Kesler's is the one in the crease holding Talbot's pad. Perry is skating by, that's what who hes talking about.

Oh brother.... let's get some tissues. PLEASE!
- gordong

Pick a scenario or problem, PICK ANYTHING, I almost always comes back to money... And when it comes to business it's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. You can't deny that.

Is the NHL a business? You're (frank)ing right it is, it's big business! Another fact you can't deny.

Where is the larger audience? The US.
Where is there more money? The US.
Where is there more opportunity? The US.
Where has Bettman focused on growing the league? The US.
Where are the lucrative TV deals? The US.
See a pattern here?

Don't tell me that the league and its owners don't know this and aren't interested in making the most money possible and favorable of officiating towards the American based franchises is simply one the tools that can be used and manipulated to reach their financial objectives.

Feel free to add something constructive or at least semi-intelligent to this topic.

Definitely intriguing, but again, the US viewership and money plummets in that scenario. Even if Edmonton is eliminated there would still be huge audience watching until the the cup is raised. Can the same be said in Anaheim or California, I doubt it.

That the end of the day it's about maintaining the largest audience and the Ducks advancing does that.
- As_I_See_It

I get that Edmonton is likely the smallest of the Canada markets... but I don't believe Anaheim draws much more nationally. Anaheim ranked last overall in the US according to this (if better info is out there, I do welcome it since this was a confusing search) http://bleacherreport.com...est-nhl-markets-in-the-us. I'll assume any Canada team would draw better than a US one for the Canadian market, which Bettman probably wants.

Personally I think a Sid vs McDavid matchup would draw a lot of national hype and interest, despite the teams having smaller regional markets in comparison to other teams.

*note: That link is four years old, but being ranked last back then can't bode well for now regardless.

Definitely intriguing, but again, the US viewership and money plummets in that scenario. Even if Edmonton is eliminated there would still be huge audience watching until the the cup is raised. Can the same be said in Anaheim or California, I doubt it.

That the end of the day it's about maintaining the largest audience and the Ducks advancing does that.
- As_I_See_It

Not even close to being true. Come on. Half the people in the US probably have zero idea where Anaheim is located (unless they've gone to Disneyland, and not the one in Florida). Then you have Orange County, which is basically a suburb of Los Angeles. There is zero chance the NHL WANTS the Ducks to advance. No way. Pittsburgh vs Edmonton would be a marque matchup. Crosby vs McDavid. The NHL is salivating over that prospect.

But no, you actually believe the NHL wants the Ducks to advance. Check the ratings for the 2007 Cup. Quote from Wikipedia, "the 2007 Stanley Cup Final was also notable for its exceptionally poor television ratings in the United States."

But the NHL wants the Ducks to advance.

So let me get this straight... when the Oilers win no problem with the refs. When the Ducks win it's the refs fault. I see now. Check your team. If you ain't rubbin', you ain't racing. Playoff hockey.

Not even close to being true. Come on. Half the people in the US probably have zero idea where Anaheim is located (unless they've gone to Disneyland, and not the one in Florida). Then you have Orange County, which is basically a suburb of Los Angeles. There is zero chance the NHL WANTS the Ducks to advance. No way. Pittsburgh vs Edmonton would be a marque matchup. Crosby vs McDavid. The NHL is salivating over that prospect.

But no, you actually believe the NHL wants the Ducks to advance. Check the ratings for the 2007 Cup. Quote from Wikipedia, "the 2007 Stanley Cup Final was also notable for its exceptionally poor television ratings in the United States."

But the NHL wants the Ducks to advance.


- quackup

100% agree, i dont believe this is an NHL problem, i believe this is a poopty draw in terms of the referees we got to ref this series. I would prefer different refs every game instead of the same consistent poop we've had all series, and that goes for both teams.

Eklund: No Other Way to Say It, Oilers Were Screwed.
- Eklund

Ryan Kesler pulling Gibson's leg

wait what

Not even close to being true. Come on. Half the people in the US probably have zero idea where Anaheim is located (unless they've gone to Disneyland, and not the one in Florida). Then you have Orange County, which is basically a suburb of Los Angeles. There is zero chance the NHL WANTS the Ducks to advance. No way. Pittsburgh vs Edmonton would be a marque matchup. Crosby vs McDavid. The NHL is salivating over that prospect.

But no, you actually believe the NHL wants the Ducks to advance. Check the ratings for the 2007 Cup. Quote from Wikipedia, "the 2007 Stanley Cup Final was also notable for its exceptionally poor television ratings in the United States."

But the NHL wants the Ducks to advance.


- quackup

Like I said, the McDavid vs Crosby would certainly be intriguing, but think bigger picture and longer term. The Ducks succeeding and possibly winning cup does far more for the potential growth of the game than an Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh match-up would.

Remind us what the population of California alone is compared to all of Canada?

Thanks for furthering backing up my point. For reasons you've stated that is precisely why the NHL wants to growth there and winning teams will help do precisely that.

Oilers blew their lead, that is on them - own it. The amount of Oil tears being shed right now is causing floods

McGetz has been playing hockey like he is possessed by the gods themselves.

with out liking either team, watched it live and thought it was a good goal. Kessler was pushed in. I hate Kessler. Pulling for the Oilers. I think the right call was made

Like I said, the McDavid vs Crosby would certainly be intriguing, but think bigger picture and longer term. The Ducks succeeding and possibly winning cup does far more for the potential growth of the game than an Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh match-up would.

