Is there still someone who thinks that the Pens are getting favourable reffing?

[Will Hunting]

I understand that it´s not nice to act like this, but this is reaching a crazy territory now and the whole our fanbase is completely furious lately. Pens basically can´t buy a powerplay other than bench minors or delaying of game or closing the hand on puck types of calls (must-do rules type of calls).

PP Opportunities:

PIT 1 - NYR 4
PIT 4 - OTT 5
PIT 3 - VAN 2 (Canucks scored a goal after slashing Greiss stick though)
PIT 2 - NJD 4
PIT 3 - CAR 6
PIT 1 - CAR 3
PIT 3 - TOR 3
PIT 3 - BOS 2
PIT 1 - NYI 2
PIT 0 - NYI 1
PIT 1 - MTL 3
PIT 2 - NYR 4
PIT 3 - TOR 6
PIT 3 - NYR 4

- Out of these 14 games, the Pens got more PPs in just 2 of them (both just 3-2 with Canucks game being frustrating too).

- Pens got 0 or 1 powerplays 5 times from last 11 games!

- Pens got more than 3 PPs just once from these last 14 games, while not getting more than 4 PPs in this span at all.

- Total numbers of PPs: PIT 30 - Opposition 49

- Pens are sitting at 29th position in PP-PK time now (-35:22 minutes). Only Montreal being behind them. You know, Montreal typical, Pittsburgh typical

We are getting absolutely sick from these refs. I mean, I understand that it happens to everybody but the tendency is to even it out sooner than later. This is 14 games of constant complaining now for us (Boston game being the only exception probably). The calls against the Pens are mostly the right calls, but the problem is that the same exact stuff gets uncalled for our opponents. Speaking about this season in general (not only PIT games), this is the worst officiating I´ve ever seen.

I´m extremely frustrated with this, but I understand that it´s still a regular season and unless this happens in the POs, we should be fine (but the problem was, that this also happened in the POs against the NYR and all of their liberties they were taking). That said, is there still anybody who thinks that the Pens are getting favourable reffing these days? It absolutely drives me crazy when I see what´s happening in our games and then I see someone talking about Pens bias.. Sorry for this, I just thought we needed to talk about this stuff a little bit.

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[Vesa Awesaka]

Downie

edit.. seriously though downie, depres and sill seem to have a ton of pims
what did fleury get 4 pims for?

Also maybe the league is finally listening to the cry of the fans and calling the games correctly after letting the habs and pens get away with a ton for so long

 

[bleedblue1223]

Have a feeling you won't be getting much sympathy here.

 

[Space Herpe]

I thought it was common knowledge that the refs are in collusion not to give the Pens power plays because their power play is just too darn good.

 

[Dying Alive]

It's been really weird and some of the games have made me scratch my head but whatever, I hate when other teams complain about reffing so I'm not going to do it myself. The Pens will just have to handle their business 5 on 5.

Have a feeling you won't be getting much sympathy here.

I don't think sympathy was the OP's objective. Some would consider it a legitimate discussion topic, particularly when you look at it from the perspective that the two teams that fans here insist get "all the calls" - Pittsburgh and Montreal - are actually the bottom two teams in the league in terms of PP/PK differential.

 

[Will Hunting]

Have a feeling you won't be getting much sympathy here.

I am fully aware of it, but I just had to ventil it out. The Pens are not some type of "sitting back" team, so it´s even more surprising that they can´t get those PPs.

Btw, similar type of nonsense is happening in regards to BOS & MTL and both of those teams are good, too. Both also have a bit of reputation in getting favourable reffing too. That´s why I thought that people needed to get more info about this.

 

[bleedblue1223]

How many games do you have reffed by Tim Peel? That would be a pretty easy answer to your problem.

 

[Rangers ftw]

Probably it's extra frustrating for a fan of a team that has never been treated that way before? Am I doing it right?

 

[Philadelphia Ducks]

I do

 

[SuburbanRhythm]

Downie

edit.. seriously though downie, depres and sill seem to have a ton of pims what did fleury get 4 pims for?

Downie has taken a decent amount of dumb penalties.

20 of Despres' 42 are four fighting majors. Still, agree too many minors.

20 of Sill's 41 came on an overreaction by officials (and subsequent fight) on the clean hit on Turris Saturday. He's taken 2 minor penalties all year, one being a double minor last night.

 

[Will Hunting]

Probably it's extra frustrating for a fan of a team that has never been treated that way before? Am I doing it right?

Well, I certainly don´t remember a crazy stretch like this. So even though I know what you mean, you are still kinda right

 

[Will Hunting]

Downie has taken a decent amount of dumb penalties.

20 of Despres' 42 are four fighting majors. Still, agree too many minors.

20 of Sill's 41 came on an overreaction by officials (and subsequent fight) on the clean hit on Turris Saturday. He's taken 2 minor penalties all year, one being a double minor last night.

