I know nobody wants to blame the refs. I do.

We've all listed the calls and non calls that screwed us over. The refs can't go into the playoffs with a different set of rules, and it surely looked like it. Each game can be won in different ways, whether or not they weren't physical, etc..., If vanek isn't slashed (in a non-call), if Kennedy isn't pushed off the puck (in a non-call), if Chara gets the suspension he deserved (who cares if he gets slashed, its the other game factors that led to Chara's slash-fest not Gaustad, and the NHL ignored this), etc... then we win this series.

If the Bruins are sitting there slashing away at us, and Buffalo decides to fight back then the refs penalize us.
If Buffalo shoots the puck into the zone and a forward gets pinned by the D and is held back from chasing the puck into the zone.. THATS interference. It's never called. The puck is well away from the pinning D and the rushing forward, and there's NO interference call.

The NHL has one set of rules, and the refs have their own. If the refs are held accountable (which they aren't), then this changes. In the forseeable future, there's no way a team that isn't favored by the refs will make it far into the playoffs.

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I can think of a lot more times we got screwed by the officials in the series right off the top of my head. We definitely got ripped off big time. It was lopsided. It was inconsistent. And it was detrimental.

Problem is, it doesn't make me feel better.

I want a team that's too good to be dragged down by these problems. A team that makes its opponent think twice before committing a penalty because of how lethal the power play is.

This team isn't at that point yet.

And I sure as hell hope they don't go home dwelling on the refs like I am, because they need a reason to get better over the offseason, just like they did last year. They should be blaming themselves.

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Wheelhouse

I agree also, if Washington wins we'll see Boston play Pittsburgh, and I know for sure Boston won't get away with what they got away with with us.

But if Washington Loses, we see Philly play Boston and I bet Boston gets away with their bullshit once again.

I'm all for the let them play, but if you're going to call something one way the entire regular season, don't call it the other way when playoffs start.

Hate to say it, but that is exactly what they did in 99 with Hull's foot in the crease, they called it no goal the entire regular season but when the playoffs started they called it the other way.

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And that none boarding call on Kaleta was stupid, that was a 5 minute major in the regular season, well not really, because it was on Kaleta, who cares for the guy who is laying on the ice for a few seconds because his face went into the top of the boards.

I was furious on that non-call moreso than some other ones.

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There were plenty of non-calls that went against the Bruins as well. Even Jeanrette and Neale were pointing them out.

Ironically, I saw a clip of a post-game interview with Zdeno Chara from a few years ago where the interviewer pointed out a bunch of bad calls made against his team. All Chara said in response was "well, maybe so, but we have to play through them".

Complaining about the officating is as old as sports itself.

The Bruins beat the Sabres 4-2 in the regular season series and 4-2 in the post season series (and they had some key guys out who NEVER made it back). Maybe the Bruins are just better. Why doesn't that occur to some people? A win only counts if it was accomplished according to your ideea of a "proper" win? That's silly.

It's sports. Shit happens.

We have all seen it and said before how small the margin is between winning and losing when two good team meet in the playoffs. One bad pass, one missed assignment, one bad goal... This is why the horrible officiating ends up making such a big difference in this league. It only takes a bad call or non-call to make a big difference. The NHL and the refs right now are just concerned about keeping the PP opportunities about even. That is their version of fair, regardless of what teams are actually doing.

If this league were officiated properly, there would be some teams that were through the f-ing roof with penalties against, and some that were rock bottom. The NHL wants to duck the issue by basically "keeping it even" even when it's nowhere near even with the amount and type of infractions. Until that changes I'm seriously considering becoming a casual fan.

That is the whole thing, if it's a penalty call it, don't try and make it even, that is why teams need to be good on the PK and PP so they know how to handle it when it happens.

The NHL needs to seriously reconsider their referees and what their job is. Their job is to not make the PP opportunities look even or be 4 to 6 or whatever, it is to call the game on an unbiased way and the call the game fairly, and fairly does not mean even.

You need to call the game the same, not one way one game the other way another game.

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Boston has way more PP's in the series than Buffalo. I read someone's post and they said that, not a credible source, but if someone wants to do the research great.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

I guess... but it wasn't the refs who made guys like Connolly, Roy, and Pominville be non-factors. Maybe if those guys showed up we would have been able to play through the bad officiating. All those guys are old enough and have enough experience to realize that sometimes your team gets shafted due to bad penalties, and it's up to them to be the difference makers. They failed.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Pominville played okay. I don't mind him. The only mistake he made was not burying that one goal, which is one less mistake than Miller made in the whole series.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

It was fucking terrible. I've watched parts of every series except Montreal Washington, and in none of them is it anywhere near as bad as it was in ours.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Maybe there seemed to be more questionable calls because this was a pretty physical series---which means there were more iffy judgement calls as to who-did-what-to-who and who-deserves-what.

Still, if the Sabres did what they should have been able to do, especially special teams, all this officiating nonsense wouldn't be an issue. Simply NO WAY around it.

I guess that's why SCORING is so important!

If the PP and PK were up to par, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

That's NOT the fault of the refs.

Our PK was up to par for the most part, but when you play so great and then you get a bullshit penalty against it blows all momentum you just had.

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Didn't Boston score 6 PP goals? That's not good enough penalty killing in the playoffs.

I love the signature

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just call me Brad

Twitter @BUrbanowicz13

Refs were horrible, how can a low scoring team possible SCORE when they are shorthanded every 5 seconds or getting boarded and no penalty?

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Like I said, you play so great for a few minutes straight and then the refs call you on a bullshit penalty you just get deflated and lose your momentum.

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As disgusted as I was about the officiating, you still have to kill the penalty.

They just didn't do it.

Maybe if Connolly and Roy would get the puck out of the zone and not be idiots.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

I still think had Hecht been in it wouldn't have been as bad, he hurt us too much on the PK in my opinion.

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