Thursday, April 27, 2006

 

Ugh


I don't usually like to talk about the refs because in the grand scheme of things everything tends to even out in the wash; but that missed pick call on the 5 on 3 was a back-breaker.

Here's the description of Rule 67 (Note 4)*:

(NOTE 4) Pick:
A "pick" is the action of a player who checks an opponent who is not in possession of the puck and is unaware of the impending check/hit. A player who is aware of an impending hit, not deemed to be a legal "battle for the puck", may not be interfered with by a player delivering a "pick". A player delivering a "pick" is one who moves into an opponent's path without initially having body position, thereby taking him out of the play. When this is done, an interference penalty shall be assessed.

Yep, that sounds about right to me, although Stoll probably could have fought through it a little harder, which would have made the call easier than simply flopping after the contact.

[UPDATE 1]: I just saw a clip of Stoll saying that he was definitely clipped, but admitting that he went down too easily basically looking for the call. Bad move by Stoll. Mac-T also said that he thought Stoll flopped a bit and didn't look all that pleased about it. Not as displeased as Tortorella about TB's goaltending, but unhappy nonetheless. It has to be seen as a symptom of how the game was called as a whole. If you are going to call every little ticky tack thing (on both sides) you have to expect that people will try to draw those kind of calls.

Anyway, there were about 10 other penalty calls on the Oilers that were deserved, and Edmonton did have two 5 on 3's that they failed to convert. Terrible discipline. Hemsky was quite simply, awful tonight. In addition, like the other loss, the Oilers had zero 5 on 5 production -- not that there was a heckuva lot of 5 on 5 play.

[UPDATE 2]: Mac-T was pretty good in the post-game interview. He mentioned that he wasn't a big fan of the two refs, but that he knew it was going to be tightly called before the game, tried to warn the players about it, and they just didn't adjust as well as Detroit's players did. In other words, while not liking the way the game was called, he put the blame squarely on the Oilers players rather than the refs, which sounds about right to me. Babcock completely missed this distinction, and made some snide comment about how he didn't go whining about the refs when Detroit lost the last game.

The bad news, of course, is that it is now a best of three series with home ice advantage going to the President's Trophy winners. Somewhat daunting to say the least.

The good news is that if this was the best we can expect from the Wings, then the Oil are not out of this thing yet. The other good news is that the Oil will not win the series in 5, meaning that they get another home date and the associated revenue.

*Note: Fenwick was the first to put up the graphic and link to the rule book. I thought it looked so darn good in his entry, that I updated mine. In other words, although it looks like my entry was earlier, I totally ripped him off.

Comments:

Yeah, great point. Greene was brutal and Winchester also took a few bad ones.
 


I still sort of like our chances. Road games seem to not matter a whole lot in the playoffs, except in game 7.

I might also suggest an open "Hard Times in Alberta" joint thread seeing how the Flames just lost.

(Where the hell was the Kipper's gaping five-hole against the Oilers this year!?)

And: BAH!
 


If you are going to make those calls, then do it for everybody. Both sides.

And yes, the 5 on 3's were terrible. They simply have no other plan than "slapshot from the point, hope for rebound." And like I said earlier, how about some finesses shots? One thing I have noticed in the past 15 years of NHL hockey is the decline of the wrist shot, snap shot, and especially the backhand. Instead of taking so long to make up your mind, wind up, and either get it blocked or miss by 6 feet, why not immediately put a quick floater on the net?
 


One might point out that if the Oilers did win the series in 5, there would be two more home dates and twice the associated revenue.

Although "Ugh" pretty much does sum up my feelings about that winning goal.
 


Not to say Mike Babcock is an asshole, but Mike Babcock is an asshole. His cocky, perceptibly condescending air is starting to piss me off. I think for the most part MacT has been the classier, cooler coach of the two. Not entirely sure that's favourable.

By the way, let's hope Mike doesn't guarantee anymore Wings' wins, because I don't like how this one turned out.
 


MacTavish SHOULD be pissed at Stoll. Had he stayed up, Lidstrom might not have had a shot. Another minus for the "hero" of Game 3. I'd be more upset that he let his team down, not that the ref didn't call Lidstrom for bumping Stoll's arm on the switch.
 


MacTavish SHOULD be pissed at Stoll. Had he stayed up, Lidstrom might not have had a shot. Another minus for the "hero" of Game 3. I'd be more upset that he let his team down, not that the ref didn't call Lidstrom for bumping Stoll's arm on the switch.

Yeah, in general I'd agree with you. I think what really pissed Mac-T off, though, was that a situation should ever arise when a stand-up guy like Stoll, who has never taken anything remotely like a dive as an Oiler, would think it is better to go down easily than to fight through some incidental contact. Same with Shanahan checking himself to the ice to avoid contact with Pronger, as you noted over at your place. Those types of decisions have to be seen as a result of the way the game was officiated
 


Detroit robbed one from the Oilers on a clear pick/interference. The sad part was that they had been doing it all game long, and only got called on it once, when the non star, Kronvall, of Detroit did it. Are you kidding me? I don't expect to see this ref pair in the finals.
 


Babcock DID whine about the officiating after game 3. In full blown whiny schoolgirl fashion. I heard him on Gregor's postgame show on 1260AM about an hour after that game.

At least MacTavish was direct about it.
 


I think what really pissed Mac-T off, though, was that a situation should ever arise when a stand-up guy like Stoll, who has never taken anything remotely like a dive as an Oiler, would think it is better to go down easily than to fight through some incidental contact.

Well, of course. Gary's pre-playoff ultimatum is really coming back to bite us, given that it's come to this.

And good point in the post above: I certainly enjoyed the game a lot less last night with all those penalties, even though the Wings won!
 


Babcock is full of shit. Previous to game four he was saying how the Wings were one of the least penalized teams in the league yet it appears the officials don't see it that way.

Now he's playing like he's Pollyanna?

If hemsky or Samsonov wake up...even just one of them...then we've got a good chance.

Here's the way I see this series right now: I don't know if the Oilers can win G5 or G7 in Detriot but I'm pretty confident they've got enough guys going and enough guys who are grown up enough not to let G6 in Edm slip away.
 

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