Steve Palumbo: Anaheim Ducks Obituary + Bobby Ryan Blast the Officiating R.I.P Red Hot Anaheim Ducks Jan.1 - Feb. 19

Minor detail, they opened against Buffalo, but not IN Buffalo, NY. Helsinki, Finland would be the location.

I have to admit, the officiating this year has been horrendous. Despite Richard Cloutier's claims, I don't one team has gotten the shaft more than another, it has becoming a systemic issue all season. I understand they're human beings, but all teams/players expect from them is consistency.

Ryan was right to rip on the officials. NHL officials are nothing if not inconsistent. As a fan it's really frustrating to watch the missed calls, and phantom calls on the ice, not to mention all the crap that goes on after the whistle, especially around the goal crease.

Minor detail, they opened against Buffalo, but not IN Buffalo, NY. Helsinki, Finland would be the location.
- Charlie Conway

Noted! Thank you!

Ryan was right to rip on the officials. NHL officials are nothing if not inconsistent. As a fan it's really frustrating to watch the missed calls, and phantom calls on the ice, not to mention all the crap that goes on after the whistle, especially around the goal crease.
- Predaceous

It is only going to get better when the day comes every year that the playoffs start and the NHL rulebook becomes obsolete for 2 months. It's the only sport that I can think of where officiating and rules become less enforced as the championship game (series) approaches.

Ryan was right to rip on the officials. NHL officials are nothing if not inconsistent. As a fan it's really frustrating to watch the missed calls, and phantom calls on the ice, not to mention all the crap that goes on after the whistle, especially around the goal crease.
- Predaceous

If the NHL wants to improve consistency / lessen concussions (I didn't see the Ducks game, so the concussion part may not be relevant here) they'll assign a panel to do Shanahan's job. The one man disciplinarian show is the reason for horrible allocation of suspensions, experimenting with officials, and players not really knowing what is legal / where the lines are. Absolutely ridiculous this year. It's been a circus, and insulting to the fans.

How was Bobby trying to hold the blue line interference, but the play on Smith-Pelly at the end of the game where the defender veered left and submarined him not? I mean, not that it would have changed the outcome, but seriously what is interference these days?

Ryan might not get fined for the reason you said Steve, because he was right. His stick never made contact with the Preds player on the first call and he's slowing at the blue line to stay onside and a Nashville player collides with him and Bobby gets the interference call. Remember several weeks ago when Boudreau (correctly) called out the officials, no fine.
The refs might have been doing the Ducks a favor with all of those questionable calls though, Anaheim's best scoring chances came on the PK.

Nice Blog Steve, good read.

One has to wonder if the fact that more and more players are willing to put their ass on the line to call out the officals this season than ever is raising eyebrows in the NHL head office finally...

lol, two dallas surving members but no st. louis?

what is st. louis already in heaven sitting first in the conference?

lol, two dallas surving members but no st. louis?

what is st. louis already in heaven sitting first in the conference?
- stljam

A minor oversight on my part. Ooooops! Corrected.

Oh, it's been horrendous from an inconsistent standpoint. You almost don't know what you get. You gotta wave a white towel almost. It's upsetting. It is what it is.
- Bobby Ryan

Translation:
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Wah...wah...waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Translation:
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Wah...wah...waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
- tkecanuck341

Just letting you know ahead of time that you'll be doing a lot of that as the Kings collapse like a house of cards whether that be missing the playoffs for the... God knows how many times... or making another 1st round exit. What goes around comes around my virgin buddy

Just letting you know ahead of time that you'll be doing a lot of that as the Kings collapse like a house of cards whether that be missing the playoffs for the... God knows how many times... or making another 1st round exit. What goes around comes around my virgin buddy
- *Ducks4Cup*

Ouch yet another case of the cup virginity. That's just gotta hurt.

Good for Bobby Ryan calling out the officiating. They are awful.

Sigh... Rabbit season...

Just letting you know ahead of time that you'll be doing a lot of that as the Kings collapse like a house of cards whether that be missing the playoffs for the... God knows how many times... or making another 1st round exit. What goes around comes around my virgin buddy
- *Ducks4Cup*

The Kings have dug themselves their own hole by not being able to put the puck in the net, but if you read all of their player interviews, you will be hard pressed to find a case where they blame their poor performance on the officials. If your team loses it is their fault, no one else's. Bobby Ryan and the Ducks apparently fail to grasp that concept, hence my cry-baby reference.

As for Ducks' fans throwing around their Cup any time someone else calls their team out on their bulls**t, that's fine. You may continue to live in the past. We will continue to look to the future while your team implodes and goes back into rebuild mode. Have fun missing the playoffs for the next 4-5 years.

The Kings have dug themselves their own hole by not being able to put the puck in the net, but if you read all of their player interviews, you will be hard pressed to find a case where they blame their poor performance on the officials. If your team loses it is their fault, no one else's. Bobby Ryan and the Ducks apparently fail to grasp that concept, hence my cry-baby reference.

As for Ducks' fans throwing around their Cup any time someone else calls their team out on their bulls**t, that's fine. You may continue to live in the past. We will continue to look to the future while your team implodes and goes back into rebuild mode. Have fun missing the playoffs for the next 4-5 years.
- tkecanuck341

I know selanne and most likely koivu will be gone, but you definitely cannot call it a rebuild with etem, dsp, palmieri, holland and hopefully schultz all in the system. And just for the record, we (well at least the intelligent ducks fans) only bring up the cup when kings fan refer to the overall more successful team.

And just for the record, we (well at least the intelligent ducks fans) only bring up the cup when kings fan refer to the overall more successful team.
- selanne4pres

In case anyone wasn't sure, selanne4pres is calling *Ducks4Cup* unintelligent.