With all the criticism about the officiating I'd like to clearly point out the issue I have with it

[SEALBound]

My problem is how untouchable they are. They can harass players, make awful calls and change the outcome of the game by making a bonehead call to change momentum. If any coach or player speaks up and even if they are right they get a fine or penalty

the penalty the refs called last night against the leafs was an awful one that changed the outcome of the game

The league will be by shortly to fine you $1,000,000 SB Cash for your comments.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Game Management is point shaving.

 

[Orfieus]

Game Management is point shaving.

artificial point inflation

 

[MikeyMike01]

I love all the (insert choice word here) claiming PPs "slow the game down" as if teams and players will continue to commit real penalties that greatly reduce their chance to win games.

Things that slow the game down?

Defenders holding a puck carrier
Defenders hooking a puck carrier
Defenders tripping a puck carrier
Defenders slashing a puck carriers stick in half
Team having to replace their best superstar player with their worst player due to injury from boarding/elbow/head-shot

I mean, sure, 5min of back and forth, 5v5, NZ, dead puck era play is great and all. Imagine if we could have 2min of super high goal scoring rate hockey if someone broke the rules? So boring and slow with all those goal highlights to watch.

Just get the game over with as fast as possible with only 1 goal scored so we can get back to my boring life ASAP. Why even watch hockey if this is how you feel?

If you want an ultra-boring, high scoring game where breathing on the opponent is a foul, watch basketball.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

It does suck that the standard for a penalty can change based on:
- the score in the game
- the relative number of penalties in a game (“make up calls”)
- the time left in the game (mid-1st period vs. final minutes of the 3rd)
- the time of year (mid regular season vs. playoffs)

The last one is particularly crummy. You can’t expect perfection - or anything close to it, to be honest. But you should be able to view a play in isolation and have some idea of whether it’s a penalty. If you see a clip now of heavy stick work or obstruction, the first thing you need to ask in determining if it’s a penalty is whether the clip is from October or May.

Great post.

I'd also add:

- home vs away team
- player committing infraction
- player getting tripped/interfered/hooked/roughed/boarded/etc...

 

[Oak]

It's obvious that refs have been given a mandate by higher up executives to keep games close, which is unfortunate because it rewards worse teams instead of just letting the talent/chemistry of the players decide the game.

Artificial parity is what I like to call it, they want to keep damn near every team in the playoff hunt via the tie point.

That doesn't make sense considering the big push recently for more scoring in NHL games. Smaller goalie pads, what else did they change.

I'd argue its either incompetent reffing or refs getting paid off for gambling purposes.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

So you’d be completely comfortable watching a game with 6/7 PP opportunities per team according to the rules of the game?

so no complaining about flow of the game if the refs do that?

That’s probably what the refs have to weigh. That’s why the first couple of calls or non calls in the game matter so much. Set the standard. But there are games where the players are constantly committing fouls and you have to call them thus it becomes a PP fest of a game.

The players will learn quickly just like after the lockout in 2005-06. They are like pets in a way, give em a good reward and u can alter their behaviour pretty quick. Same concept as the enforcer back in the day. Dog knows he may get smacked he thinks twice, right?

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

That doesn't make sense considering the big push recently for more scoring in NHL games. Smaller goalie pads, what else did they change.

I'd argue its either incompetent reffing or refs getting paid off for gambling purposes.

I think they want to keep the games/standings close so people don't tune out. Same reason they like the extra point in overtime; it keeps the standings tighter.

Game management 'takes' powerplays from good teams and 'gives' them to poor teams.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

So you’d be completely comfortable watching a game with 6/7 PP opportunities per team according to the rules of the game?

so no complaining about flow of the game if the refs do that?

That’s probably what the refs have to weigh. That’s why the first couple of calls or non calls in the game matter so much. Set the standard. But there are games where the players are constantly committing fouls and you have to call them thus it becomes a PP fest of a game.

Yeah, I'd be completely comfortable with that. It wouldn't last long. Think back to when the focus was on stick fouls and obstruction. Yeah, there were some games that were tough to watch, but the players adjusted. Call the fouls you see, and players will adjust as well.

Plus, I think the other guy's point was that most fans can see that if their teams plays a sloppy game and gets 7 penalties, and the other team only gets 2, but the calls were all fair and CONSISTENT, they'll be ok with that (notice I said most, and not all). The problem with today is the utter lack of consistency. What's a penalty in the first, or on one end of the ice isn't a penalty when a very similar play happens in the third, or to the other team.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

Game management means plays are never looked at in a vacuum. A team that constantly walks the line may get warned by the ref to stop doing that, and eventually get called after a play that may not have been blatant, but because things have added up. "Stop doing that, Brad, stop doing it, I'll call you", refs never want to call a penalty.

