Two Interferences, One Goal
by J.P. on May 19, 2009 5:32 PM EDT
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PrintLate in the second period of last night's Game 1 of the (sigh) Eastern Conference Finals, Carolina's Chad LaRose appeared to have tied the game at two apiece. The goal was quickly washed out, however, as LaRose's teammate, Erik Cole, had interfered with the Pens' Hal Gill, sending the mountainous blueliner into his own netminder, Marc-Andre Fleury, thereby allowing the goal to be scored. Take a look:
Not only did the goal not count, but Cole was assessed a two-minute minor for interference.
The call was undoubtedly the right one, but one that brought bad memories flooding back for many a Caps fan, who remember all too well when the same call wasn't made in Game 7 of last year's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Flyers. Here's the play in question (and I apologize in advance for the year of therapy that viewing this again might undo):
So why did the Philly goal count while the 'Canes tally was erased immediately?
The League explained allowing the Flyer goal thusly:
Washington’s Shaone Morrisonn plays the puck and Philadelphia’s Patrick Thoresen lays a legal body check on Morrisonn. No Philadelphia player makes contact with Washington goaltender Huet (Rule 69). This play is not reviewable.
Of course, no one was looking to apply Rule 69 there (and for more on that rule, check out the bottom of Pepper's post here) - just as Rule 69 wasn't applied last night. In both cases, it's a simple interference call - Rule 56 - and last night the referees saw one, whereas a year ago they didn't (on what clearly was a closer call).
But hey, at least they got it correct this time, right?
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You know the difference between those two calls? It’s simple. One play involved the Washington Capitals and the other the Pittsburgh Penguins. I used to be one of those guys who laughed at the notion that refs favored one team over another, but after the Caps-Pens series I’m now a believer that refs give every break they can to Pittsburgh. When I saw Semin taken down twice on breakaways in game six and nothing was called, I knew the fix was in. I don’t know if it’s that Penguin logo or the black and gold color scheme, but something mesmerizes refs when Pittsburgh is playing. Last night, Matt Cooke has a knee to knee hit on Eric Cole that’s eerily similar to Ovechkin’s hit on Gonchar. Yet Alex gets a penalty and Cooke doesn’t. Carolina was the least penalized team in the league during the regular season, Pittsburgh was in the middle of the pack. Yet in their first playoff game, Carolina gets twice as many penalties as Pittsburgh. During the regular season, Washington and Pittsburgh took statistically about the same amount of minor penalties per game. Yet in the playoffs, Washington was called for twice as many minors as Pittsburgh. I’m no mathematician, but statistically something stinks here.
by b.orr4 on May 19, 2009 6:13 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
You know the difference between those two calls?
Puck location.
by Rob Parker on May 19, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Fact.
Also, Koharski/Devorski vs. O’Halloran/Jackson.
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I hate the Penguins as much as the next guy, but c’mon dude. The Caps got called for twice as many penalties as the Pens because we were without the puck 90% of the time, not because of officiating bias. They beat us. The non-call last year against Philly was (and still is) a legitimate gripe, but let’s not become that fanbase known for ridiculous conspiracy theories.
When I saw Semin taken down twice on breakaways in game six and nothing was called, I knew the fix was in.
I apologize if I’m thinking of a different play, but I believe there was a delayed call coming on one of those and the Capitals scored to wash it out?
As a whole, I think you can complain plenty about the officiating in the Caps/Pens series (especially with regards to consistency) but the raw numbers in terms of penalties for and against each team doesn’t mean all that much because the teams played so differently when it came to doing the things you need to do to draw penalties (getting the puck deep, keeping your feet moving, etc). The Penguins did that a lot better than the Capitals, so it’s not surprising they had a lot more penalties drawn.
I apologize if I’m thinking of a different play, but I believe there was a delayed call coming on one of those and the Capitals scored to wash it out?
Yes there was, I remember it. On the other play Hal Gill poke-checked from behind and got the puck first.
Normally, I avoid these kinds of pissing matches but you are so insanely, homerishly wrong on this that I can’t let it go. Anybody with even one good eye can look at that replay and see that 1. Gill took down Semin from behind BEFORE his stick even came close to the puck and 2. when he did swing his stick at the puck, he missed it completely. In fact, I’m so sure that Gill took out Semin’s legs before he even came close to the puck that I’ll make this deal with you. If you can show me any visual proof that Gill touched the puck before he took down Semin, I’ll wear a Pens jersey for a week. If you can’t, you’ve got to wear a Caps jersey with Semins name on the back. The video is there. If you’re right, it shouldn’t be hard to make your case. Interested?
Usually the party accusing someone of something has to come up with the proof.
Just sayin’.
Pittsburgh Black And Gold -- So new, it still smells like paint!
