Tin-hat time: NHLOA defeats Panthers 3-2
by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:45 AM EST
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Photo courtesy of A. Slater via VanMurph.
UPDATED (and my own bad for not including the Horcoff controversy from October 10th as well):
For the third time in less than half of a season schedule, the NHL and its officials morphed the rules for a brief moment to favor Florida's opponent. And please: can the "whining about officiating" crap before it begins...
A quick history lesson: from October 26th, Colton Orr pots a supposed - and eventual - gamewinner by running down Florida's Scott Clemmensen...
This was Big News less than three months ago, leading to international attention and admissions from the highest levels of the league - a day later - that "no goal" should have been called and a penalty was due to Orr for goaltender interference. Oops, sorry! Getcha next time! Leafs win 3-1; two potential points in the sewer. But we're all past that, right?
Fast forward to Wednesday: Atlanta up 3-2 on Sunrise ice. Bryan McCabe with the inside point shot. This was considered an Ondrej Pavelec "highlight save" on NHL.com (shortened, to brush off controversy) but check out the 10-second mark of the video below - the only one yet available online as I type this - when Pavelec looks to scoop the dead puck out of the net:
Every player on that ice surface knows the puck legally crossed the goal line. Both benches knew it. McCabe knew it. Pavelec unquestionably knew it. Game officials, continuing a bizarre pattern when dealing with Florida, somehow did not. Adding insult to a very real standings injury, the league refused review.
Now, it's been a long day on my end - and no doubt for coach Peter DeBoer as well - but I'll go firmly out on that proverbial limb by saying this is simply more of the same utter and complete BS we've come to expect. From officials, and especially the NHL; how could there be no review of a play gift-wrapped for such attention? They review everything. And it's not like the War Room was busy; only one other game was underway.
This is one of those situations where we semi-understandably expect the naysayers to descend on our quaint, sleepy market with chants of "Detroit never blames the officials"; well, the Wings/Pens/Flyers/etc don't get their goaltenders "legally" bowled down a la Orr, nor have to accept games decided well in advance of the final buzzer by confusingly waved-off goals that would be counted by the Federal League. There are two sets of rules in the NHL, period.
Spend the majority of an entire lifespan rooting for / propping up / preaching the gospel of a club - in my case the Panthers and Whalers - and the league consistently defacates down your throat.
Don't misunderstand: no anger whatsoever is directed toward the Thrashers or Pavelec, who were playing to the situation. We'll certainly hear from them - as well as the NHL - in a day or so when the Earth has cooled and they can slip a quick "it was kinda on the edge, but likely was a goal, an unfortunate judgment" past the few media outlets who may care. This is a non-Capitals Southeast Division matter, after all. Tree falling and no one's around to hear it...
Bottom line: Florida lost a goal tonight, in a tight divisional match at home. And this absolutely shameless league - drunk on the windfall of outdoor games and manufactured Crosby/Ovechkin Mania - didn't wish to be bothered. A day in the life.
UPDATE: Not a great view, but a different one...is Pavelec pulling a McRib out of the cage?
UPDATE: OFP features NHL rep Mike Murphy's response, which rings rather familiar to a few of us:
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There is absolutely NO reason why that play shouldn’t have been reviewed. Just the fact that he plucked the puck from inside of the net, should have been reason enough, to make sure the puck went in legally. This really infuriates me.
Granted, being allowed the goal doesn’t mean we were guaranteed to win, but we should have had that chance. That was a tying goal. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
If we are in the same situation as 08-09 in which we only need a point to break the 8th place tiebreaker, im sure all of the players and coaches and Dale Tallon will look back to this moment and say WTF? there is no reason whatsover why these BS calls with the Panthers always happen. I didn’t agree with any of the refs calls tonight, seriously, how did Shawn Matty get a boarding call for 5 minutes when he only landed a huge hit that didn’t even injure the player. This type of play from the NHL’s officials pisses all of us off and its only going to continue this way. I hope some kind of penalty is inflicted on the Refs who called the game tonight and basically handed the Thrashers a win. I’m not blaming the Panthers on anything tonight other than the crap second period because of those Refs.
