CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Joel Quenneville was crying over spilt milk.

“Well, I think we witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports today at the end of the second period there, nothing play,” he said. “You know, they score, it’s 3-0, they ruin a good hockey game. They absolutely destroyed what was going on on the ice.”

It was a roughing call on Matt Walker to end the first period.

“I couldn’t find the penalties,” Quenneville continued. “I think you could argue along the way. But they ruined the whole game. I think that’s basically the gist of what I’m trying to say.”

Alain Vigneault could have whined – during Chicago’s previous series – but that’s not his style.

So, the Province’s Tony Gallagher whined for him in his piece: BOGUS CALL ON BIEKSA WAS GAME-CHANGER:

“…if you’re a Canucks fan, it’s probably pretty hard to get past that call on Kevin Bieksa with Vancouver leading 2-1 in the second. As calls go in this league, it’s hard to top some of the absurdity but this particular candidate is right near the top of the list.

With the enormous Dustin Byfuglien coming down the right side with some speed, Bieksa got his stick in the vicinity of the player who was trying to turn the corner to try to cut in on the Vancouver goal. Bieksa’s stick caused about 0.4 grams of resistance tops, if it made contact at all, and the big Hawk forward clearly didn’t even notice him as he went by, at which point he appeared to purposely fall down so that he could run Luongo, which he did with a vengeance.

Bieksa was called for a hooking penalty which was laughable by itself because it clearly couldn’t have impeded a butterfly and had absolutely nothing to do with Byfuglien’s fall, and the big Hawk was rewarded for running the opposing goalkeeper.”

Tony Gallagher did a followup article: DID THE SOMEBODIES UP THERE WANT CHICAGO TO WIN?

He concluded the piece with:

“…wouldn’t any casual observer have to admit that at the very least the officiating in this league — granted a very difficult job — needs desperately to be upgraded?

After a while, Sorry, we made a mistake begins to ring a little hollow.”

Many Vancouver fans will argue that the refs helped Chicago to reach the Conference finals.

Why is the Chicago coach complaining when the refs have hindered him in reaching the Stanley Cup finals?

You win a few and lose a few calls, and hope that they even out in the end.