One thing about Frontier justice. It was simple and predictable. You rustle cattle and they catch you, they hang you. You kill someone who is unarmed and they catch you, they hang you. Sometimes they even hang you when they catch you for a crime someone else committed. And it didn't matter who or what you were. Crime and punishment is a little more complicated in the NHL.
Name recognition and status means a lot in the NHL. Very important on who and what you are. So if you are a big super star and someone squirts water on you, they are fined. If you are a big super star and you stick your hockey stick in his groin area that goes into the "let boys be boys" category.
The arbiters in the frontier days, were the posse. The arbiters in the NHL are the officials, refs and linesmen. The posse didn't really see anything but reacting to what they were told. Sometimes the refs and linesmen don't see things either. Like none of the four officials saw Brandon Prust's, late blind side hit on Derek Stepan which resulted in a broken jaw and no penalty. Do you realize that the four officials were probably the only ones in the world, Garden crowd and TV crowd, who didn't see the blind side hit to the head. Sorry, one of the refs saw it and said it was a clean hit. So he really didn't see it either.
The missed call cost the Rangers the game. Instead of a 5 minute power play, the ensuing plays saw Carcillo lose his cool get a gamer, a ten game suspension and the cheap shotter get all of two games. And the chief whiner, coach Michel Therrien, who is still complaining about Kreider running into Price, calling Prust's hit, a good hockey hit. Therrien will keep whining. It's in the genes of him and the Montreal organization. After all, these are Le Habs, the proud owners of 24 Stanley Cup. They are entitled.
And now he is getting help. Good players like Briere, Suppan, Gallagher are joining in the whining. And don't forget Suppan's slewfoot of Dorsett with Dorsett being held by the ref and no penalty called. And why not? There is a new sheriff in town in NHL headquarters. The Rangers should disregard all the noise. Whether Stepan plays or doesn't shouldn't matter. The Rangers should come out with the same determination and grit they did in game one and set up the elimination game in The House Of Horrors. Go Rangers! Beat the whiners!
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Enjoyable and well written and right on target. Therrien is a tital hypocrite.
I've been criticizing your posts here before, so I felt like telling you I thought this was a good read. Let's go Rangers!
All I have to say the NHL has the worst officiating out of any pro sports league. No other sport does officiating impact the outcome of the game like it is right now in hockey, it has gone on throughout the playoffs, for all teams. Gary Bettman needs to resign, it is a disgrace what is going on. I remember in MLB playoffs, an ump made a terrible call, he stood in front of a mic and took questions like a man. The NHL officials need some accountability. Explain to me how 4 refs can miss Prust check ? They either saw it, and refused to call it, which needs an explanation. Or they missed it, all 4 of them, which then needs to be asked, what the heck are they watching out there. Always had respect for Montreal, this coach is embarrassing himself and the entire organization. Is he related to Lemieux ? Would love to see the 4th win on at Le Bell Centre