CHARLOTTE, NC -- In years past, I've only really watched the Stanley Cup Finals. I live down in the Southeastern part of the US, so hockey just doesn't really have a presence (at least, not like it does in the northern part of the country), so playoff hockey was usually all I watched.
But, the interesting thing is that... I don't ever remember it being so controversial. I know hockey's not a nice sport--there are always going to be fights and booing and yelling and just general anger. And, I know that me not being an avid hockey fan might be a part of this, too. At the end of the day, all of these teams are fighting for the same thing. They want the Cup.
There are right and wrong ways to go about this, though, and I think a large part of the issue I have with this first round of the playoffs is what the league is doing--or, rather, isn't.
It's not a question that the coach's challenge this year has been a mess. That's often what happens when you try something new for the first time, but I can't count how many perfectly good goals I've watched happen across multiple games and teams that get taken away. I get that it goes both ways--though I've seen fewer bad goals that shouldn't have counted than good goals that should have counted taken away.
The challenge just makes everything trickier. I mean, was Tarasenko's goal offside? I don't know--I thought the goal was going to stand, but the refs thought otherwise. Was Brassard's offside goal going to stay? I didn't think so, but it did. The refs are inconsistent with their calling, which makes the games frustrating to watch. It even trickles down past the coach's challenges right down to the calls themselves.
Best example? Letang's slash/high-stick on Stalberg in Game 3 of the Rangers and Penguins match up. That was, as Stalberg called it, a "dangerous play." It should have been a penalty at the least, and probably a double minor, since Stalberg was bleeding and lost teeth in the aftermath. Yes, blood drawn doesn't automatically mean a double minor, but Letang should have gotten a high-stick penalty at the least. Then, to make matters worse, the league didn't do anything in the aftermath of the game.
Then, along with that, the fans have been absolutely ridiculous this post-season--both at the game and online. The Penguins fans booed Lundvqist when he was injured because it was postponing the game, the Blues fans booed Keith and Kane every time either one touched the puck, and finally, the Flyers fans. Oh, the Flyers.
They were given plastic bracelets for Game 3, but instead of wearing them in support of their team, they threw them onto the ice. Both Ovechkin and Simmonds urged the fans to stop, especially after Philadelphia took a bench penalty for delay of game. Things just surged out of hand, prompting the Flyers to make a statement the next day saying they were embarrassed by the actions of their fans.
Then, came the Andrew Shaw debacle. For those of you who aren't sure, this article covers it pretty well. Basically, Shaw got called for a penalty late in the third period of Game 4 against the Blues, and in a flurry of anger and just not thinking, he gave the refs two nice hand gestures, then yelled a gay slur as well. It certainly wasn't the best of his moments, but the Blackhawks released a statement the next day, explaining that they were embarrassed and disappointed with what Shaw said. Shaw apologized as well, as seen here.
Even past all of the craziness of the first round, the teams that did advance are relatively new to the second round.
Only one team (Penguins, 2008) have won the Stanley Cup in the past decade, and most of the teams have never made it past the first round of the playoffs. There were a load of incredible upsets as well--Nashville over Anaheim, San Jose over LA, and New York over Florida.
This second round is shaping up to be a bloodbath, and I know who my allegiance will lie with in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. These games are sure to be crazy, and with as many toss-ups as there are now, who knows who will take home the Cup?
But, the interesting thing is that... I don't ever remember it being so controversial. I know hockey's not a nice sport--there are always going to be fights and booing and yelling and just general anger. And, I know that me not being an avid hockey fan might be a part of this, too. At the end of the day, all of these teams are fighting for the same thing. They want the Cup.
There are right and wrong ways to go about this, though, and I think a large part of the issue I have with this first round of the playoffs is what the league is doing--or, rather, isn't.
It's not a question that the coach's challenge this year has been a mess. That's often what happens when you try something new for the first time, but I can't count how many perfectly good goals I've watched happen across multiple games and teams that get taken away. I get that it goes both ways--though I've seen fewer bad goals that shouldn't have counted than good goals that should have counted taken away.
The challenge just makes everything trickier. I mean, was Tarasenko's goal offside? I don't know--I thought the goal was going to stand, but the refs thought otherwise. Was Brassard's offside goal going to stay? I didn't think so, but it did. The refs are inconsistent with their calling, which makes the games frustrating to watch. It even trickles down past the coach's challenges right down to the calls themselves.
Best example? Letang's slash/high-stick on Stalberg in Game 3 of the Rangers and Penguins match up. That was, as Stalberg called it, a "dangerous play." It should have been a penalty at the least, and probably a double minor, since Stalberg was bleeding and lost teeth in the aftermath. Yes, blood drawn doesn't automatically mean a double minor, but Letang should have gotten a high-stick penalty at the least. Then, to make matters worse, the league didn't do anything in the aftermath of the game.
Then, along with that, the fans have been absolutely ridiculous this post-season--both at the game and online. The Penguins fans booed Lundvqist when he was injured because it was postponing the game, the Blues fans booed Keith and Kane every time either one touched the puck, and finally, the Flyers fans. Oh, the Flyers.
They were given plastic bracelets for Game 3, but instead of wearing them in support of their team, they threw them onto the ice. Both Ovechkin and Simmonds urged the fans to stop, especially after Philadelphia took a bench penalty for delay of game. Things just surged out of hand, prompting the Flyers to make a statement the next day saying they were embarrassed by the actions of their fans.
Then, came the Andrew Shaw debacle. For those of you who aren't sure, this article covers it pretty well. Basically, Shaw got called for a penalty late in the third period of Game 4 against the Blues, and in a flurry of anger and just not thinking, he gave the refs two nice hand gestures, then yelled a gay slur as well. It certainly wasn't the best of his moments, but the Blackhawks released a statement the next day, explaining that they were embarrassed and disappointed with what Shaw said. Shaw apologized as well, as seen here.
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Even past all of the craziness of the first round, the teams that did advance are relatively new to the second round.
Only one team (Penguins, 2008) have won the Stanley Cup in the past decade, and most of the teams have never made it past the first round of the playoffs. There were a load of incredible upsets as well--Nashville over Anaheim, San Jose over LA, and New York over Florida.
This second round is shaping up to be a bloodbath, and I know who my allegiance will lie with in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. These games are sure to be crazy, and with as many toss-ups as there are now, who knows who will take home the Cup?
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