Can we just get a little bit of consistency? Please?
Last night’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning was a model of everything that is wrong with NHL officiating. Ryan Johansen’s elbow to the head of Brayden Point in the second period drew a 5 minute major and a game misconduct after a review of the play to ensure the right call was made. You can quibble with it, but I will assume good intent and say that it was earned. The contact was dangerous and a hit that needs to be eliminated from the game. Send a strong message… I get that and can get behind it. I will state it clearly, the right call was made. I can almost get behind the $5000 fine added this morning.
But literally 25 minutes later, this time in the third period… the exact same crew that was so hellbent on sending a message on a hit that they went to review to make sure, that same crew saw Daniel Carr tied up with Brayden Point down low when Erik Cernak (A brief refresher here… this player is in his
SECOND game back after being suspended) comes in high on Carr, a player in a very vulnerable position and Cernak unloads on Carr’s head with his shoulder. He comes in high and hard, and seeing the play the entire time. The call for this equally dangerous and some would argue (myself included) more “intent to injure” that the Johansen hit… gets…
Wait for it…
Two minutes. No review, no questions asked…
Even after Roman Josi (who was madder than I have ever seen him on the ice) appealed… the officiating crew was unmoved and refused to review it. There is no reasonable explanation for this… none... and frankly… if the head of officiating didn’t have an email waiting for that crew when they got off the ice, then there is something even more wrong. I won’t even go into the high sticking call on Mathieu Olivier later on in the third…
THAT’S what so aggravates me about officiating in the NHL.
I get it… this is a fast game… yadda, yadda, yadda… but these are supposed to be the best officials in the world and uneven performances like last night undermines that assertion. Now it’s time for the NHL’s DoPS to make it right… but I won't hold my breath.
I guess the best part of those calls were that the Predator’s penalty kill looked really solid and that Cernak’s suspension worthy hit led to a power play goal from Kyle Turris.
Yeah… all the officiating inconsistency put the freeing of Kyle Turris as a backburner story… after a seven game healthy scratch, Turris was back in the lineup and he made the most of his opportunity, he was involved in both Preds goals and showed well.
The best signal that he is back in the lineup for awhile may have come today as Mathieu Olivier was sent back to Milwaukee today.
The Predators are off until Saturday when the reeling New Jersey Devils hit town.
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Random Notes – Presented by
- Do yourself a favor… don’t look at the standings today… trust me.
- Three days off… a little R&R… a little practice to get some kinks worked out… just what this team needs. The Preds are scheduled to practice all three days at Centennial Sportsplex.
- The streak is over… the Milwaukee Admirals had their 13 game win streak snapped by Texas. It was Milwaukee’s first loss since a 1-0 defeat to Iowa on Nov. 1. It was the Admirals first loss on the road since Oct. 23 at Grand Rapids. Congrats on a phenomenal streak!
- Great to see a good guy get another shot behind the bench as JR Lind’s favorite coach was elevated from scout to Assistant Coach in the coaching shakeup. Pete Horachek is a great guy and a very good coach.
- The Devils hit town Saturday with a new coach as John Hynes was fired yesterday… didn’t help much as they lost again last night.
- Tonight’s games – 6pm – COL @ TOR. 7pm – STL @ PIT (NBCSN). 8:30pm – OTT @ EDM. 9pm – WSH @ LAK.
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