DeBoer’s day will come…he’s not exactly off the hook here, for precisely the reasons you mentioned.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 12:17 AM EST up reply actions
Instead of exploding, all i’m going to say is this: i was at the game, and i saw McCabe thought it was in. Deboer inexplicably doesn’t call a time out, call the refs over or anything.
You can blame the officials (and they certainly deserve it) but this is like the Dolphin’s coach not throwing the red flag near the ref but just dropping it by his own feet. As a coach, you NEED to backup your players, let alone your captain. Deboer should’ve called a timeout, and that’s where i’m putting the majority of my blame.
you gotta remember, we have only one time out, cant waste it. I wouldnt be blaming him, i doubt he could really see from the bench.
I understand, but it doesn’t matter. Your captain says the puck went in the net, so you get the officials to the bench to get an explanation. You take time getting to the faceoff so Toronto has time to chime in. You call a timeout, whatever. It doesn’t matter. You can’t just go, “oh the refs probably got it right, hum dee dum dee doo.”
by Holy Jokinen on Jan 6, 2011 12:10 AM EST up reply actions
Still, where was TOR in any of this? At what point does a blatant and obvious no-call/no-goal/whatever fail to get the attention of the folks sitting in a TV-filled office whose job it is to interpret and rule in such events?
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 12:16 AM EST up reply actions
Toronto blatantly ignoring rules and thusly stealing points away from the Panthers? That never happens!
by BadLuckCharm on Jan 6, 2011 12:30 AM EST up reply actions
It’s so rare…I’m enbarrassed to have it come to this.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 12:35 AM EST up reply actions
Also: embarrassed. So. Much. Emotion.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 12:39 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t have as much blame for Toronto because the refs dropped the puck, as McCabe stated, in about 4 seconds flat.
That’s where the coach has to A. call a time out B. get the refs to the bench. C. not send players out on the ice, or D. Start throwing shit.
Cause AT THE VERY LEAST the players (and the fans) will know the coach is behind them. At that point, you’ve lost the game pretty much, and it doesn’t matter what penalties you add (i’m thinking Eddie Belfour and his swan dive impression a few years back). But the coach absolutely has to support his players captain. Refs make bad calls, but it’s what the coach and the players do about it. Deboer could have helped that situation out a hell of a lot more than he did. Instead, he just sat there with his arms crossed for a change.
Note: I’ve been a pretty staunch DeBoer supporter, but after last night’s miserable calls and complete lack of emotion from behind the bench, i’m officially on the fire deboer bandwagon. Do it now, do it in March, or after the season. Just do it.
I agree with you. DeBoer needs to force the issue, but honestly, if this crap happens again – it’s time to take the team back to the locker room. Protest the remainder of the game, forfeit and take whatever fine/suspension you have to take. This is three times in one year and it’s not even half-over.
Don’t you wish that Tallon’s coach’s challenge had gone through now?
If your team has me rooting for it, watch out!
Funny most coaches/management groups were against it…
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 1:21 AM EST up reply actions
Pete's the problem....
Tortorelli would have been out on the ice….screaming like a maniac and waving his arms wildly…lol ….now there’s a Coach!
Donny
Whats so wrong about being emotional? And its perfectly ok to chide me if you feel anything I’ve included on the board was overly emotional or accuse me of being a woman ;-).
I’d prefer to have PdB act like Tortorelli a bit over the manner in which HIS TEAM is treated. Perhaps being a little more of a hot head or one who stands up when things are clearly inconsistent or just plan wrong would give the refs a second thought about how they are going to run the rules. If your Captain is saying to the ref he wants a review., as the coach, why wouldn’t you support him and at least jaw it up with the ref?
If anyone can give a clear answer as to how Matthais got 5 mins for that hit, I would appreciate it.
A big HELL YEAH for Higgins!
Did Darcy get ANY ice time in the 3rd??
