I'm fairly certain that a trained monkey or a neanderthal could get things right as often as NHL referees. I know the game is fast, but when the game is always called with a bias toward evening out the PPs it's a farce. When the penalty is right there where the puck is, and the ref is staring at the play, how do they miss it so often?

I know it happens to all teams (well, except for Montreal), but last light in the 1st period...

Kaleta gets upended on a rush toward the goal and goes hard into the end boards, but gets a diving call to even out the tripping call. I suppose I could have missed something (my eyesight is 20/13, but not x-ray), but I saw Kaleta's leg get jacked up and he got turned and spilled hard sideways. It's the best "dive" I've ever seen, and he risked a serious injury for it apparently.

Then later on Connolly is skating over the blueline for a 3-on-2 and a TB player is down on the ice and swats at the puck, clearly tripping Connolly in wide open ice and causing a turnover. No call.

Roy gets high-sticked in the mouth right where the puck is. Not only is there no call (double minor for blood), but the ref allows play to continue for way too long while Roy is down on the ice.

There were a few more of the regular variety of missed calls, but those were mind boggling. I'm positive that if I could watch on a full screen covering the entire rink that I could call a better game. I understand if things happen away from the puck, but if I can see it from the comfort of my chair with the network camera, one of the two referees should be getting it right.

I'll tell you this much, the Roy incident was down right outrageous. Not only the high sticking (which I completely agree, any monkey in a striped jersey "SHOULD" have seen and called the double minor) but, in my opinion, allowing gameplay to continue for as long as it did in the Sabres zone while the Lightning had an offensive threat ongoing was inept at the very least and criminal at the most. That was not right and it clearly showed the refs were fully in Tampa's corner, at the expense of an NHL players health.
This is cause for very serious concern by all fans, not just Buffalo fans and should be addressed imediately by the NHL.

Personally, punishment to this officiating crew should be swift and harsh, as to avoid further incidents like this. That was down right fucked up beyond all recognition (FUBAR)!!!!

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

sadly, the officials in the NHL are the best in the world (according to the NHL) and there is no such thing as punishment when you have the best...Bullshit!

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Biased officiating against the Sabres is something I resigned myself to a long time ago.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Well, you can certainly mark that game up as the worst officiated I've seen so far this season...so far.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Officiating was horrid on both ends, both teams were getting screwed, that much is undeniable. All of those refs should be fired honestly.

both teams got screwed???? I really didn't see where Tampa got remotely screwed as much as the sabres did.

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It couldn't get much worse than that....I hope

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Every other professional sport has a publicized (though, not open) review process, with baseball and football going as far as releasing results to the media regarding disciplinary or disqualifying (for the playoffs) actions directed at their officiating crews...

The NHL continues to display secrecy, and arrogance regarding the "paying public's" right to know about officiating policies, review and disciplinary action.

It harms the credibility of the sport, by concealing any proactive policies which might address such serious issues as professional competence, bias and any form of officiating decision reflecting negligence or recklessness, on the ice.

This absence of transparency is a fundamental criticism directed at the NHL's apparent lack of officiating consistency and professional accountability.

It casts doubt on the outcome of each and every contest, played over an entire season. And it does a terrible disservice to the league, its' players and what officials there are who are genuinely involved, responsible and competent in their profession.

When a crew throws "everything but the kitchen sink" at a team, or calls "ghosts" or becomes selectively blind - over the course of a game, or at critical points in a given contest - It gives one (as a fan, or a "scholar" of the game) pause...It causes one to wonder: If this can be allowed to occur, leaguewide, over an entire season, what kind of corrosive effect does it have on the standings? And what result in the playoffs? And what of the cumulative effect, as it pertains to the final champion of any given season?

Did Tampa really deserve the Cup against Calgary in '03-'04? What of Carolina's win in '05-'06? How did the Ducks manage a Cup, in the first season of the finesse-based "New NHL" when they were one of the most penalized teams in the league? Why are these southern expansion teams suddenly winning a statistically-relevent number of championships? Is there a broader agenda directing officiating bias?

If such nonsense continues; if an absence of accountability is allowed to cast doubt on the results of each and every game, the overall Game of Hockey will be damaged by a lack of professional credibility, and a lessened sense of integrity.

A sense that "things are rigged" to favor a certain outcome will diminish fan-interest; It will undermine a primary reason for viewership: The HOPE that one's team can win a championship - Fair and square.

absolutely atrocious.....a complete joke

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"It is more about them than it is about the team...Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary

Tyler Myers - Future captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and future Norris Trophy Winner

Manning the machine gun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon - just in case any teams have an idea of prying him away from us (3 GM's shot already)

Connolly/Roy - 2 goals in the last 47 playoff games

Ice, you always are the voice of reason. I was thinking this same thing last night. It seemed almost fixed with the calls that were ignored. I told my husband, a TB player could pull down the pants of a Sabre and slap his ass and it would go unnoticed. (except by us) The Roy incident was the most out loud.

I used to not like hockey because it seemed fixed like the WWF. Last night seemed that way to me.

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Its NNYFAN, but you can just call me Kris.

The officiating last night was terrible. What was with the phantom whistles? The one where they blew a whistle as soon as Mike Smith made a save (and let out the rebound?!) and then it was as though they were trying to call Tampa on icing the puck even though Miller played it...I mean I guess those calls can be harmless at times but I just don't understand how they're allowed to get away with that. There really is no grey area in situations like that.

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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

Easily. The Sabres got screwed left, right, and center. That was ridiculous.

That was the only non-call I didn't get too upset about...he does have a reputation and even if he did take one on the kisser, it looked like he embellished it to me.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I'm not really a fan of tinfoil on my head guy, but that was a pretty piss poor game. The officials are lucky that the Sabres and Lightning play relatively clean since they didn't want to do their jobs. Imagine if that was a Ducks - Flyers game...

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Knowing that linesmen are allowed to call high sticks, I don't know how 4 officials missed that one on Roy.

Maybe they thought he was diving, since he has that rep.

The 3 non-called interference penalties on a single shift put me over the edge. Absolutely pathetic.

Roy's "rep" for diving is pretty old and worn out. This should not be an issue anymore.

Last night's game was poorly officiated. I don't often see games that are that bad.

Television has provided us with so many close ups, and tight angles, that we see the game better than the officials do in many cases. This is the same in all major sports.

I'm not advocating another official off ice with a birds eye view, or camera view, but it's something to think about. Indoor soccer used to have a third official on the sideline, between the benches. There are some calls that were certainly easier to see than for those on on the field.

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

All well and good, Howie - But, we've already seen (in the NHL) that more officiating doesn't mean a better-officiated game.

Games were better-officiated when there was only one ref - There was a greater accountability, because every decision rested on HIS shoulders...