There were three takedowns of Semin. The first did indeed result in a penalty that was washed out when the Caps scored with the extra man. The second takedown occured at the end of the second period when Hal Gill took the legs out from Semin while he was in on a breakaway. That happened with 5 seconds left in the period. No pebnalty was called. The third takedown of Semin took place at with 3:43 left in the third when Mark Eaton tackled Semin as he was driving to the net after a Penguins turnover. Again no penalty.
i’m not choosing sides here, but i remember 3 separate semin flops, and only one of them (the delayed penalty) was called. both of the others, semin stickhandled well away from the penguin defensemen and took contact while in control of the puck.
by Natty Bumppo on May 19, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions
So Semin flopped too often for the refs to take him seriously, you’re saying? The end of the second period takedown and subsequent no call had me yelling at the TV “Oh we are SO fu—ed!!!!”
so clearly the word “flop” brings out charged emotions. in my usage, i mean only that semin dramatically flops to the ice whether there is a call to be made or not. the rabbitt. he went down three times, only once did he get the call. to me, the gill takedown was obviously a missed call, and the other non-call was borderline. semin was outworking the defensemen in that game.
by Natty Bumppo on May 19, 2009 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
so clearly the word "flop" brings out charged emotions.
better: my bad, i really shouldn’t have used the word flop.
was just backing up b.orr’s recollection of 3 separate instances where semin went down.
by Natty Bumppo on May 19, 2009 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Carolina was the least penalized team in the league during the regular season, Pittsburgh was in the middle of the pack. Yet in their first playoff game, Carolina gets twice as many penalties as Pittsburgh
One of those penalties on Carolina was a delay of game for lifting the puck out of play, so it was technically 3 to 2. Wow in one game the Penguins got one more power play, what a discrepancy!
If the referees really favored the Penguins, they’re not doing a good job. Carolina’s second goal was the result of Eric Staal twice swiping away Fleury’s stick directly leading to the goal going in. If they were looking out for the rules, let alone Pittsburgh, they ought to have called that one back.
During the regular season, Washington and Pittsburgh took statistically about the same amount of minor penalties per game. Yet in the playoffs, Washington was called for twice as many minors as Pittsburgh. I’m no mathematician, but statistically something stinks here.
Pittsburgh got twice the zone time got almost twice the shots on goal as Washington and simply outworked the Caps throughout the series. When you work hard and pin a team in their zone a lot, you force the opposition to take more penalties. Really as simple as that.
Yeah, but...
it still went to a Game 7 to decide it, huh, Hooks? So quick to defend your Pens on a Caps centric blog. Oh, that’s okay – I know you’re a good “troll”.
But can’t we kvetch in peace?
And IF you get past the Canes, The Wings will dust off the Pens in 5 anyway. THEN you can come over here and bitch about how the refs jobbed the Pens because the Wings are The Wings.
it still went to a Game 7 to decide it, huh, Hooks? So quick to defend your Pens on a Caps centric blog. Oh, that’s okay – I know you’re a good "troll".
But can’t we kvetch in peace?
Fair is fair. You guys are always welcome on my blog if we’re talking about the Caps, and I’d expect to hear your opinions too if they’re valid
That replay of the Game 7 against the Flyers made me melancholy as hell. Made me wish we had signed Huet, truthfully. I think he would have done well here.
Did you watch the playoffs? I can barely stomach having 4.5 on the books for a back up goalie, much less Huet’s back up contract. The years of “great prospect depth” are bearing fruit and it’s time to pass that torch. GMGM is not going to want to have a lot of free agent contracts on the books in 2-3 years.
because i’m lazy: has huet even gotten one minute of playoff time with the hawks this year? mop up action or anything? for his contract demands alone, the caps dodged a bullet there.
by Natty Bumppo on May 19, 2009 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I complain about the refs a lot, but I recognize that they can’t have complete consistency and they do the best they can.
I hate to go all legalese on everyone...
But 69 clearly states “actions of the attacking player…” not the “attacking player.” I read a HUGE difference in here.
The attacking player’s ACTIONS clearly hindered Huet’s ability to do the job. The language in the rule gives Refs CLEAR leeway to get the call from 08 correct, they chose not to in the game, and Toronto chose not to explain that in their response. I do not believe rule 56 applies here as the puck is near enough to Shamoo and the check was legal (not from behind) but rule 69 can absolutely, and should absolutely be applied in these cases.
I’ve still wondered why more teams didn’t employ that tactic in the regular season. Oh wait, it’s cause every case i saw the ref called interference.
So when Philly’s goal counted, was that an anomaly? Has this similar situation been called correctly for the most part, and we just got damned unlucky last year?
Or is it rather possible that the rule(s) are creating enough confusion on the ice and in the spectators’ minds that it’s maybe time to revisit the standard? Maybe even restrict skaters from the crease entirely? If the league is serious about protecting goaltenders, maybe it’s time to give skaters a real incentive to stay away from goalies.
by CapitalCentre on May 20, 2009 6:15 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
+1 rec’d
I was one of the few who liked the old rule that prohibited players from entering the crease even a little bit. It got a really bad rap with the terrible no-call on the Brett-Hull-skate-in-the-crease goal against Hasek/Buffalo, though, and so it went away, likely never to return.
Pittsburgh Black And Gold -- So new, it still smells like paint!
Puck location is the huge difference here. The puck was nowhere near Fleury, while Thoreson was clearly pursuing it.
I´m as objective as you can get when it comes to that game 7 ;)
Swing by The Flyer Frequent. You have nothing better to do.
by Ben Rothenberg on May 21, 2009 11:52 AM EDT reply actions
Puck location is differently hugely different here. And I do agree that Thoreson was pursuing the puck. That pursuit, however, doesn’t mean that you can plow over other players who aren’t playing the puck.
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
55 | 20 | 25 | 10 | 50 |
(updated 2.10.2012 at 3:26 AM EST)
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