I’m more interested in hearing what Mr. Tallon has to say about last nights game than PdB and his unproductive PP side kick.
COOP
Nothing at all wrong with emotion; was describing my own condition at the time.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
Being serious
How did that hit by Matthias quantify as a 5min major and is that subject to review by the BOOBS in charge?
COOP
Unfortunately got bumped from the “headlines” thanks to the other debacle. Great point tho.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
GR via OFP got a quick email response back. From the NHL’s Mike Murphy (summarized for your pleasure); “Blah blah blah blah excuse excuse blah blah. But we still should have reviewed the play. That was my error.”
Don’t we feel better now? Oh well, life goes on. The rest of the league will say get over it, bad calls happen to everyone, they all even out in the end. I tend to agree, but the bad calls are piling up… hopefully the good breaks come in an avalanche in March and we storm into the playoffs.
Added this to the story…thanks Karl.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 12:08 PM EST up reply actions
Is there ANYTHING we can do....
Us Litterbox Cats together lodging a protest…….Any phone #s anyone. The officials [ w/ a small “o”….treat the PANTHERS like SH*T…..there has to be someone we can deluge with complaint calls. I’m fed up with the officials controlling NHL games…..and not the Players.
Most Complete View of the Travesty...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLNKfkUcqb8
Pay particular attention to 2:25 and 4:08
We got robbed, plain and simple.
Pretty cut and dried in this one, I think.
The funny thing (to me, anyway) is that I was watching the Atlanta feed online and they barely even mentioned this when it happened. They had a quick shot of McCabe going to the bench complaining, and moved on. No replays, no “hm, wonder why McCabe is so upset?” I had no idea we had gotten robbed ’til a friend went crazy on facebook and I started reading postgame stuff. Go figure.
The game-tying goal, that’s what. Awesome shot, Murph.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
I’m totally serious in saying this. Who do I write to? I am completely sincere in saying that each and every one of us Panthers fans commenting on this article should be writing a letter to someone in the league lambasting the officials for this game especially in light of the admitted failure in the Toronto game.
Noted.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
Moving this to front page.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:44 AM EST up reply actions
Go to www.nhl.com
go to bottom of page…..right side….you can “contact” NHL officials Assn………..click on Assoc. then click on “contact” and type them a NICE little email . I just did!
Thx Laus; stuck on 95 in a pouring rainstorm right now.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 1:00 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I actually watched the video now – and everyone has a right to be fuming. I personally think there needs to be reprisal from the league office for this. I think the official should be fired immediately and I think Pavelic should be suspended. He was obviously trying to mislead people, which in my mind is the same as diving and sets a horrible precedent that this behavior is acceptable.
All I can say is that this is shameful. How the people in Toronto didn’t review this is mind-boggling. Obviously, they weren’t watching the game at all – so I’m with Lausman, I’m writing a nasty email too.
Nah, Pavelec did NOTHING wrong. He did what any warm-blooded competitor would do. Not to mention goalies have this thing where they like to get pucks out of their net as soon as possible. I place no blame on the thrashers at all. They were simply on the right side of some horrendous calls.
I’m not saying that he didn’t do something anyone would – just saying that ultimately it’s wrong. I think a suspension is more a demonstration than actual punishment because the union would fight it and it would likely never be enforced. The real question is how is him flopping on an imaginary puck different than Avery wagging his stick at Brodeur? Is this any less “sportsmanlike”? We got a rule change due to that and I think a goalie playing an imaginary shell game should be considered just as egregious. If Pavelic doesn’t flop, that whistle doesn’t blow and the goal gets counted or at least a better chance that goal is at least reviewed.
The officials most definitely take the most blame, but I think that since Pavelic actively attempts to hide the puck afterwards, that’s a problem. If he just did nothing, that would be different. To me it’s not the fault of the Thrashers players, it’s the officials with an assist to the goalie.
Agree with Holy on this; Thrashers can’t be faulted,
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Also, Donny, you said, “And it’s not like the War Room was busy; only one other game was underway.”
