PLAYOFF GAME DAY: Game 5: Ottawa Senators (1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (3) - 7:00pm ET - Thu. Apr. 22nd, 2010

PKC wrote:Anyone who doesn't think corrupt officiating exists should go bury their head back in the sand where it belongs.

Tim Donaghy was just the tip of the iceberg of exposing refereeing scandals. The only league that seems to be immune from terrible calls for the most part is the NFL.

The NHL should adopt a challenge rule and a replay rule. Too often the games are getting swayed by errors in judgement call.

Poor officiating sure but corrupt I don't buy.

As for the NFL being immune, not so much. Terrible calls all the time, any time there is judgement required mistakes can be made. I will never buy into all officials are against certain teams. Having said that, I do believe that certain officials have it in for certain players or coaches. Case in point - Auger/Burrows, McCreary/Jacques Martin. I used to believe that McCreary hated the Sens, but since Martin left he's been fine, but watch him do a Montreal game now.

I think there's as many chances Philips puts a goal in his own net as Ottawa winning this series. But I think they can win Game 5.

as far as the goalie debate. sure i think elliot will probably start ad i think elliot can play a decent game if he's on the ball. but you know what?
i'd take a gamble... leclaire can go either way, i believe he can totally steal a game based on his skill set just like he can let in 3 bad goals in the 1st... but then again elliot did that last game. so... do we want elliot? or take a gamble.... i'd go for the gamble. and yes i believe there's less pressure with this game on both sides right now, so let's put that to our advantage and hurt them(sutton and volchie baby, make us proud and work for your next contract). spezza, grow some balls (fr a couple of games at least) alfie , hang in there. kids give it all you got. vets, play like it's your last one... (cuz it might)

GO SENS GO!!!

RobbyJ wrote:

PKC wrote:Anyone who doesn't think corrupt officiating exists should go bury their head back in the sand where it belongs.

Tim Donaghy was just the tip of the iceberg of exposing refereeing scandals. The only league that seems to be immune from terrible calls for the most part is the NFL.

The NHL should adopt a challenge rule and a replay rule. Too often the games are getting swayed by errors in judgement call.

Poor officiating sure but corrupt I don't buy.

As for the NFL being immune, not so much. Terrible calls all the time, any time there is judgement required mistakes can be made. I will never buy into all officials are against certain teams. Having said that, I do believe that certain officials have it in for certain players or coaches. Case in point - Auger/Burrows, McCreary/Jacques Martin. I used to believe that McCreary hated the Sens, but since Martin left he's been fine, but watch him do a Montreal game now.

Don't be so sure. I have the eye opening experience of living in Canada all my life and then 1 year so far in the US. US Hockey fans are super fickle. If they're not in it, they lose interest and move on very quickly to NFL. So yes, I wouldn't put it past Bettman to put the word out to tilt the ice to "help" out the US teams with the stars. I used to think Quebec was corrupt. It's the Mother Theresa compared to the US.

Giving Jerry Reinsdorf a free hockey team seems pretty crooked to me anyway.

I don't think the refs are being bought off or anything. They just know what the boss wants.

RobbyJ wrote:

PKC wrote:Anyone who doesn't think corrupt officiating exists should go bury their head back in the sand where it belongs.

Tim Donaghy was just the tip of the iceberg of exposing refereeing scandals. The only league that seems to be immune from terrible calls for the most part is the NFL.

The NHL should adopt a challenge rule and a replay rule. Too often the games are getting swayed by errors in judgement call.

Poor officiating sure but corrupt I don't buy.

As for the NFL being immune, not so much. Terrible calls all the time, any time there is judgement required mistakes can be made. I will never buy into all officials are against certain teams. Having said that, I do believe that certain officials have it in for certain players or coaches. Case in point - Auger/Burrows, McCreary/Jacques Martin. I used to believe that McCreary hated the Sens, but since Martin left he's been fine, but watch him do a Montreal game now.

He's not "fine" since Martin left. At least twice I can remember in the last two seasons the Sens receiving no PP's in a game he's reffed. One was against the Leafs last season, and one was this season (one of 3 or 4 IIRC). I would agree with the point you are making though in that certain players/coaches will get certain treatment from certain officials.

As far as the Sens getting the short end of the stick in this series, well they had two 5 on 3's in game 4 didn't they? Good teams battle through this, and Ottawa hasn't been close to a good team for a couple of games now. Combine that with the fact that Pittsburgh has been much harder working and Crosby is tearing Ottawa a new one equals the kind of results we've seen in the last two games. I'm looking at the Sens first more than officiating as a reason they are in this hole.

I think Philip J. Fry said it best, now I'm paraphrasing, but it went something like this.

