O.K. I Take That Back

Remember when I said the NHL was starting to call the game by the book? Well, you can scratch that, as the Goebbels and Himmler of officiating crews is making a mockery of the game tonight. This is what happens when you let bunch of no talent hacks make up the rancid cream of your officiating crews. They could never actually play the game with any skill themselves so they resent it when they see it on the ice. Therefore a negative defensive team like the fucking Red Wings is favored over the skilled Penguins. The result is hockey that is boring as pig shit.

These refs are nothing but a bunch of cocksuckers.

(I know, I know...thats from baseball movie...but it seemed to fit.)

ADDING:

The refs are also gonna have to decide if Franzen is a hockey player or a goddam china doll. I'm betting they decide he's a china doll.

And since when did Chris Osgood become such a flopper? There seems to be something about wearing a Detroit uniform that makes you a pussy.

OMFG

Through one period of Game One of the Stanley Cup finals and the refs are not allowing the Red Wings to interfere off the puck, trip the goaltender, or hold Penguins up after they dump the puck in.

In other words, they are actually calling the game as the rulebook says they should.

Miracles do happen.

In Praise Of Don Denkinger

The explosion of vitriol I vented last night brought up a painful reminder. No matter how much I love the game of hockey I have to admit they have the worst standard of officiating of any major professional sport in America. MLS used to be the worst, but you can attribute that to being a new league with understandably inexperienced officiating crews who have raised their standard over the years. NFL officiating is notoriously uneven, but good work is often done. The NBA has its problems (like officials getting caught throwing games), but overall the reputation of the average gameday crew isn't abysmal.

The gold standard in officiating has to be the MLB umpires. Yes, there are annoying aspects to their work, like umpires who seem unable to call a consistent strike zone or who deliberately try to antagonize players, but in general they do good work and they do it in a conscientious manner.

Even as notorious a blunder as Don Denkinger's blown call in the '85 World Series shows the superiority of the average MLB umpire. It says something about the integrity of baseball that the first thing Denkinger did when he got off the field was to ask Peter Ueberroth if he got it right. Fundamentally that is what every MLB umpire wants to do, get it right, and it shows. The average NHL official seems more interested in their ego and throwing their weight around than in getting calls right. The worst of the worst, like Mick McGeough, seem to develop personal animosity towards players and teams (for McGeough that would include St. Louis and Edmonton) and they officiate through the prism of their prejudices. You always get the feeling that when McGeough skates off the ice he doesn't ask anyone "Did I get it right?" but instead says "I taught those punks a lesson."

You never got the feeling that someone like Denkinger "had it in" for the Cardinals. Denkinger always made it clear that he wished he had gotten the call right, because getting it right was what was important to him. Certainly every Cards fan wished he had gotten it right too (and maybe that he wasn't behind the plate for Game 7 either when everyone's emotions were so raw), but certainly it never seemed to be about Denkinger's ego.

The NHL could learn something from the likes of Don Denkinger. They won't, but they could.

The Dishonest NHL

There is a lot of bullshit in the world. There are also a lot of worthless cocksucking assholes in the world. These two great forces of the universe come together more perfectly no where else than in NHL officiating. NHL refs are to justice what Pol Pot or Stalin is to humanitarianism.

Tonight I witnessed an NHL game where the St. Louis Blues were called for 8 penalties in a row. In a word, that is fucking impossible. In a fairly officiated game you might get 4 in a row, but you never, ever, see 16 minutes of penalties for one team versus 2 for another.

The NHL has already started killing off Blues fans, like the poor bastard whose heart exploded in the stands after abominations committed last season. Tonight's crimes against humanity were committed by the exact same mother fucking asshole, who should really get into a horribly disfiguring automobile accident someday soon, Mick McGeough. This is the same walking abortion that the Ottawa Sun last season said:

“Referee Mick McGeough, who has been getting plenty of heat for blown calls this season, likely won’t work in the playoffs. If that’s the case, there’s a strong chance the veteran official may not be back next year.”

Unfortunately, the NHL knows no shame, so this skating abomination is back ruining another season for people who actually like the game of hockey.

It's well past time.

FIRE MICK MCGEOUGH!!

BOYCOTT GAMES REFERRED BY MICK MCGEOUGH!!!

So I don't care if you are a Blackhawks fan, A Devils fan, A Habs fan, even a goddamnned Red Wings fan, it's time to stand up for the integrity of the mother fucking game. Demand that the NHL dump this worthless piece of shit.

It is a fucking disgrace that McGeough will be allowed to "retire" after this season with any sense of dignity. Of course he is able to retire. He probably made a fortune in Vegas from all his dishonesty.

