Calgary Hitmen 6 Red Deer Rebels 3
Now first off, I can honestly say that I have never, in my recollection, ever made an overly critical comment about the officiating at a Rebels game. To have an overly-opinionated view of a ref means to have a direct emotional attachment to the game. Coaches will have this, fans will have this, players will have this, parents will have this. I haven't, and I am a big believer in the "human error" component of a game.
That being said, there is a first time for everything, and in my five years hosting the Rebels broadcasts, last night was the first time I have ever seen a referee undoubtably, directly decide a hockey game with 30 seconds of officiating.
This matchup, a very good CGY Hitmen squad against the streaking RD Rebels, had all the makings of a great battle. With the score tied 2-2 in the second period, this game was quite literally up for grabs, and if there was ever a time for Red Deer to knock off Calgary (0-7-1 in their last eight meetings) this may have been it.
And then, this sequence of events:
1) Josh Cowen gets hit from behind by Tyler Fiddler. Intentional or not, a very dangerous play. Cowen piles into the boards, and thankfully, gets up, albeit slowly. No call.
2) Jordie Deagle jumps Fiddler, sticking up for Cowen. Fiddler goes down, and Deagle throws some punches.
3) Deagle is handed a four-minute double minor, along with a 10 minute misconduct.
Now first off, I can honestly say that I have never, in my recollection, ever made an overly critical comment about the officiating at a Rebels game. To have an overly-opinionated view of a ref means to have a direct emotional attachment to the game. Coaches will have this, fans will have this, players will have this, parents will have this. I haven't, and I am a big believer in the "human error" component of a game.
That being said, there is a first time for everything, and in my five years hosting the Rebels broadcasts, last night was the first time I have ever seen a referee undoubtably, directly decide a hockey game with 30 seconds of officiating.
This matchup, a very good CGY Hitmen squad against the streaking RD Rebels, had all the makings of a great battle. With the score tied 2-2 in the second period, this game was quite literally up for grabs, and if there was ever a time for Red Deer to knock off Calgary (0-7-1 in their last eight meetings) this may have been it.
And then, this sequence of events:
1) Josh Cowen gets hit from behind by Tyler Fiddler. Intentional or not, a very dangerous play. Cowen piles into the boards, and thankfully, gets up, albeit slowly. No call.
2) Jordie Deagle jumps Fiddler, sticking up for Cowen. Fiddler goes down, and Deagle throws some punches.
3) Deagle is handed a four-minute double minor, along with a 10 minute misconduct.4) The crowd, and the Rebels bench are absolutely livid. Jesse Wallin makes his thoughts known, and is handed a two-minute bench minor, resulting in a two minute 5 on 3 for the Hitmen. (Along with an additional two minutes)
5) Calgary's vaunted powerplay strikes twice, with authority. Michael Stone. (he's good) Brandon Kozun. (he's good too). Game. Set. Match.
-The biggest thing with this sequence of events that I don't like, and I would say this about any game anywhere in this situation, is that in a 2-2 hockey game, an evenly matched hockey game, when Tyler Fiddler ran Josh Cowen from behind, exactly the kind of dangerous hit the WHL is trying to eliminate, he WON his team the game. How does this accomplish anything?
Here's the summary:
1. R.D Nugent-Hopkins, (9) (Kudrna, Bell), 9:27 (PP)
1. CAL Broda, (4) (Fiddler, Madaisky), 15:20 (PP)
2. CAL Madaisky, (3) (Broda), 4:36
2. R.D Kudrna, (7) (Coetzee, Green), 5:39
2. CAL Stone, (4) (Kozun, Fiddler), 7:41 (PP)
2. CAL Kozun, (6) (Broda, Stone), 8:56 (PP)
2. CAL Schaber, (4) (Madaisky), 9:20
3. R.D Green, (4) (Coetzee, Morin), 4:41 (PP)
3. CAL Stone, (5) (Kozun, Schultz), 13:51
-As you can see, three goals in 1:40 did the Rebels in. Although the fifth Hitmen goal came 5 on 5. Red Deer was clearly rattled at that point, but they get get credit for battling at the end of the second and in the third. They nearly made a game of it again.
-It wasn't Calgary's fault the game went like this. I'm not a HItmen hater. Full credit to Calgary's powerplay. Some great players on that side, and they took full advantage of an opportunity. I would love to see Michael Stone on Canada's WJC team, or at least get a shot.
-Nick Bell took a Stone slapshot off the ankle in the first period, left the game, and didn't return.
-Here's a couple of thoughts from Head Coach Jesse Wallin after the game. He was obviously upset, but chose to be diplomatic.
