I think this very nicely sums up the problem; if the play has to be fine-sliced in slo-mo replay, it’s very unlikely to be something you really need to bother with replay reviews to ensure the game is fairly played. When the goal is not scored immediately on the rush it feels, frankly, colossally unfair.
Officiating improvements shouldn’t feel unfair. When they started reviewing safe/out calls in baseball, that made it feel MORE fair. It took too goddamn long (which they’re tightening up this year) but you came away 99% of the time thinking, “they got it right now, that’s good.” That call in the Ottawa-Boston game didn’t feel like that. Yes it does appear from one angle like the guy was offside, but I didn’t feel like the game had been made more fair.
Here’s my problem… you have not one but 2 paid linesmen. Their primary responsibility is to call the line and icing. 4 officials on the ice? There’s absolutely no excuse for missing any call.
I’d prefer that when in doubt just call it off-side, players and coaches may complain but they move on, play resumes, and it’s forgotten pretty quickly. Otherwise, allowing play to continue until a goal is scored and then rewinding the tape all the way back to a missed call is ridiculous.
/hijack - My son’s team had one of the oddest calls I’ve seen in recent memory. His goalie made what appeared to be a great save on the goal line, they dug the puck out of the crease and then rushed down to the other end, where they spent 4-5 minutes working hard in the offensive zone and eventually scored. Because it was the next whistle after the original save, the referees got a chance to meet and the back side ref thought that the puck may have crossed the goal line. They ruled ruled it a goal for the opponents and disallowed the subsequent goal.
It sucks but that’s the rules…
I’ve played hockey, coached hockey and actually tried to ref a few games. The offside call is one of the most difficult to make because of the speed of the game (which increases at each level). Seems simple but it’s often not.
But yes, review should only be allowed as to whether the goal scorer was offside when he gained possession of the puck and if no one touched it after that. Seems pretty simple.
Football would be a mess if after every completed pass the refs reviewed whether there was a holding call in the backfield.
Ottawa goes through to the second round with an OT win. What a strange series full of blown leads and massive momentum swings. I thought Ottawa was toast after that third period, and then they go out and dominate the overtime.
Did anyone else see that guy on the Toronto bench after the Caps won the game that looked up with an expression just totally said “Wait; what just happened?”
This has been an amazing playoff round with 18 overtime games. “Sudden death” is a good description. The loser feels like they have been fatally shot. These guys have been working their butts off and then “poof”, all for nothing.
With 18 overtime games you know they are giving it their all. I love the game of ice hockey!
Believe it or not, I never even saw the game. But the Leafs are really building a team here, for the first time in a long time. They have youth. They have goaltending. Maybe a bit more help on D and they’re going to be a very good team in a year or two.
[QUOTE=Leaffan]
Believe it or not, I never even saw the game. But the Leafs are really building a team here, for the first time in a long time. They have youth. They have goaltending. Maybe a bit more help on D and they’re going to be a very good team in a year or two.
[/QUOTE]
The thing about projecting a team’s performance into the future is you don’t actually know what the team will need in two years. Maybe they’ll need to replace Andersson. Maybe they’ll need blueline help. Maybe they’ll lack depth at a forward position.
The reason teams should build their talent base is that irrespective of your needs in, say, 2018-2019, you are in a position to convert your surpluses into a fix for your deficiencies. If you have exceptional depth at center, you can move a center for a defenceman. If the minor are brimming with defencemen, you can use them as chips to get a goalie. If you have goalies breaking down the door to get into the NHL, you can let your high priced goalie walk in his free agent year, promote everyone else on the depth chart, and use the extra money to sign the sniper you need at left wing. The total amount of talent in the system is what makes a team optimistic about the future, which is why in two years the Maple Leafs will be a better team, whereas the guys down the street, the Blue Jays, will not.
I would slightly expand that to that the offside should be reviewed if:
The player gaining possession of the puck subsequently scored a goal without ever relinquishing control of the puck prior to his shot,
The player gaining possession only relinquished control of the puck by shooting, and immediately regained control by controlling a rebound and then scored, or
The player receiving possession is then the first assist on a goal scored by a teammate, who scored after directly receiving a pass from that player and never relinquished control of the puck between receiving the pass and scoring a goal.