Well that may be true, but guess what other game was on….
Canada-Russia for gold. And it was probably the point where Russia had juuuuust taken the league.
True, dat. Kudos to them for keeping their eyes on the games they’re paid to watch.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Donny, I put together a youtube video in HD from the FSN-Florida broadcast that shows the puck clearly in the net. – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLNKfkUcqb8
Thank you sir. Still in Stuart so I’ll have to post tonight.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I just emailed that link ...Thanks vektorious
I sent it to Bryan Murray and Dan O’ halloran …Executive Board….NHL Officials ASSoc. also recommended that a suspension was in order!
Care to put the video in a fanshot or fanpost? Get it in the news stream? Still a ways from home.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Listening to XM home ice since 12:30
And not one mention of this mess. Not a single word.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:11 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Yep; Canada and TB-PIT chewed up the remainder.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Keith Ballard’s on now.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 4:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Agreed, they also glossed over it on NHL on the Fly! From the Trasher feed to boot!
by IceCat69 on Jan 6, 2011 8:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
There never was and never will be coverage…The more I think about it….The Toronto Press has been the Most negative one for years….Always Bashing the Panthers …like it’s there pet peve….Screw Them and the Exec board…..It’s too bad because Toronto is a great city. Oh well…
Fans got to react!
This whole thing means nothing to the NHL if the fans dont react.
I encourage everyone to email and call XM radio, NHL Powerplay, NHL Live and NHL Hockey Morning besides emailing the NHL. We all know that if it was PITT V. PHILLY or any other team. Let us not forget the Culton Orr deal just a few months ago.
I would encourage fans at the game tomoror night to boo officials at the game, when theirnames are announced. Why not have a whiteout at the Panther game (thwart Yormack’s blue out in the process ;)?) Have people bring signs…Put the NHL sign upside down… as in distress.
I would have thrown my trash on the ice
but then again I’m insane!
But I did make a little email, and I would love to see what the guys at NHL Live would say if I gave them a call
Garrett those socks make you look homeless!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Officials from now on.....
And I mean Really Boo them……Send a Message to the Blowfisards……..We don’t like the way you call OUR games. Period! And EVERYONE here Email the NHL Officials Assoc….Att Dan O’Halloran and Brian Murray.
Great picture...
Just really unbelievable. I just don’t have words for it anymore, especially with already the bullshit refereeing last night too. Still in shock.
I’m the last person to blame or bash a ref’s decision, in all honesty because i love the NHL and think it’s well run. But man, last night was just different. Blown calls, lopsided and questionable penalties, literally a rush to a faceoff with protesting players and a video review available?! The refs responsible definitely had alternative motives in this one, no doubt about it.
“i love the NHL and think it’s well run”
I’m beginning not to. One mistake is unfortunate. Twice might be a coincidence. Three times is a trend and that’s what we’re facing at this point. I looked up the box scores for each of the three games, each has had a different set of officials. I think there’s a mindset among the league and the refs that fairness shouldn’t apply to southern teams so much, especially those lacking a superstar.
Who I’d like to hear from on this (believe it or not) is Yormark. He needs to tell me why in hell I should buy a ticket with the knowledge that my team plays at an unfair disadvantage. He should be making noise with the league instead of helping them bury these mistakes with his silence.
But Yormark doesn’t have to either answer for it nor atone for what we may feel are crimes against the empire. He’s walled off from league criticism in the business office.
And honestly, what’s he done to affect the roster or ultimate outcome on the ice, whether in a positive or negative fashion? Selling valuable square inches in the urinals does not change Rusty Olesz’s contract.
But point taken, sir. You indicated these are indeed two separate affairs. Still, the club’s in a rebuild…
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:58 PM EST up reply actions
I'm actually sick to my stomach over last night...
I’m not even interested in Hockey , tonight……..That sucks……..
REF YOU SUCK !
