Seriously.
Just home from the game so I havent had time to get through all the details, but as far as the no-goal is concerned, the call reverted to the on-ice official, who simply made the wrong call.
Like I stated in a previous blog, I seriously am not one to use poor officiating as an excuse for victories or losses...its defeatist, too negative, and just simply takes the focus away from the one thing that the team CAN control, playing their game.
BUT...there seems to be a frustrating pattern here (and no, I am NOT referring to a conspiracy theory AT ALL...I do not subscribe to that thinking...). Just too much "bad luck".
So, I am (at the risk of harping on this whole non-goal business too much, and most likely to satisfy my own curiosity) going to look into the specific wording in the NHL rules on this whole issue of "intent to blow the whistle", which, to say the least, is a very abstract concept that is subject to interpretation and guesswork. (If anyone else finds it first, please send it along...)
I just have to know the deal on this particular situation. Call it closure.
Anyway, as for the game, I really don't want to get into a full analysis here, the Isles played an OK game, Buffalo was swarming a bit there, of course, and the Isles missed the net way too many times...so much so, that its really the sub-plot to this one. Mike Sillinger summarized the Isles' effort tonight pretty well, pointing out the the PP and effective corner/board work were the positives, but that in the end the Isles really need to get the puck to Miller's feet more, since his game appears a bit shaky at times over the last few games.
One last observation, TOI. Unless the following players are simply too fatigued to log more time, there's something suspect about their low minutes... Zednik-10:40, Robitaille-12:43, Hunter-14:09, Hilbert-9:00, Park-9:23. I don't really get this one, these guys are sparkplugs, and have some of the better speed on the team (except Hunter, but his hitting is greatly needed).
Understandably, there was some serious frustration in the locker room tonight for sure. Some of the players couldn't hide it at all, and some didn't even try. Brendan Witt and Mike Sillinger, for starters.
Which is really unfortunate, because now you've got a situation where officiating seems to have (temporarily, anyway) gotten into some players' heads. Not what a team facing elimination needs.
Maybe the best example of the frustration was in one of Ted Nolan's opening post-game responses: "I don't care what anyone says, that was a goal." He was clearly agitated. Of course, Rick DiPietro's uncharacteristic stick breaking was another look into the Isles' minset right now.
But they're professional athletes and of course they'll recover from this and put it behind them for Friday's must-win game. They've specialized in doing just that this season, so it shouldn't be that tough a task.
Ted Nolan's closing words: "It's do or die, and there's no tomorrow".
There's no doubt that Ted Nolan is a MAJOR reason the Islanders are where they are right now. And even as effective a coach as his is in so many different ways, I'm not sure there are too many coaches around that would be able to generate any more passion and effort from the remaining few key players that we need it from the most.
And should the Islanders fall to the Sabres, that could ultimately end up being the difference in this series.
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