Here's a case in point: Cepis scores on the Power Play and we respond by playing "whatever" hockey. It seemed like the Sioux were saying "we'll take care of them tomorrow then." Well, let me tell you, the arrogance of that stance is so outstanding it would be hilarious to look on their faces tomorrow as the Gophers keep their season alive... if it wasn't the Sioux being the victims.
When you are down a goal, especially in a playoff game in the 3rd period, you NEVER play back. You ALWAYS ratchet up the intensity. You play aggressive and if they burn you for taking chances, so be it. This DID NOT HAPPEN TONIGHT.
We shot the puck on net plenty of times. However, we crashed the net almost not at all.
Ok, the officiating:
Last night, the officiating was pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good. They let go what they should have let go and called what they should have called. They even called unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, even one on Cepis, something unheard of in the past.
This game REEKED of situational officiating and institutional-enforced parity. They wanted a series. They got one. They want Minnesota in the Final Five and they can't outright give it to them, but they can facilitate it as much as humanly possible.
Tonight, the officials called the rule book on the Sioux. They made exceptions left and right for the underdog Gophers. Yeah, you got me right critics of my anti-officiating bias. I'm not going to sit here and say that the Sioux are angels. I'm not going to say they never commit a penalty.
I will say that, with the exception of the Cepis dives, every penalty called against UND was legit, or at least reasonably called. However, constantly I witnessed the refs giving a free pass to the Gophers for crap we got called for earlier in the game! What's the deal. Call it both ways or don't call it at all. PERIOD.
True, the officiating is terrible with PLENTY of missed calls and bogus calls for both sides. However, if Hakstol doesn't opt to push for new officials tomorrow, then his sanity will be called into question. That being said, I doubt Daddy dumbarse will stand by and let his darling little boy be criticized by a goon and his clan.
My players of the game:
First Star: The Refs. They led UMN in points with 2.
Second Star: Alex Kangas
Third Star: Brett Hextall because he wasn't afraid to shoot the puck.
The League got what it wanted tonight. Now, I hope they come back pissed off and ready to actually make something of themselves.
End Rant
wow, and you think SCSU has a Jan Brady complex? You might want to look in the mirror sir! By the way Cepis has nothing on Roe when it comes to diving!
ReplyDeleteJeez Goon, simmer down now. There's game 3 tomorrow man, the series is not over and if the Sioux play like they have been the past month, they shouldn't have any trouble. For Goldy, obviously scoring the first goal is going to be key. The part about "Hextall because he wasn't afraid to shoot the puck" made me laugh. I hate it when players get high quality chances and try to set up something pretty. The Great One said it best: a shot not taken is a goal not scored.
ReplyDeleteGood point Joe, my man. Game 3 at the NHC tomorrow too. Good third period by Roe and Huskies tonight, they showed some grit. Also a game 3 in Duluth...
WCHAdominates, I didn't write this article, Redwing77 did...
ReplyDeleteJoe Yes I do think SCSU has JBSU complex.
Goon,
ReplyDeleteSOrry thought you wrote...will take a better look next time! My bad! I stand bye the Roe comment though! NO one better since Cicerelli!
Joe-
ReplyDeleteYou didn't see my article a few months back.
The Robbie Earl Memorial Award for Diving - Frozen Water Division went to Garret Roe. Cepis was the Runner Up.
Actually, this is his first year in the WCHA. Would that make him the WCHA Diving Rookie of the Year?
I'm not jealous of Minnesota. I don't think the refs "had it in for UND." I think the refs used situational officiating to sway the balance of the game.
Hell, if Hextall started diving all over the place instead of Cepis and UND won because of it, I might be happy UND won, but I'd still call out Hextall for diving.
Like I said on SS.com, I'm not entirely convinced VV was tripped into the boards. It looked like he was already off balance and falling when Lucia got his stick in there (I think it was Lucia anyways). I thought it was a marginal call and possibly diving on VV's part.
It worked. UMN went on the penalty kill.
Cepis WILL dive tomorrow. GUARANTEED.
I hope Thing 1 and Thing 2 aren't here to give Minnesota an unfair advantage.
Its a good thing Cephis had eidness paddle to dive off of. Amazing yet again, soo reffing good, sue lose, black WCHA helicopters circleing above the Ralph. How about the no call for delay when Hextal was flopping in the corner when the Goph's were buzzing and pulled the puck under himself? Bad call? Get over " the world is against us" attitude and accept that if you bend the rules, every once in a while, the rules come back to slap you in the arse.
ReplyDeleteSorry, gotta clarify one comment, sue win, reffing good, soo lose black helicopters. Still cold up here.
ReplyDeleteFood for thought. This year on Sunday games: UND 1-0-1. U of M 3-2 All those silly scheduled sunday games when the Golden ones were playing and the UND boys were nursing their hangovers could have an effect on todays outcome.
ReplyDeleteThe reffing in last night game was horrible. The linesman blew at least 2 or 3 offsides calls coming into the zone. The penalty on Eidsness was BRUTAL CALL and Cepis dove over Eids foot in the goal crease. If anything Cepis should have gotten an interference call. Also the call on Blood was brutal as well.
ReplyDeleteIf Cepis can draw a penalty for diving, more power to him. Sure, it might be silly and lame, but I'll bet its nice when his team scores on the power play because of it. Same thing for Garrett Roe, same thing for Robbie Earl. Diving + drawing penalties = power play, which may or may not = goal. Every team should be happy with a power play opportunity, even if it was weak tripping or hooking call.
ReplyDeleteWCHAdominates, Diving is bad sportsmanship, goes back to it being a character issue.
ReplyDeleteGoon- Yes, it is a character issue, but WCHAdominates is right on.
ReplyDeleteWhy stick to character when the league itself doesn't promote it?
Your season is on the brink. You go out there trying your best and if you take a flying leap that draws a penalty, sure, you'll be accused of having little character but what does it do to hurt anyone? No one got injured. It doesn't guarantee a goal. If anyone runs the risk of injury, it's me as the diver. So what's the big deal?
The WCHA says they are cracking down on Diving but they say a lot of things.
The officials are trained to ignore penalties in certain situations and give the benefit of the doubt to the underdogs in others.
It's just impossible to believe that the officials don't know the rule book. I agree with Greg Shepherd in that regard. What they DON'T know how to do is to efficiently and consistently APPLY the rulebook to the game.
More than once I've seen an official's arm start to raise and then go down. This gets me thinking about the offsetting penalty.
Why offset a penalty? In truth, the more I see it, the more I think that the offsetting penalty is used by officials to counter a questionable call or a call they've made on the other team that they're not sure was the right call to make. This way, no one complains because it doesn't give any particular advantage to either side.
All this reeks of incompetence. No one expects perfection, but no one also expects that the officials can be this bad and get away with it either.
I do hope we see new officials tonight.