If the NHL allows him to ref in the playoffs....

More Ottawa Craziness

You would think that in front of a larger audience for a Stanley Cup final the NHL would quit the outrageous favoritism and fixing of games on the behalf of the Ottawa Senators. You might think that, but you would be wrong. Yet AGAIN the league has used video "replay" to screw teams playing against Ottawa. To be fair, today it was with a twist. Usually the league merely takes away goals scored by Ottawa's opposition, but today they decided to give Ottawa a goal they didn't score (legally) and overrule the on ice official (who made the no-brainer correct call for a change.)

Welcome to the NHL: Joke League of all Joke Leagues.

Yet Another NHL Embarassment

The NHL officials are trying to give the series to the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings have committed 7 or 8 callable infractions in the 3rd period. None of course were called.

It's a joke. A fucking joke. The NHL is a joke. A fucking joke.

The league is fixed.

UPDATE:

The four penalty calls in a row, all against Anaheim, during the last 10 minutes of the game was simply inexcusable. This is especially so since multiple Red Wings infractions were ignored, both earlier in the period and during that final 10 minutes. Look, either you let them play it on the ice OR you call EVERYTHING STRAIGHT UP, FOR BOTH TEAMS, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS AHEAD IN THE GAME.

Anything less leaves you wide open to charges of capriciousness.

It strikes me as obvious that the on ice officials had a preference for who they wanted to win this game.

Ottawa Must Have Incriminating Pictures Of Someone

Good God. Senators get yet another goal for an opponent disallowed. They get what could charitably be called "questionable" penalty calls to give them a two-man advantage to take a lead. (To my mind one of those penalties was questionable, the other was a complete and utter joke.) Alfredsson gets no call on an obvious boarding call that was borderline for being a major penalty. AND they get a winning goal off of a draw that looked like the linesman was throwing the puck backward. (Did that look like a fair draw to anyone???)

For all of those who say that all the breaks "even out," I defy you to look at the last three months of Ottawa's season and see anything evening out.

The NHL Is Fucking Retarded

So, I'm just trying to enjoy a little playoff hockey tonight. My team doesn't make the playoffs so I don't have a rooting interest as such, I just want to see a good game.

Well, the NHL, as usual, just tells the fans to go fuck themselves.

I'm watching the Senators-Penguin game and 14 seconds after Ottawa scores to go up 4-1 Sidney Crosby scores to cut it to 4-2. It wasn't the prettiest goal in the world, but it was very clearly a goal. There is no controversy about that. If you think otherwise you are a god damned idiot. Well, the dipshits in the NHL say it isn't a goal after review. Now, these are the same assholes that got goal calls wrong TWICE in a single Blues game, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised. But it just pisses me off. I like HOCKEY. I don't really want to be on my blog bitching about the officiating. I don't give a shit about either of these teams. I just like hockey.

THE NHL IS RUINING HOCKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had to turn the damn thing off. Whether through incompetence or something else (hmmm...the Canadian teams benefits and the American team is screwed...where have a seen THAT before??), the NHL is bound and determined to destroy this game.

Complete and utter bullshit.

Fallout

I promised I wouldn't bitch about NHL officiating anymore this season, but there has been a couple of interesting things resulting from the debacle in St. Louis last week.

From the PD:

GOOD-BYE TO MR. MCGEOUGH?

The hapless work of referee Mick McGeough came to the attention of the NHL after he denied the Blues two legit goals against Ottawa. Here is an item Ottawa Sun scribe Bruce Garrioch recently published:

“Referee Mick McGeough, who has been getting plenty of heat for blown calls this season, likely won’t work in the playoffs. If that’s the case, there’s a strong chance the veteran official may not be back next year.”

That would be a real shame.

Interesting, very interesting.

There was also this comment from an eye-witness watching from the cheap seats:

As a student at a University in Tennesee, I rarely get to see a Blues hockey game. I was happy when I learned that during my spring break, I would be able to attend one. Unluckily, that game ended up being the one last Tuesday night. The Blues didn’t play amazingly well; I didn’t expect them to. I also didn’t expect the horrendous officiating. The college hockey and minor league hockey games that I have attended were never as poorly officiated as this game was. Following the game, Chris Kerber made many insightful comments about the pair of McGeough and LaRue [a rhyming couplet?]. Kerber was shocked and dismayed over the failure of the referees to understand the rules. Bob Plager chimed in, calling Denny LaRue an “out and out liar.” I was extremely disappointed in this aspect of the game.

