I thought this was as funny picture; one description that I thought of right away was give me my purse back. Another one that came to mind; you just caused me to break a nail. Don't get me wrong this has been a great series to watch but there has been a lot of whining by both teams. When did hockey players become such cry babies? From watching this series and reading the New York papers and blog it appears that the Rangers hockey team is not happy with the officiating in this series so far. As a non-partisan it would appear that the reffing has been OK, but there is ground for improvement. Some have suggested that the Penguins star power is dictating the way the game is being reffed.
RANGERS NEED REFS TO LET 'EM PLAY
By LARRY BROOKS
STAR TREATMENT: The problem isn't that Sidney Crosby, talking with ref Bill McCreary, works officials, it's that some officals are influenced by star power. The Rangers can't afford that to happen in Game 5.
May 3, 2008 -- This is where we came in, with the Rangers New York Rangers needing a victory in Pittsburgh, and with the Rangers needing the game officials to allow them to play the kind of game that will translate into a victory.
None of the Rangers will touch the subject now, and why would they following the storm that was whipped up last week when officiating was front and center among topics of conversation?
It is, however, a fact that the Blue shirts must be allowed to knock down Sidney Crosby, Evegni Malkin and Marian Hossa just as they did in Thursday's playoff deathbed of a 3-0 Game 4 victory at the Garden in order to survive tomorrow afternoon's Game 5 at the Igloo.
I think the article ilustrates why the NCAA needs to crack down on ugly obstruction and let the offense players decide the game. Goal scoring puts butts in seat and not some defensive battle between two goalies. Most fans I know do not want to watch a 1-0 game. I watch hockey for the action on ice, hard hititng and goal scoreing. That is why they have the top 10 goals of week in the NHL. The goal is like the home run in baseball. I am tired of seeing trap feasts. I think it is a matter of time before college hockey will finally decide to show case the offensive talent it has.
Scoring Erupts in the Playoffs:
By JEFF Z. KLEIN and LEW SERVISS
Goal scoring is up substantially this spring. The league’s stricter enforcement of obstruction rules, now in its third season, seems to be accomplishing its objective of opening up play.
“Certainly over the last three years, play has gotten much more open,” said Neil Smith, a former Rangers general manager and a current commentator for Versus. “Referees are making sure players can’t obstruct or hook, and they’re making calls at every point during the game.”
Smith said that a couple of things stood out about the games he had seen this spring. “The speed is very impressive now,” he said. “The way play changes hands and goes back and forth so quickly, that’s something that has really impressed me.”
For Goalies, Small Is Good
The rise in goal scoring is one reason goaltenders no longer dominate the conversation the way they once did; the average save percentage in the playoffs through Thursday, .915, was the second lowest of the decade.
But if you look at the handful of goalies who are doing well and carrying their teams deep into the playoffs, a pattern emerges.
