These days, there are an awful lot of Washingtonians tuning into hockey for the first time. That’s a wonderful thing. And being introduced to hockey during the NHL playoffs is pretty much an ideal graduate seminar in our sport: on vivid display is the players’ passion and ferocity, the fan engagement and the visual and aural splendor of the playoff rink, sudden death overtime — all are novelties to the spring season.
I am hearing from former co-workers, friends and even distant family these days, all with newbie questions. And make no mistake — while they are new to the game and to following the Caps, they are already most emotionally vested. A buddy from a past job sent me this this morning:
From: John W
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 11:41 AM
To: pucksandbooks
Subject: Please explainJohn,
I know your time is very valuable this time of year. But could you give this hockey novice a brief explanation on why power-play inducing penalties are so cavalierly accepted? To my untrained eye, that is what cost the Capitals the victory last night. And these penalties seem to be the determinate factor in most big games. If a football player draws a 15-yard penalty, his coach goes berserk (and such a foul pales in comparison to the power play). But hockey coaches and fans alike seem to shrug off these easily avoidable but draconian penalties as if they were something out of the players’ control. It’s infuriating.
– John
Well, in the case of Caiptals’ coach Bruce Boudreau, there was no easy acceptance of the work performed by the game 3 referees last night. But my buddy John’s point is thought provoking, and were I in his position, digesting this fast-paced, bruising action pretty much for the first time, I think I too would be confused. I emailed him this reply:
John,
You ask a great question. And your reactions are within the pale.
To a certain extent, penalties in hockey — even of the most infuriating kind – are unavoidable, largely because the speed at which the game is played. Here I’m thinking of sticks that come up high inadvertently. Even though they’re inadvertent, if they make contact with the opponent’s face or head, it’s an infraction. But there is also a bit of a blurred standard when it comes to hooking and slashing: a bit of stickwork (generally low on the body) is tolerated by every official, up to the point that it impedes a skater’s progress. Generally. Where that infraction line precisely arrives, and at what stage of the game it’s no longer tolerated, is what’s murky. An analogy: the variance of balls and strikes calls by individual baseball umps.
Also: there’s a longstanding tradition in hockey, in close games, of “putting away the whistle” a bit in the third period. Less so today than in years gone by, but a bit of that legacy endures. Personally, I support this. The players should decide the outcome, not the zebras. I wrote specifically about the referees in Game 7 of the Caps-Rangers series calling a grand total of just three penalities the entire game. Yes the players played cleaner than is customary because so much was at stake, but the game’s referees also showed commendable restraint.
In general though, NHL refereeing is seldom competent, and it’s fairly established that all NHL referees are the product of inbreeding and orphanage indifference from family early in life.
15 Comments
I’M NOT A REF MYSELF, BUT …
Pretty good post until the end … we agree that they more often than not put the whistles in their pockets for Period 3, though we all know that the rules say otherwise.
You overstep materially when you say that the officiating is ‘seldom competent’. Shall we use robotics to call the game instead – full time video replay judges? I think not!
Clearly there are mistakes and blunders. Clearly the puck was in the open when the RedWings could have tied the score in the final minute the other night. It was a mistake; far from a totality of incompetence.
Each of us should try, just once, to ref a youth hockey game in our community and see how well we do. I’m sure there will be plenty of parents there yelling and screaming ‘Kill the Ref’!
It’s funny that my fellow Capitals fans are so fond of ragging on Sidney for whining all the time…when they are some of the BIGGEST whiners about referreeing I’ve ever seen!
Get over it. The refs don’t hate you or anyone else. They’re not under Bettman’s thumb to keep the GREATEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD out of the playoffs!
Love the blog.
I’ll tell you what is beyond the pale. THIS:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/05/boudreau_on_cbc_pretty_clasles.html
This is a copy of the email I just sent my girlfriend in Arlington (she lives literally a minute from Kettlers…how great is that). She is usually the more excitable one whereas I try to take the more dispassionate view. Not on this occasion though:
I told you CBC (the network that is televising the Caps series up here in Canada) was seeming biased and pro Pens. I just didn’t realize how right I was.
What they did, showing the dressing room notes of one team on another, is so far beyond the pale, it astonishes me. This actually has now really infuriated me. I truly am beginning to get the idea that the media, the league, and the hockey establishment don’t want the Caps to succeed. They have so much invested in their own (incorrect) opinions from the last three years that Crosby is the best player, that they realize that if Caps win and Ovechkin beats him, they will all have to eat their words and they, subconsciously and consciously, are doing everything they can to not have that happen.
The Capitals organization should immediately stop any contact/interviews, whatever with CBC. For the rest of the playoffs.
If this had happened to the Rangers, Devils, or the Wings there would be hell to pay. GMGM and Uncle Ted need to make sure there is.
What a crock.
The context for this discussion, which apparently has eluded you both, is that many new fans are being introduced to the game in these parts, and it’s a crying shame they are noticing, front and center, the officiating rather than the players’ viruosity. And, worse: deciding that it’s determinative of the game’s outcome! *Not* what we’d want the newcomer to notice, wouldn’t you say?