I viewed the game from Section 315. At the end of the game, everyone in the upper bowl took issue with the officiating, voicing their opinions loudly. One fan, a seventy-odd year old man, was shouting in the first row of section 314. At the end of the game, the man overexerted himself. He had a heart attack and died. This was extremely difficult to watch. And it underscored even more the utter failure of Denny LaRue and Mick McGeough. They should feel guilty, they should apologize, and they should send flowers to this man’s family. And they should go back to working minor league hockey, where some fans might give them more leeway.

I tend to doubt they would find more leeway in the minors, but I understand the sentiment.

Sadly Predictable

Anybody who has followed the NHL for any length of time knew what was coming for the Blues tonight. You complain about the officiating to the league office (who acknowledge the merits of your complaints btw), and you are going to pay the next game. It's inevitable. The officials are like the thin blue line...they cover for their own.

So you are Doug Weight and you take a stick to the face that busts your lip wide open and knocks you out of the game? Nah, the refs are blind, they don't see anything wrong with that. You are Lee Stempniak and you are hooked from behind while circling the net while the Blues are putting great pressure on? What? Sorry, the refs minds must have been elsewhere.

Look cross eyed at a Wild player? To the box with you.

Alright refs, you got your revenge, now drop your capriciousness and return to your usual state of incompetence.

UPDATE:

I'm done bitching about the NHL refs this season (barring something truly idiotic occuring during the playoffs...so I've a 50/50 shot.)

The next complaints will be about MLS refs, but that is a couple weeks away yet.

"Keep Moving Sonny.....

...Nothing to see here."

The NHL Is Now In The Business Of Killing Blues Fans

Apparently an elderly Blues fan blew a gasket after the display of NHL incompetence last night and died of the resulting heart attack late in the game. It's sad to think that among his very last thoughts was about how this league continues to screw over the Blues.

R.I.P.

God, knows I'll be joining you one day and for the same reason; Death by NHL referee.

The Blues and the Post-Dispatch are not pleased.

Jeff Gordon's take: Send in the clowns -- an upgrade over NHL refs

The Blues are working hard to the end. They are busting their tails night after night. They are establishing team pride and integrity during the final weeks of the season.

So it is only fair that they expect the NHL officials to maintain their integrity while working their games -– and to not hand victories to the other side, as they did Tuesday night.

This team has been on the wrong side of poor calls and inexplicable non-calls in recent games, culminating with the fiasco against Ottawa at the Scottrade Center.

NHL referees Mick “Mister” McGeough and Dennis LaRue refused to acknowledge one obvious goal, then waved off a second obvious goal. The first goal would have given the Blues a 3-2 lead and the second would have tied the game 3-3. Advertisement


“It’s a disgrace,” Blues president John Davidson said.

“Unreal,” Blues coach Andy Murray said.

“This should not happen in this day and age,” Blues center Doug Weight said.

On the first goal, er, non-goal, Brad Boyes took a third-period pass from Weight at the left post and jammed the puck toward the empty goal. Senators goaltender Martin Gerber dove back, reached into the goal with his stick and knocked the puck back out.

This was a goal, clear as could be.

But the goal judge didn’t see it. McGeough and LaRue missed it, too. They didn’t ask for a video review. They rushed to restart play. And video review judge Jerry Burt didn’t call down to notify the officials of their blunder until after play had resumed.

Davidson was furious in the press box. Murray was furious on the bench, since he had been notified, before play resumed, that Boyes shot was well into the net. Blues players were baffled on the ice, especially when the review horn sounded while they had control of the puck in the offensive zone.

What was going on here?

“There are 25 cameras,” an exasperated Weight said afterward. “Certain people have certain jobs to do.”

The NHL has gone to great lengths to operate an elaborate replay system. There is a replay judge in the press box. There are observers in a Toronto war room, carefully examining every close goal-mouth call in televised league games.

Blues games have been stopped for an eternity while these observers used the latest video technology to back up, slow down, blow up and digitally enhance replays. I’ve seen goals counted against the Blues when all replays appeared utterly inconclusive to the naked eye.

It is impressive, the lengths the league goes to in examining potential goals.

And yet, the Blues scored an obvious against Ottawa and it doesn’t count because all the officials involved -– on the ice, in the booth, in Toronto -– refused to do their job correctly.

I understand the Senators are fighting for playoff positioning and the Blues are not, but there ought to be some semblance of fairness in the NHL.

Had the referees merely missed the goal, it would be no big deal. That happens all the time, especially with lightly regarded referees like McGeough and LaRue.

(Among the phrases uttered around the Blues dressing room Tuesday night was “clown nose.” But I’m not telling who said it, because that person would get fined.)

That is why the NHL has gone to great lengths to back up the officials. The fact this replay system was simply ignored, to Ottawa’s obvious benefit . . . well, that is shocking.