Then again (even with Downie, Sill, Despres reputtation calls), the number of penalties against us is not even a main problem here.

 

[Dying Alive]

Downie

edit.. seriously though downie, depres and sill seem to have a ton of pims
what did fleury get 4 pims for?

Also maybe the league is finally listening to the cry of the fans and calling the games correctly after letting the habs and pens get away with a ton for so long

Fleury has a 2 min minor for high sticking. I can't remember the other one but probably slashing or delay of game.

 

[SuburbanRhythm]

Then again (even with Downie, Sill, Despres reputtation calls), the number of penalties against us is not even a main problem here.

I agree. I took the original post as "because you have these players, officials don't like you"

 

[Pavels Dog]

First place problems.

Pens are 21st in PP opportunites, which isn't too bad. Maybe they're just playing a bit more undisciplined than their opponents on average this season?

Yeah yeah, "the same stuff goes uncalled for our opponents!", but I'm not so sure about that. It's easy for fans to start looking for penalties and especially in the heat of the games to see what they want to see.

I believe in some slight bias in some refs towards certain players or even in rare cases, certain teams. But 14 games is a trend, and it's up to the coach/players to figure out why they're shorthanded more than they're on the PP and adapt.

 

[metalan2]

Pens absolutely deserve more calls. All of a sudden about a month ago the penalties just stopped. I've never seen anything like it. One - two calls a game for like 12 straight games? NEVER seen anything like it.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

You get rid of Downie you definitely cut down on some pims though. Not only does he take bad penalties but he also has a terrible reputation. Another reason could be that the pens pp was or is absolutely deadly and refs know that calling a penalty might decide the game.

 

[Derrty]

Just in the few games I have watched, they seem to be trying to play tougher then years past. Taking more runs at guys, poking and mixing it up more frequently. Refs are letting both teams play a little more and Pittsburgh is playing more questionably then the other team.

Can't speak to all of those games listed, but that seemed to be the trend in the games I have watched. So if that's how all have been, I am not surprised. If not, then I dunno.

 

[Dying Alive]

First place problems.

Pens are 21st in PP opportunites, which isn't too bad. Maybe they're just playing a bit more undisciplined than their opponents on average this season?

Yeah yeah, "the same stuff goes uncalled for our opponents!", but I'm not so sure about that. It's easy for fans to start looking for penalties and especially in the heat of the games to see what they want to see.

I believe in some slight bias in some refs towards certain players or even in rare cases, certain teams. But 14 games is a trend, and it's up to the coach/players to figure out why they're shorthanded more than they're on the PP and adapt.

Sometimes, yes. They take dumb, avoidable penalties as much as the next team. There have been some pretty blatant calls that should have led to PPs let go recently, though, and some of them have been right in front of refs.

That said, I don't think it's bias or some kind of vendetta, I just think it's general incompetence on the part of the refs and it's a coincidence that it's been happening to the Pens a lot. If I start to believe that there's some kind of reffing conspiracy against the Pens I have to at least allow that it's possible when fans of other teams say the same, and half the teams in the league or more think that the refs are out to get them. Plus why would I waste my time watching a league that's rigged?

I think the simple answer is usually the correct one: the refs are just bad at their jobs. One thing I will say is that once the Pens' PP established itself as being so dominant early in the season (like, 42% at one point) it did appear that the refs were more reluctant to put them on the PP. I have no evidence of that and I won't claim it's actually true, but it wouldn't surprise me. Again, not because of any vendetta against the Pens, but because the refs tend to insert themselves into the game more than they should. It wouldn't surprise me if they were trying to even the playing field a bit by keeping things even. It also wouldn't surprise me if it was all in my imagination.

 

[systemsgo]

You get rid of Downie you definitely cut down on some pims though. Not only does he take bad penalties but he also has a terrible reputation. Another reason could be that the pens pp was or is absolutely deadly and refs know that calling a penalty might decide the game.

Downie hasn't actually been called much recently at all.

 

[Will Hunting]

You get rid of Downie you definitely cut down on some pims though. Not only does he take bad penalties but he also has a terrible reputation. Another reason could be that the pens pp was or is absolutely deadly and refs know that calling a penalty might decide the game.

Our coach has had a meeting with him already and Downie has cut it down a bit lately. It´s not helping us in getting some PP time, though. It seems like that when our PP was at 40% rate, the refs stopped giving it to us.

 

[SuburbanRhythm]

You get rid of Downie you definitely cut down on some pims though. Not only does he take bad penalties but he also has a terrible reputation. Another reason could be that the pens pp was or is absolutely deadly and refs know that calling a penalty might decide the game.

Good point. Better to let penalties go, which in turn might decide the game.

 

[octopi]

Go check the Pens/Caps head to heads from about 2008 to 2012. Pens had twice as many PPS over those games.

 

[Islanderfan17]

They've got some gritty players, I'm not really that surprised to be honest.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

The power play is lethal, so I'm willing to bet many teams take extra care to not end up in the box against pittsburgh