You can't give up hope you just have to hope harder, stick your fingers in your ears and go: la la la la la la!

hemlock wrote:
As far as the Sens getting the short end of the stick in this series, well they had two 5 on 3's in game 4 didn't they? Good teams battle through this, and Ottawa hasn't been close to a good team for a couple of games now. Combine that with the fact that Pittsburgh has been much harder working and Crosby is tearing Ottawa a new one equals the kind of results we've seen in the last two games. I'm looking at the Sens first more than officiating as a reason they are in this hole.

The referees only give us powerplays when the game's well out of reach.

One thing that tells you how rigged refereeing can be is when the referees are clearly trying to "even up the penalties" for one team.

In a lot of games the referees give a significant amount of penalties to one team (deserved or not) and as the game goes they'll try and even up the calls.

Suddenly the other team gets called for the slightest infraction while the other team gets a free pass unless there is blood gushing on the ice.

At the end of the game, the penalty count is roughly the same and people say "look the referees are impartial both sides had about the same amount of PP time".

This is interesting. Do you all agree? I think it's too late to change too much in our game, but I really do believe that Murray is right with his statement here. The guys are more interested in running around and trying to hit guys than making the right plays and scoring some goals. When Pittsburgh does this they create opportunities out of it. We seem to just be running around and trying to hit anything that moves without getting the puck back and creating chances. The guys we are hitting are not necessarily the right ones either. We're running around hitting guys but we're not hitting the one guy that's killing this series for us, Crosby. Does it make sense to you at all? I've wondered all series why he's been able to dance around everyone and hasn't been hit hard by anyone. It's very concerning and it is a big reason why we find ourselves in the hole we are in this morning. What will change tonight? Will they take Murray's advice?

GM Bryan Murray dropped by the dressing room to deliver the Senators a message before they flew off — possibly into the sunset — Wednesday afternoon.

Be yourselves, he told them.

“I made a point to the guys this morning that we’ve been more interested in running around and hitting people than just playing the way we normally play,” said Murray, whose team is one loss from seeing its season end. “Pittsburgh is a good team. We’re a good team. We’re in the playoffs. I’m watching other series. Colorado is competing really well with San Jose ... that’s what I think our team is capable of doing.”

“Two games (in Pittsburgh) we played okay then (Tuesday) we just went out to crucify people rather than play smart and keep the game simple and allow us to compete in the third period,” said Murray.

“I think we got caught up in trying to be more physical than we’d normally be, that’s all. And when we gave up the third goal, we lost total focus for awhile. Then we finally get one back, and get a second one, and then the damn glass falls out when we have a great slot play. It was because of a hit, there’s nothing anybody can do about it, but it’s just what seems to be the case right now.”

I agree with that statement but more than anything they are wasting checks on the wrong players. They've got to focus on Crosby and Malkin.

I agree with Murray 100%, we're not playing like we did all year, we're running around like chickens without heads.

Be yourselves tonight, what do you have to lose?

Yeah I read that last night.

Since when is Ottawa a "physical team" ? I mean sure we're not pushovers but this emphasis on hitting everyone (except #87 and #71) I think is making the Sens something they're not.

Ever since we got manhandled by Anaheim in the SCF this franchise has been overreacting in terms of making the team tougher and playing tough.

I think Murray is still haunted by that series.

SpezDispenser wrote:I agree with Murray 100%, we're not playing like we did all year, we're running around like chickens without heads.

Be yourselves tonight, what do you have to lose?

That's pretty much what Dave Stewart said to Annie Lennox in the video of "Would I Lie to You" so yeah.

SeawaySensFan wrote:I agree with that statement but more than anything they are wasting checks on the wrong players. They've got to focus on Crosby and Malkin.

Exactly, that's the whole thing, they're hitting random guys and not the ones they should be hitting. Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar (injury issues) those are the guys to target. Staal as well. And, get in Fleury's face much much more than they are.

Our shutdown pair isn't shutting down anyone except themselves ?

Has Volchenkov hit anyone yet ? or is he dreaming of July 1st and signing with the Caps ?

Hoags wrote:Our shutdown pair isn't shutting down anyone except themselves ?

Has Volchenkov hit anyone yet ? or is he dreaming of July 1st and signing with the Caps ?

He's dreaming of his 5 million dollar payday going down the crapper because he's been terrible this post-season?

Hoags wrote:Our shutdown pair isn't shutting down anyone except themselves ?

Has Volchenkov hit anyone yet ? or is he dreaming of July 1st and signing with the Caps ?

It's tough for a D-Man to hit anyone when they are backing in all the time. Agression is the key. So far they've managed to waste energy hitting for the sake of hitting while playing a passive game...

Never make the same mistake twice or you'll never get around to all of them.