To my point about rank incompetency: these playoffs are enduring a lion’s share of controversy related to officiating; it’s not one ref having one bad night but issues emerging nightly. The situation is compounded by league disciplinarian Colin Campbell’s split personality disorder on attacks to the head. Taking a long-range look back, you could fairly allege that the Dallas Stars were awarded a Stanley Cup by virtue of both on- and off-ice officials working that series ignoring season-long-enforced rules on players being in the goal crease. This is not on the order of “Everybody makes a mistake” in his or her job, like forgetting to send the last page of a fax. It speaks to the sport’s integrity.
Officiating is the single biggest reason hockey will never be the top sport in America.
The penalty for a very minor infraction is way too large. Other sports that involve less purposeful physical interaction such as basketball and soccer figured this out a long time ago. They instituted thresholds before a serious penalty is imposed, usually preceded by warnings (i.e. yellow cards).
Sadly hockey will never adjust. It is a sport developed by Northern Europeans (I am one) who have a cultural tendency to cower to power. They obey and suffer quietly.
I empathize completely with new fans and warn them that this will be the single biggest point of anquish you will have if you choose to adopt this sport. I have rarely been to a pro hockey game –and I have been to hundreds –that I have not at least once winced at blatantly obvious non-call or bad-calls that were committed immediately in front of a referee.
One Question for OFB folks: Wasnt the addition of a second ref supposed to improve things?
Yes, the officiating is bad and it seems the NHL is determined to force a certain player and team on everyone as the most important. Why they choose to orient all of this energy on a market that has been bleeding population for 40 years was last in attendance as recently as 2004 is beyond me. However, the Caps should get over it and play every game as if they are one goal down at the start. They are not going to get breaks against the Pengyunz and that is just the way it is.
A friend of mine calls it “Lemeiux-nity”
Phils, I agree that what CBC did is not only the dirtiest, most unconscienable act of reconaissance I have ever witnessed, but I cannot understand how the league hasn’t forced a public apology! Shame on them!
Pens game plan changed dramatically after the first period, seemingly as a result of newfound insights.
Not at all saying that the Caps played a good
game, but clearly when your game plan becomes public fodder, you lose some advantage.
BRUTAL!!
All that being said, I agree that the Caps should shut CBC out, and play a full 60 minutes like we know they can!
Bob cole was announcing the game last night and managed to turn every play into a penguins lovefest. I am seriously tempted to shut the volume off of my TV and listen via internet/xm radio.
Bob probably gets a chubby every time Crosby touches the ice.
Completely different topic: Did OV really get a death threat from a Pens blogger?
He really did. Read more of the death threat. *sigh*
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/664397.html
17 year old kid. Normally, I’d say, big deal slap him on the wrists and send him to bed with no playoffs…but dang…kids his age are shooting up their schools these days. Can’t NOT take it seriously.
Paul,
Your question about a second referee is an interesting one. Ostensibly, its origins are in the notion that the modern game’s pace was such the one ref alone couldn’t keep up. But I find that the most noticeable attribute of the second ref is that the ice is further clogged up by bodies. And there are now two blind men with whistles there.
in a way, i miss the old foot in the crease rule. it was the ONLY one in hockey that was black or white(up until mr. hull which pucks wisely points out), that is, if your skate was in the crease – penalty or no goal, if not – all good.
and let’s not forget the “revlon” call. if the refs miss one, they usually give it back on some kind of ticky-tack play 2 minutes later.
and i understand boudreau being a bit upset about the TV coverage, however, to suggest the pens adjusted their style of play based on that is a bit far-fetched in my mind. and to suggest a canadian bias is a bit much, i think so anyway, as well. if [HUGE IF] the pens were to win the cup, you know who sid hands it to? that’s right, the 2nd best russian player in the world. and have you seen the nominees for the Hart Trophy?
Pete,
I never did like the crease rule- too many goals disallowed for no reason.
TV coverage- put yourself in Boudreau’s shoes for a second, you put all of the effort into formulating and protecting a game plan only to have it broadcast to several million viewers just before a crucial NHL playoff game. He shows remarkable restraint by not dwelling on the injustice.
Perhaps, Friday night the Penguins’ gameplan discussion should be held on national TV, wouldn’t happen, right?
I can only liken this to playing poker with a huge pot and holding your cards facing your opponents, again wouldn’t happen!!
Sorry, Pucksandbooks, for steering this article this way but CBC pulled a no-no, and haven’t been called out for it enough, in my opinion.
“In general though, NHL refereeing is seldom competent, and it’s fairly established that all NHL referees are the product of inbreeding and orphanage indifference from family early in life.”
Haha! I love this!
I’ve been slowly getting my roommate into hockey, and the toughest part is explaining penalties to her. As soon as I explain one I get a “why wasn’t that called” and have to explain that refs are morons. But it’s like this in every game, and it’s nearly impossible for refs to get every call right in such a fast-paced game. One has to assume (and hope) that it evens out in the end.
Still, it gets extremely aggravating.
I’ll admit it…I ‘ve never been to a Caps game.
As a kid, I was a big Chicago Black Hawks fan when I was growing up in Chicago. I also played hockey until I was in college.
But having lived in DC for over a decade, I’ve yet to see a game. But it’s on my list.
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