BUT IT GETS WORSE!

The officials tried to offset their mistake by calling a series of penalties on the Senators, who responded by scoring a go-ahead shorthanded goal. With a bit more than two minutes left to play, Blues power forward David Backes scored the tying goal by jamming home a loose puck in the crease.

McGeough, though, disallowed the goal even through he hadn’t stopped play. He claimed Gerber had covered the puck, which, in reality, never happened.

The referee said he was in the process of blowing his whistle when the puck went into the net. Yeah, like Gerber was “in the process” of covering the puck when Backes scored. Please.

“Why would he blow the whistle?” Murray wondered. “The puck was moving.”

Again, replays were damning. This time there was nothing the review judge or the Toronto war room could do (or not do) to fix the error. The call was McGeough’s to make -- and, in this case, to blow.

The Senators got their two points and the Blues got some bad explanations. Should the franchise demand an apology?

“What does an apology do for us right now?” Murray said.

What the Blues can request, going forward, is an honest effort from the officials in every single game. If they are going to give their best shot during these dog days of the season, it is reasonable to expect the NHL’s on-ice and off-ice officials to do the same.

You hardly ever see such an open condemnation of officiating coming from a major newspaper, but last night's game was so bad it couldn't be ignored. You simply cannot pretend it wasn't happening.

Fire Larue.

How Do They Allow Larue To Stay In This League?

It is very obvious to anyone who watches NHL game that Dennis Larue has no business on an NHL ice surface. He is simply a disgrace. Yet there he is materially affect yet another NHL game with his gross incompetence. And I'm not claiming he is out to get the Blues (like I might with someone like Mick McGeough). Oh, I'll do that sometimes, but deep down I know I'm just a little unbalanced when it comes to the Blues. Larue is different because he ruins every game he officiates every time. He is 0 for his career.

For the love of all that is holy, get him the hell out of there, and send him back to the pee-wee league...that he will probably ruin as well.

UPDATE:

Kelly Chase is about to lose it on the radio after yet another bad call, as the Blues/Senators game is quickly disintegrating into something ugly. Some Ottawa player went after Jackman's knee and God only knows what will happen now.

Chase: "This crap has been going on for seven years while New York is supposed to be 'handling' this. There is no accountability."

UPDATE:

Now Larue won't allow the Blues to make a goaltender change although they cannot be denied the change.

Fire Larue now.

UPDATE:

The Blues have had a second goal taken away from them. This time by McGeough.

This is a joke.

UPDATE:

Someone should probably check the bank accounts or the IQ of the two officials doing the game tonight. They are either cheating for the benefit of gamblers or they are retarded.

Blues lose 4-2 with the empty netter.

UPDATE:

I'm not alone in thinking the Blues got robbed tonight. From Sportsnet in Canada:

The Ottawa Senators will take wins any way they can get them.

Antoine Vermette scored a short-handed goal 4:26 into the third period to lift the Senators to a 4-2 victory Tuesday night over the St. Louis Blues, who felt they were robbed of two goals. The first of the disputed calls came moments before Vermette's winner.

"I have to tell you, I don't have a lot of sympathy," Senators coach Bryan Murray said.

Brad Boyes put the puck in at 3:14 of the final period and moments before play was stopped when Senators goalie Martin Gerber took possession of the puck. Replays showed that the puck went about a foot past the goal line before Gerber pulled it back with his stick and smothered it. The goal light wasn't turned on and the officials didn't look at replays until after play resumed.

According to Rule 78.6, once a game has restarted following a stoppage of play -- in this case when Gerber held onto the puck -- a replay can't award or disallow a goal.

"This should not happen in this day and age," said Blues centre Doug Weight, who also lamented his team allowing two short-handed goals. "There's going to be sometimes you catch it, sometimes you don't."

The horn blew and play stopped 33 seconds later. The referees talked briefly with video goal judge Jerry Burt. Blues coach Andy Murray said referee Michael McGeough acknowledged during the delay that the goal should have counted but they couldn't reverse the call.

Andy Murray was annoyed that play was stopped with the Blues in possession of the puck in the Senators zone. He was more angry that Burt and NHL officials in Toronto, who monitor every game and can call for a review, didn't in a timely fashion.

"The video goal judge said he watched the replay and said he didn't think it went in," he said. "I mean, it's not even close. It's not even close."

He also took exception to Bryan Murray saying he clearly heard the whistle blow "well before" the puck went over the red line.

"His hearing isn't good if that's the case," the Blues coach said.

Just another example of the Canadia....I mean the National Hockey League in action.

The NHL will obviously show they are fair and above board by fining the Blues.