Remind us what the population of California alone is compared to all of Canada?
- As_I_See_It

Take a step back. Ducks have already won the Cup. Winning another one does nothing to "grow" the sport in California. We already have 3 teams. Throw in their AHL affiliates and there's 3 more.

Unless you go to the local mountains, there's no snow . Ice skating, sledding, etc., are not part of life here. We're going to the beach in December instead. It's about money, and about advertising money. And as I pointed out, the 2007 finals had horrible ratings, and that was with a California team winning the Cup for the first time. Fast forward and you have the Kings winning the Cup, and the Sharks in the Finals.

I could maybe agree with your argument 10 years ago, but not today. No way.

Oilers were screwed by themselves. Epic collapse 3 goals in 3 minutes. If that isnt the entire team poopting the bed, i dont know what is.

"Clearly, Ryan Kesler gets knocked into the crease...or guided into the crease by Nurse...But Nurse had very little to do with Ryan Kesler pulling Gibson's leg and exposing a five hole more open than a I-5 carpool lane at 3 am."
-Ek

I'm pretty sure Gibson was on the bench. What game were you watching?

Oilers were screwed by themselves. Epic collapse 3 goals in 3 minutes. If that isnt the entire team poopting the bed, i dont know what is.
- Papshady

Whether they deserved to lose or not is debatable. The call alone didnt sink them obviously.

But it still stands. That was a blatant terrible call. They're letting guys maul goalies yet letting the goals stand. It's lousy for the game.

He was pushed in. Fine. He stayed in, and clamped down on Talbot's leg. It's obvious and completely intentional. This kind of crap drives me up the wall, along with the tackling behind the play, stick-holding, head-hunting garbage that is re-emerging and going un-called.

Heaven forbid a player taps another's parchment composite stick and it shatters though. Or flips a puck over the glass by mistake. Those are called every time.

You can say your team was screwed when this happens to them in a critical game:

http://www.sbnation.com/n...trips-up-ducks-defenseman

You can say your team was screwed when this happens to them in a critical game:

http://www.sbnation.com/n...trips-up-ducks-defenseman
- yzermaneely

Beauchemin wasnt catching Saad.

Thanks for the laugh.

Perhaps, but how long is Kesler allowed to say in the crease? He made absolutely no effort to leave while he had Talbot's right pad hooked.

While every team gets hit with bad calls, American teams seem to get away with more, especially when playing a Canadian based franchise. Bettman knows that Canadian dollars will always be there, but what he wants is "new money," and the vast majority of that "new money" aka "league growth" is found South of the border. Look no further than the US TV deals, as well as how quickly the Nordiques and Jets packed up shop, while on the flip side Bettman has fought tooth and nail for years the salvage the Coyotes despite taking massive loses in the hope of breaking into that market.

Make no mistake about it, from a financial point of view it's in Bettman's and the league's best interest to have a California team represented deep into the playoffs. There is simply too many viewers and money lost if the Ducks are eliminated, hence the bullpoop non-call on Perry's goalie interference in Game 4 and then again with Kesler last night.

The Oilers have been completely (frank)ed over by abysmal officiating this series.
- As_I_See_It

That is why it sucks to be a Sabre's fan, we are treated like a bastard off spring of Canada. No team has endured more terrible officiating and scheduling the last couple of years then Buffalo. Punishment for the "tank"? perhaps, but more likely due to the fact that Buffalo is almost always at or near the top of TV rankings year in and year out, so the NHL knows it doesn't have to sell hockey in Buffalo, because it sells itself.

I'm having trouble seeing Kesler bump Gibson from that angle.
- Blue Clam

ummm..thats talbot not gibson and yes he bumps him twice and pushes him while in the crease....

that is blantant goalie int....but this is a clown shoes league with clowns for refs who rarely ever get GInt right let alone all the issues with coaches challenge offsides..

The rule book needs to be scrapped and rewritten from scratch.

That is why it sucks to be a Sabre's fan, we are treated like a bastard off spring of Canada. No team has endured more terrible officiating and scheduling the last couple of years then Buffalo. Punishment for the "tank"? perhaps, but more likely due to the fact that Buffalo is almost always at or near the top of TV rankings year in and year out, so the NHL knows it doesn't have to sell hockey in Buffalo, because it sells itself.
- macman9

makes sense

I bet there's lots of TV being watched in Buffalo.....what else is there to do?...look out a window?...read Garf?

Jesus Christ

Thats a good Goal.

First of all the officiating has been flat out terrible the entire postseason. But, I don't see how this could be called. If Kes so called pulled Talbot's leg as EK claims then why wasn't there any sort of reaction out of Talbot?
- xDucksWithGunsx

There was a reaction from Talbot.

It was a blown call. That aerial view is pretty damning.

I honestly think we would be better off to go back to a system that restricts the players presence in the crease.

It would have to be flexible enough to allow an incidental toe in the crease, but on a play like last night it should be more about was he in the crease when he shouldn't be, or if he was pushed was he making an effort to get out of the crease.

I think we can all agree that Kerry Fraser made the right call
- Symba007

Never forget the water bottle.

Typical NHL officiating - the worst officiating of any professional sport. Goalie interference is ruled as inconsistently as every other penalty except the most obvious like Delay of Game for puck shot out of play. Hockey is the greatest game in the world, IMO, but it's a shame the game is run by stupid people which results in officiating being less than it could be and should be.
- EbonyRaptor

NBA is worst officiating, easily.