A team may get away with one if power plays are favouring the other team, yet that other team is constantly doing a little stickwork/interference.

To the untrained eye, and to people who never reffed, it may seem like there are double standards or that there are makeup calls, but in fact the ref might just be trying to make the penalties match the number of infractions without having to call 40 penalties and making himself the star of the game.

The refs should answer to the players, not to the fans watching, and communication is key as to whether the players find the refereeing good. Most nights most players are happy with it. Fans are never happy.

The other side of the game management coin is that there are teams (ahem, STL) who play the "they can't (or won't) call everything" game, and they are absolutely right. Refs are reluctant to call multiple penalties in a short time, or when a team is already shorthanded. And I think you've got the game management meaning the refs want to match the penalties with the infractions all wrong. Game management is about changing the penalty standard based on how the game is going. Chippy game? Calls get tighter. Sure there might be some game management in not calling a marginal penalty in a 7-1 game. But that changing standard (inconsistency) is exactly the point of this entire thread.

 

[Kyndig]

I've seen both sides of the coin. If a ref calls everything it starts turning into soccer out there with snipers everywhere. If the refs manage the game its kind of like who they're picking to win. Maybe its time to start putting some blame on the players.

Sabres games have been weird this month. It's felt like prison rules/playoff rules. They're ignoring almost everything on both sides. Sabres games have had far and away the fewest penalties called for either team this month.

 

[Luminiferous]

No idea. That's the beauty of it tho. It's not the fans job. The NHL has the responsiblity to stop their league from going to shit.

 

[aufheben]

There's a correlation between taking penalties and drawing penalties. I can't explain it. I don't know if it's goading the other team, or the refs trying to keep the penalties evenly distributed.

 

[Windy River]

It does suck that the standard for a penalty can change based on:
- the score in the game
- the relative number of penalties in a game (“make up calls”)
- the time left in the game (mid-1st period vs. final minutes of the 3rd)
- the time of year (mid regular season vs. playoffs)

The last one is particularly crummy. You can’t expect perfection - or anything close to it, to be honest. But you should be able to view a play in isolation and have some idea of whether it’s a penalty. If you see a clip now of heavy stick work or obstruction, the first thing you need to ask in determining if it’s a penalty is whether the clip is from October or May.

Yup. I’d also add to the list where a ‘bad call’ is made, and the refs realize it after its too late. Even-up call incoming...

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

There’s a book, “Scorecasting”, that explores the same phenomenon in basketball and explains why it happens- psychology. Refs don’t wanna consciously alter the game in a key moment, so they don’t. The solution is then that the league has to have a very tough standard, a system, and a means by which to measure referee performance. This is the NHL, though, so.. no.

it could be fixed rather easily- measure referee average call rates, see if they drop off in the final minutes. Find video evidence of missed calls. Call those refs performing the worst, threaten that this will be treated like a normal job where your performance matters. Do better. But once again, NHL (which I agree with others might have a tacit preference for close games regardless of fairness) so nothing will happen.

 

[Orfieus]

Yup. I’d also add to the list where a ‘bad call’ is made, and the refs realize it after its too late. Even-up call incoming...

Thing is if a ref makes a bad call (or doesn't see the infraction) I am a lot more forgiving

Hockey is a fast sport and it is absolutely understandable for a ref to make the wrong call or simply not see it. But in the video I showed that is absolutely not the case, as I mentioned the player with the puck (on a PP) was tripped and because of "game management" neither refs made the right call, that's where I draw the line and where shit needs to change

 

[StanleyCup55]

There is an easy simple solution and the NHL has done it before after the lockout in 05. Put your stick on a player and impede progress while not moving your feet, penalty. Refs called everything and after a couple weeks the game was much better, faster and rewarded skill and speed. Now they’re back to clutch and grab and game management. The refs job is not to manage a hockey game it’s to call infractions when they happen with a non-biased approach. The players are to determine the outcome of a game. It’s not the refs fault if penalties are 2,563,652 to 1. Don’t commit fouls and you won’t get penalized. Pretty simple and makes sense. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll keep watching because I love hockey but I laugh my ass off every time I see these “game management” sh** shows. It won’t change until they get a new head of officials guy appointed