 4 series through a groin muscle ripped OFF THE BONE??? Hats off and a standing O.

I believe you misunderstood what he said. That injury is what he suffered at the 4 Nations tournament, not during the SC playoffs. He said he was over that injury and feeling better every game during the playoffs. The refs putting their whistles away during games like this is certainly nothing new and didn't surprise me in the least. Let the boys decide it has been the mantra ever since I started watching hockey in 1967.

Only penalty called in Game 7 in ‘19 was when Parayko put one over the glass. Like you said, big games they put them away.

[Pierre McGuire]

Absolute beautiful game called by the refs. As a fan, that’s all you can ask for…5 on 5 best on best. I hate that so many games are decided via the PP.

[rbirules]

Wasn't there a 4 on 4 early in the 1st period?

[Hooking]

I just dislike how they call games so differently between refular season and playoffs. Or even round to round in the playoffs. Why change the game / how it is played? Does not make sense to me.

[George Zipp]

More often than not the refs let the guys play later in the series. It very typically takes a delay of game puck over the glass, a bleeding face bc of a high stick or a blatant impediment of a clear or at least partial breakaway to get a call late in a SCF series. The ticky tack stuff isn't getting called and I'm glad.

The game was officiated well. The refs don't owe anyone any answer and they should get assignments deep in the playoffs next year.

And yes, there was a 4 on 4 at some point earlier in the game.

[MiamiLaw]

The refs swallowing the whistle is a worst possible scenario for Edmonton. They generate huge momentum - and many times goals - on the powerplay. Without it, they frankly did not look very good. Especially in the second period, they got absolutely clowned.

[Frank Underwood]

Absolute beautiful game called by the refs. As a fan, that’s all you can ask for…5 on 5 best on best. I hate that so many games are decided via the PP.

Couldn’t agree more. Unless it is incredibly blatant or brutal (Like Kane’s stupidity late), let the boys battle it out. Last night was great.

[TheJackBurton]

Chris Rooney is absolutely the best ref in the NHL and that's why he gets these games.

[MiamiLaw]

Chris Rooney is absolutely the best ref in the NHL and that's why he gets these games.

To me it’s him and Wes

[TheJackBurton]

Chris Rooney is absolutely the best ref in the NHL and that's why he gets these games.

To me it’s him and Wes

Yep, Wes McCauley is good as well.

[Pink Freud]

To me it’s him and Wes

Yep, Wes McCauley is good as well.[/quote]

Our older hawkey fans might remember Wes's father, John McCauley, an NHL ref who was blinded in one eye from a crazed fan's attack after a USA/Russia Challenge Cup game in NYC in 1989. That forced him out of reffing, but into the NHL office as a Director of Officials. In WHA/NHL enforcer Paul Stewart's book "Ya Wanna Go?", he cites John McCauley as the reason the former cementhead went into reffing; he was so grateful to John McCauley that he named his first son McCauley Stewart. Sadly, John McCauley died at age 44 after gall bladder surgery.
https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul-St ... /196/60394

Oddly, John's son Wes, the current NHL ref, ended his own playing career (also) due to an eye injury.

Can we indulge one more reference to hockey eye injuries?

During the playoffs, mention was made of Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL. Willie played and has lived in San Diego for many years, and when I lived there and was doing play by play demo tapes at the San Diego Sports Arena, I learned Willie played his entire NHL career with essentially one eye, having lost 95% vision in one. He is still, at age 90 in October, a beloved icon in hockey, and in San Diego, where he starred for many years for the minor league Gulls.

[Pink Freud]

More often than not the refs let the guys play later in the series. It very typically takes a delay of game puck over the glass, a bleeding face bc of a high stick or a blatant impediment of a clear or at least partial breakaway to get a call late in a SCF series. The ticky tack stuff isn't getting called and I'm glad.

The game was officiated well. The refs don't owe anyone any answer and they should get assignments deep in the playoffs next year.

And yes, there was a 4 on 4 at some point earlier in the game.

Very well said, and I obviously forgot about that 4 on 4, which plays right into Edmonton's hands. And I'm all for "lettin' 'em play" within reason. The drawback is that a clearly more physical, punishing team relishes it, like a mousy substitute teacher walking into an inner city public school classroom.

[netboy65]

More often than not the refs let the guys play later in the series. It very typically takes a delay of game puck over the glass, a bleeding face bc of a high stick or a blatant impediment of a clear or at least partial breakaway to get a call late in a SCF series. The ticky tack stuff isn't getting called and I'm glad.

The game was officiated well. The refs don't owe anyone any answer and they should get assignments deep in the playoffs next year.

And yes, there was a 4 on 4 at some point earlier in the game.

Very well said, and I obviously forgot about that 4 on 4, which plays right into Edmonton's hands. And I'm all for "lettin' 'em play" within reason. The drawback is that a clearly more physical, punishing team relishes it, like a mousy substitute teacher walking into an inner city public school classroom.

Where’s A-A-Ron??

[bluetunehead]

The refs almost always put the whistles away once the Cup Final gets this far. It's for the best unless there is something seriously egregious.