[QUOTE=Rysto]
Ottawa goes through to the second round with an OT win. What a strange series full of blown leads and massive momentum swings. I thought Ottawa was toast after that third period, and then they go out and dominate the overtime.
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“Momentum swings” pretty much describes the series. When the two teams emerged from the dressing room you had absolutely no idea which one was going to beat up the other. The third period yesterday looked like the Bruins were the Mon-Stars and had stolen all the Senator’s mojo; it’s a miracle they didn’t win the game. Then in overtime it’s like they switched uniforms.
This lends to the answer to the question “If the Senators beat Boston by the skin of their teeth, how the hell can they beat the Rangers, who are a way better team than Boston?” The answer is that Guy Boucher has to figure out how the hell to get the Senators to not take every second period off.
I think there’s a fundamental flaw in “rewinding” a game because of two events that could be separated by minutes.
For goal calls, the two events are seconds apart. But not for the off-sides.
Golf is struggling with this now, whereby because of home viewers watching television, infractions and their associated penalties are being called hours after the fact.
Tennis does it right. If a player thinks an In call on his opponents shot is actually Out, the player has to stop playing immediately and make the challenge. The player can’t play out the point and then ask the point to be reviewed.
I want to give full props to Clarke MacArthur. I thought the guy was never going to play again and then he goes and scores the series winner. That is a great comeback story.
This can’t be emphasized enough, NO ONE, except Clarke and his wife believed, he would ever play in the NHL or even maybe hockey again.
Ottawa has had some extremely moving storylines this year… Ryan’s mother, MacArthur, Anderson’s wife, Condin, Karlsson, Colin White, Chris Neil’s career, etc…
Washington Capitals (1) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
Season series: Washington 2-0-2
Last playoff meeting: 2016 Eastern Conference Second Round; Penguins won series 4-2
All-time playoff series: Penguins lead 8-1
Ottawa Senators (2) vs. New York Rangers (WC1)
Season series: Ottawa 2-1-0
Last playoff meeting: 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals; Rangers won series 4-3
All-time playoff series: Rangers lead 1-0
St. Louis Blues (3) vs. Nashville Predators (WC2)
Season series: Nashville 3-2-0
Last playoff meeting: Never
**Anaheim Ducks (1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (2) **
Season series: Edmonton 3-2-0 (Anaheim 2-1-2)
Last playoff meeting: 2006 Western Conference Final; Oilers won series 4-1
All-time playoff series: Oilers lead 1-0
When a player can no longer hide wincing in pain - on the ice - probably fair to say they’re playing with close-to-unmanageable pain. Sure, it’s Stanley Cup, and he’s such a ridiculously valuable asset, but still - I hope Boucher will reduce Karlson’s usual insane minutes next round, orelse I strongly doubt he’ll finish the series against the New York Americans er I mean the Rangers.
Yeah considering their current one is Lehtonen a lot of goals.
Yet not one game-seven series.
I dig those things.
I initially came here to mention this.
Coming in cold into the play-offs after an 18-month absence from concussion injuries, and then scoring the overtime winner against Boston to advance to the next round - that makes for a pretty nice story. But with his multiple concussion injuries (and that it took him this long to return), I’d fully understand if he decides to retire at the end of these play-offs.
Looking forward to another Ovie vs. Sid series.
Being seemingly the only left-coaster here, figured I’d chime in on the Ducks/Oils series - the hard-hitting Ducks won’t be able to push around the Oilers like they used to, now that the latter’s bulked up with Lucic, Maroon, and Kassian.
Talbot still doesn’t have me convinced that he will come up big, despite his good GA and SV% over his crazy 73-game season (and even better in the first round against San Jose) and I feel the same about Gibson - neither I would consider elite tenders.
Still trying to comprehend watching the fastest first four strides in hockey - the way Connor McDavid goes from 0 to jack-rabbit is one of the freakier things I’ve seen in the game. His speed is almost surreal, and it’s been a stupefying joy to see him play.
I’m still putting all my bitcoins on Jerry Korab on this, though.
This is a discussion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs which at this time the Senators are still a part of and have a good chance at reaching the Eastern Conference Final. I don’t think anyone who knows hockey is expecting them to get to the Final or win the Cup but they ARE one of the 8 teams that are still eligible and stranger things have happened.
The playoffs are far from a forgone conclusion…that’s why they play the games.