I really got into that last night and so did all my friends around the arena. Last time I heard that was last year at the Fargo Force – Green Bay Gamblers USHL Championship final last year. I sit right behind our team and I just can’t take DeBoer’s lack of emotion game after game. He should be an executioner and not a coach. Coaches are supposed to be part of the team yet he seems to be totally disconnected emotionally from the game and maybe from everything. Please can you get angry once and maybe get ejected or something Pete? Fired DeBoer and his sidekick and get someone with some fire in their gut, please !! Do it now Dale because it is contagious and affecting even the fans. Has anybody noticed how hard it is to get the fans to make some real noise this year??? Huh? If the Coach can’t get fired up then who can?
If the Coach can’t get fired up then who can?
Would it hurt the guy to go a little weirdorama for the fans? Short of ripping down the tarps, some fiery goodness could have helped to 1) soothe the fans while confirming we’re all on the same team, and 2) provided a video clip so SOMEONE IN THE LEAGUE BOTHERS TO NOTICE WHAT TOOK PLACE.
No one cared today. It was a non-story.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:51 PM EST up reply actions
Just disgusting. Seemed like there was a bias against the Panthers from the moment the puck was dropped. The major penalty on Matthias for boarding was almost as bad as the blown goal call. Crap officiating like this is why I stopped watching the NBA. I’m going to tomorrow night’s game. Should be interesting to see how both the team, and the fans react.
The Matthias call won’t be soon forgotten by anyone. Absolute travesty.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2011 11:48 PM EST up reply actions
hERE IS HOW TO CONTACT THE NHLOA
http://www.nhlofficials.com/contact.asp
It’s down at the bottom of the page!! Remember to keep it relatively clean!
by Carl Kanas on Jan 7, 2011 12:27 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Here is my email!
Hello, as you can likely gather from my email address I am a Florida Panthers Fan. I have been a Panthers fan since 1993 and will be a Panthers fan until I am buried in my final box.
As I am sure you have already received emails about the game against Atlanta I will add this one to the list. I am appalled at the constant “ref bias” directed toward this team. Three times this year NHL official have “apologized” to the Panthers for their “mistakes” Well to this fan those are empty apologies. Any time this team has had to deal with the higher ups in the NHL, the Panthers have been treated like red headed stepchildren. Whether it be last nights game, or when Mike Richards blindsided David Booth last season or when Keith Primeau elbowed Cam Stewart giving him a concussion in 99-00. (oh btw, he wasn’t suspended on that play either). If this sport is to be taken seriously or at the very least considered to be legit and not a variation of Saturday Night Wrestling then The NHLOA needs to take a strong look at the way “lower tier” teams are treated.
Watching 24/7 on HBO was truly enlightening as to the the amount of abuse players on Pittsburgh can heap on the refs w/o getting called for unsportsmanlike conduct. I wonder how much other teams are able to get away with. Mike Santorelli was given a penalty a couple of games ago for “something he said” and yet I cannot fathom is was so much more egregious than the plethora of “F Bombs” the Penguin Players spouted off.
Well I have had my say….I am sure it will be dismissed just as fast as McCabe was the other night. Still I felt I had to write SOMETHING to voice my disgust.
Sincerely,
CATFAN927.
Plantation, FL
Big Ups, but...
The response will be something along the lines of:
Thank you for your interest. The NHL officials strive to do a good job every game, and as they are human, errors will occur.
However, we appreciate your comment and will continue to strive for games called with zero errors.
Sincerely,
The Management.
P.S. You are not going to get a fair game called for you since you traded Campbell away!
by IceCat69 on Jan 7, 2011 1:31 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Nicely done on the Primeau/Stewart connection. A+.
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by Donny Rivette on Jan 7, 2011 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
Goal
It is funny because I didnt even see this and all I do is watch highlights from games I dont watch. This is def. shady, the NHL is terrible about covering up things that are wrong. Bettman needs to go.
What man is a man who does not make the world better
"Detroit never blames the officials"
oh, believe me, the Red Wings’ve had a few bad calls go their way. Detroit’s infamous for being among the leaders of the tin-foil-hat-wearing crowd.
this is inexcusable by the league.
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