| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Guest8149 |
Posted - 04/10/2011 : 22:34:53
Interesting to see how referees appear to call games when one team needs to win (to make the playoffs), and when it's a nothing game for the other team.
Case in point - the Hawks must-win game against the Wings. The refs called 4 penalties against Detroit and only one against Chicago. I thought the refs showed a bias in Chicago's favour, and I was cheering for the Hawks!
I checked Saturdays's game between Tampa Bay and Carolina, a must win game for the Canes. Carolina was given 7 power plays, while the Lightning only had one power play.
In Minnesota's game against Dallas (must-win game for the Stars), Dallas had 5 power plays compared to two for the Wild.
I didn't catch these two games, so I can't completely comment if there was a bias, but in the three games mentioned, the "must-win" team received a total of four minor penalties, while the team with nothing on the line received a total of sixteen minor penalties. Coincidence?
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - 04/11/2011 : 07:26:36
Very interesting points, Guest 8149. The evidence is there, although you must temper it with a view of the actual game, and ordinarily how penalised each of those teams usually is.
I watched the last game of the season, Dallas/Wild, as my potential third place finish hung in the balance, lol. And it was wildly (pardon the pun) inconsistent . . . should have been a couple of calls made against the Stars I thought that weren't, and that was in the Wild's rink.
I think it's just human nature, frankly. A really comprehensive study was done, just based on statistical analysis, on the reason for home rink advantage for the NHL, for instance - and they found the only discernable difference was the number of penalties called against the visiting team. Basically, the inference is that the fans do have a psychological effect on the refs . . . heck, they are only human, so it makes sense.
So maybe this was a sort of "counter psychology" on the refs, in that they couldn't help rooting for the underdog . . . something like that.
Could be coincidental, sure . . . but that's a mighty big coincidence in three "must win" games.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
| MrBoogedy |
Posted - 04/11/2011 : 00:52:58
Same as always, the league is using the refs to gain the outcome they want to maximize profits. Usually people start crying about paranoid conspiracy theorista when threads like these pop up, but when your talking the $$$ that the league brings in.... well, just watch a game or Listen to Gary Buttman... the sport has been losing its integrity in that regard for a while now, getting worse every year, IMHO. |
| Guest6963 |
Posted - 04/10/2011 : 22:46:45
I completely agree!!! Somehow they missed the Keith high stick on Holmstrom. RIGHT IN FRONT OF NET He was thus double minor. But oops we missed that one.
It's not only in these situations, it goes on all year long.
Playoffs, I'll put my cock on the block that they let let a hell of a lot of interference, clutch and grap, take place. Only call the obvious. |
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