"It's disappointing. I thought the turning point in the hockey game was the penalty(s) in the second period. The referee and I obviously had a very different view on that call, and quite frankly I've got quite a bit of confusion as to how that works. I thought it was a tight hockey game to that point and the call I wasn't very happy with was the turning point in the hockey game."
"I didn't think there was any quit in us at all. We lost Nick Bell in the second period, and then Jordie Deagle sticking up for a teammate ended up in the penalty box for quite some time. I didn't think we quit."
"Our approach going into the third was that anything could happen, and I thought we went out and went to it, but at the end of the day it's disappointing when the players don't decide the game."
-----------------------
5) Calgary's vaunted powerplay strikes twice, with authority. Michael Stone. (he's good) Brandon Kozun. (he's good too). Game. Set. Match.
-The biggest thing with this sequence of events that I don't like, and I would say this about any game anywhere in this situation, is that in a 2-2 hockey game, an evenly matched hockey game, when Tyler Fiddler ran Josh Cowen from behind, exactly the kind of dangerous hit the WHL is trying to eliminate, he WON his team the game. How does this accomplish anything?
Here's the summary:
1. R.D Nugent-Hopkins, (9) (Kudrna, Bell), 9:27 (PP)
1. CAL Broda, (4) (Fiddler, Madaisky), 15:20 (PP)
2. CAL Madaisky, (3) (Broda), 4:36
2. R.D Kudrna, (7) (Coetzee, Green), 5:39
2. CAL Stone, (4) (Kozun, Fiddler), 7:41 (PP)
2. CAL Kozun, (6) (Broda, Stone), 8:56 (PP)
2. CAL Schaber, (4) (Madaisky), 9:20
3. R.D Green, (4) (Coetzee, Morin), 4:41 (PP)
3. CAL Stone, (5) (Kozun, Schultz), 13:51
-As you can see, three goals in 1:40 did the Rebels in. Although the fifth Hitmen goal came 5 on 5. Red Deer was clearly rattled at that point, but they get get credit for battling at the end of the second and in the third. They nearly made a game of it again.
-It wasn't Calgary's fault the game went like this. I'm not a HItmen hater. Full credit to Calgary's powerplay. Some great players on that side, and they took full advantage of an opportunity. I would love to see Michael Stone on Canada's WJC team, or at least get a shot.
-Nick Bell took a Stone slapshot off the ankle in the first period, left the game, and didn't return.
-Here's a couple of thoughts from Head Coach Jesse Wallin after the game. He was obviously upset, but chose to be diplomatic.
"It's disappointing. I thought the turning point in the hockey game was the penalty(s) in the second period. The referee and I obviously had a very different view on that call, and quite frankly I've got quite a bit of confusion as to how that works. I thought it was a tight hockey game to that point and the call I wasn't very happy with was the turning point in the hockey game."
"I didn't think there was any quit in us at all. We lost Nick Bell in the second period, and then Jordie Deagle sticking up for a teammate ended up in the penalty box for quite some time. I didn't think we quit."
"Our approach going into the third was that anything could happen, and I thought we went out and went to it, but at the end of the day it's disappointing when the players don't decide the game."
-----------------------
4 comments:
Deagle deserved his double minor, but Fiddler should have got at least a two minute minor for boarding if not a double minor to even it right up. The bench minor against Jesse was weak. He slammed the gate to the bench as the ref was skating away. Big deal. Coaches get away with alot worse than that every game without getting called. The ref made a bad call worse by nailing the Rebels bench for a borderline bench minor.
The ref's ego got in the way of his good judgement.
Look at the replay of the incident.Cowen loses an edge and hits theboards and AFTER that Fiddler runs into him as he can't stop in time. As for Wallin, the ref let him have his say and told him that was enough. Wallin just had to get the last 'word' by slamming the gate and thus deserved the minor. This incident was almost identical to the one in theOiler game a while back between Souray and Iginla.
I HAVE looked at the replay.
I'm not saying it was intentional on Fiddlers part, but it was very dangerous, and there was a slight "push" from behind. This is EXACTLY the kind of play the WHL, and hockey in general, wants to stop.
Fiddler should have gotten a two minute minor for boarding...and Pat Smith HAS to eat the door slam from Wallin. He made a bad situation even worse, and directly affected the outcome of the game.
As i said before, by hitting cowen from behind, even if it was slightly, tyler fiddler won his team the game. this is unacceptable.
Ha ha, only a Calgary fan would condone checking from behind. Guess what? EVERY player will claim that they couldn't stop in time after they do it, they are all wrong.
Post a Comment