NHL Playoff Report

Please let me introduce myself. They call me the buzz-saw when it comes to sports and it's not for nothing. I know what I'm talking about. I'm going to start my BDL career with a few comments on the NHL playoffs to this point. Even though a few series are not playing nice and going deep, there are some words of wisdom I want to put out there about the officiating thus far.

To be blunt, the refs across the board have been horrible. This has been the case for several years now. Last post season, the Red Wings almost had a series stolen from them. In the second round, the NHL got its dream match up. For the first time since 1990 the last two Stanley Cup champions met in a series. Detroit, the champs from 2008 met the 2007 cup winning Anaheim Ducks. Despite a hard fought series the refs took over the games and made headlines. The Red Wings had a clear goal taken away due to the bozo lineman blowing the whistle mid play. A goal can not be scored after the whistle no matter what. Despite this call the Red Wings would go on to win the series and make a second consecutive finals appearance.

There already has been another blunder executed by the refs this post season. In game 3 of a very pivotal game between Los Angeles and Vancouver the referees made their presence felt and not in a good way. In a sport that for obvious reasons does not need any negative attention had some explaining to do. Early on in a contest that was won by the Kings 5-3, a goal was disallowed that could have changed the game and maybe the series. Daniel Sedin appeared to have scored but the refs took the goal away claiming the puck was kicked in. The replay clearing showed that the puck did slightly deflect off of his skate. However, according to the NHL rule book the only way to take a goal away due to saying the player kicked the puck in is if intent to kick is shown. The NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that he did not believe Sedin intended to kick the puck in but that he stands beside the no goal call. This is obviously a clear contradiction of the rule. It is also impossible to say if Sedin intended to kick the puck in unless the NHL war room guys were inside the mind of the sniper.

Here is the play, you decide what the call should be....

Over in the East, another ridiculous call was made or should I say not made that once again indicts the NHL refs. In game 4 of the Pens Senators series in the midst of both teams trading goals Jordan Staal shot the biscuit through the net which lead to a Pens victory. This goal should never have been allowed to even take place. Staal had shot the puck over the boards to stop a Sens odd man rush the possession before. If a player shots the puck over the boards mid play it is a clear delay of game call. That would have lead to an Ottawa power play in what at the time was a one goal game. That call was never made and Staal scored on the next play. This was even admitted by the Pens color guy and former two time cup champion with Pittsburgh, Bob Erry, who said "No way should that play have happened but I'll take the goal regardless." This was a shocking statement in a game that despite the final score the Sens could have easily won.

We are not even through the first round and these are only two of several controversial calls made by the refs so far. Calls like these either taking away a goal or failing to call a clear cut penalty that lead to a score can not only decide a series but can unfortunately be what fans point to as a weakness in what otherwise are always very entertaining games. I know no one is perfect but this is the freakin playoffs and bad calls or no calls are becoming an epidemic in the NHL post season year after year. More so than any of the other professional sports the NHL can ill afford to have blunders like these run rampant in their biggest games.

I will have a full recap of the first round and a look at the Conference Semi-finals once all of the series are complete. Stay tuned for future buzz-sawing.