Officials Pity the Capitals, Capitals Win Game With 10 Players on the Ice

As pathetic as this article will sound, it will make you laugh, but also feel disgusted by the way the officials have been performing their jobs. I am starting to smell a new word to use in the NHL…CORRUPTED!Rangers had a good 2-0 lead over the Caps with Blackburn playing at the top of his game. The Capitals were shooting, and shooting, had 3 PP chances and did not score on one, so…the refs felt pity.

In the game, Blackburn was heated because of the number of times the Caps forwards interfered with him during play. Blackburn is a very calm kid, who is VERY used to a physical play from the forwards. So if he is used to it, how bad were the interferences? Really bad, bad enough for Blackburn to flip out and break his stick almost slashing Jagr.

The game was turned around by the officials, maybe McPhee asked for help? After a whistle where Ulanov cleared his man by pushing him out of the crease, how many times do we see that? Lots of times. Halpern went behind Ulanov and crosschecked him, Ulanov crosschecked back, and the players started piling. Chris Simon came in and speared Ulanov twice in the mid-section. Ulanov answered with a punch with his glove still on, that “hurt” Simon enough for him to dramatically lay down on the ice covering his face. How bad was the punch? Well, if Fleury had his glove covering half the face of Simon, what did Ulanov really hit so hard?

Here is the laughable part. Ulanov got a 5 minute major for just punching the guy and a mtach on the call. A match meaning, the refs told the NHL officials to make sure to review that punch after the game. John Davidson was confused and laughing. How many times do we see a simple punch thrown by a player to another for just dumb words and nothing called? This is a new one to me, you get speared twice, you answer back, and you get a 5 minute major and a Game Misconduct (forgot to mention that). Simon deserved the whole punch, too bad he faked the “pain”. Maybe he should grow his hair back and be a part of the WWF wrestling.

That just changed the whole game around. The Caps scored two flukes, puck hitting Rangers defensemen, while Blackburn was getting a continuous interfere and was about to lose his temper.

So much for interference, Rangers were on a PP, wow…refs actually gave the Rangers a PP. Lindros was cutting through the defense in front of the net and bumped into Kolzig, not that he had enough space to move, but it was an acceptable call if the game was tied. JD took a laugh at that too. All that inteference down the other end on Blackburn, but the only one on Kolzig had to be called, especially because the Rangers were on a PP.

Guess what? Here is where the refs should have worn a Capitals jersey. At the end of the game, about 4 minutes left, Rangers lost it already, down 6-2, lots of fighting happens. Kolzig held on to the puck, players stopped playing and skated around, York skated in front of the crease and Witt puts his between York’s legs, touching his mid section, and pull one of his legs up. Do Capitals players have small mid-sections and want to see how big are the other players’ mid-sections? Fleury came in and shoved his hand on Witt’s face, almost like a punch.

LET’S GET RRRRRREADY TO…RRRRRRUMMMMMBLE!

Fleury draws everyone into him (gotta love the little guy; the things he can do). Lindros was pushed around by Whittfield. Lindros made Whittfield pay the price, they fought, Lindros pushed him down on the ice and starting pounding him. Sacco was giving small punches to York from behind. Malakhov grabbed Sacco and pulled him away. Malakhov held Sacco, Sacco had his gloves dropped, Malakhov had one on as he was looking at the other players fighting. Sacco started the fight. Bad decision for Sacco, Malakhov pounded Sacco down to the ice. Pitiful enough, Malakhov spared Sacco by not punching him more. He just got up and left.

Results. Malakhov got 5 minute major for fighting and a two minute minor for instigating. Why? Well the refs are helping the Caps out right? Sacco only got a 5 minute major. What happened to the punches he threw at York? Lindros also got a Game Misconduct…for…hehe funny i don’t know because the refs made it up. Kolzig left his crease, and did a third man in when Lindros was fighting, trying to hit Lindros. He only got called for leaving the crease. Blackburn surprised me, as he left his crease looking for someone. He was that angry. Fleury got a four minute major for…for…well…giving a small punch to Witt. Oh, I forgot sorry, the refs called the extra two because Fleury started the whole thing. It took the refs 3 to 5 minutes to figure out the calls, sending McCarthy to the box to serve a penalty, then called him out of the box, and then told him to get back in it.

Last 3 seconds going down. Karpa gets to the puck in his own ends, buzzer sounds, Pettinger checks Karpa to the boards. A very dirty and unecessary thing to do. Karpa gives a little shot behind. McCarthy on the ice was hunting Pettinger down, but he got pulled away as he also went after another Caps player. Meanwhile Pettinger and Karpa wanted to go at it, their glvoes were down, and the linesman with an imaginery Caps jersey held Karpa and pinned him down on the ice, where Pettinger went down on his knees and started to hit Karpa.

Kolzing left his net to go down, Blackburn wanted to stop Kolzig, he did. Blackburn did not fight however. This is where you miss good ole Danny Cloutier.

The refs totally blew the whole game. It was not just the Ulanov call they did, but for the WHOLE game they were helping the Capitals. It was simply pathetic. What a pathetic league this is, and I am disgusted.

I have a right to call this a Corrupted league because I have a good feeling Colin Campbell will suspend Ulanov again for doing…well…not injuring anyone, so pretty much nothing. Don’t forget, and this is to inform you. TWICE the goal officials disallowed two Rangers goals so far this season that were goals. They were goals, from every camera angle they proved that they were goals and logic as well.

Let me ask you this and test you brain. If a pointman takes a shot that is slowly rising, and a man in front of the net deflects the puck UPWARDS, meaning that the puck changed direction rising up quickly and go in the net, and the goal is reviewed and disallowed because the stick was above the cross bar, how does that make sense? If the stick was above the crossbar, then how can the stick deflect the puck up and put it in net? It left John Davidson confused and very irritated. The other goal was just a simple goal that all the Rangers players on the bench even saw the replay on the scoreboard, it was a goal, yet disallowed.

Too bad. I love this game, the NHL is the coolest game on Earth, but I am starting to get a feel that it is corrupted and full of pathetic officials. Here is a new rule I am thinking about. Players have to pass an eye exam to have a 20/400 vision, how about that for the refs?

Pathetic…I am still shocked from that Rangers game, because the refs helped the Cpas win it by turning the whole game around and by handing out stupid penalties to the Rangers and avoid some for the Caps. I give all my respect to the Caps fan, but I don’t think there should be one Caps fan arguing about this game, unless the fan never passed a 20/400 eye exam.

Micki Peroni