What do Michael Bunting, Lawson Crouse, Sami Blais, Logan O'Connor, and Liam O'Brian have in common? They've all drawn more penalties than Connor McDavid this season. In total, 32 players have drawn more penalties than McDavid so far this season. It gets even worse when you look at penalties drawn per 60 minutes of play.
Thanks to the handy tools at Natural Stat Trick I crunched some numbers; McDavid has played 232 minutes at 5 on 5 this season. McDavid is the fastest player in the game who is constantly pushing past the forwards and defense of the opposition and is consistently hooked, tripped and dragged down along the way yet he rarely gets those calls. McDavid ranks 69th in the league in penalties drawn per 60 at 1.08. Names above McDavid include Conor Sheary, Brandon Hagel, Robbi Fabbri, and over 60 others.
For those unclear why I am bringing this up, last night the Oilers won 5-3 against the Bruins and the NHL refs. It was an ugly called game against the Oilers and this isn't just homerism. The Sportsnet crew in between periods brought it up, the Bruins play by play guys brought it up as did the Oilers play by play crew. Tippett brought it up after the game as did McDavid's own agent who has never to my recollection been vocal like that before. Here is one example from the game:
This wasn’t called a penalty. How the NHL continues to let McDavid not draw penalties is insane. pic.twitter.com/XmYE10n526
— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) November 12, 2021
McDavid should draw the most penalties every year easily, yet plays like the above somehow go unnoticed by every ref on the ice every game. In the past there have always been questionable non calls on McDavid but this year seems far worse. There is one stat that is the reason why; the Oilers powerplay is nearly 50%.
We know game management is real, coaches, refs, higher ups and others have all basically stated this. Right now giving the Oilers a powerplay is almost a coin toss on giving them a goal. Edmonton ranks 23rd in the league in powerplay opportunities.
Tortorella made headlines yesterday when he stated that McDavid needs to keep his head down, not say anything negative about the reffing and change his game because he can't score goals like that in the playoffs. Two things there; the first is McDavid still has produced over a ppg pace in the playoffs so yes he can, and second and more importantly, why does McDavid need to change his game because the rules are not dictated consistently?
Last thing I will say about this; this doesn't apply just for McDavid. The NHL constantly lowers the quality of it's own product by catering to the less skilled players. Guys like Gaudreau, McDavid, Crosby, MacKinnon, Barkov... the list goes on should be worth the price of admission on their own. These are amazing players who have to deal with running into walls over and over again because the NHL has decreed that they can't possibly call every trip, hold, interference, etc on these guys.
Call the rulebook, don't change the rules when the playoffs start. Let these guys play the game.