I thought I was replying to one of the Flames fans above My bad.

And that's OUR point. Star players should be treated the same as everyone else and be allowed to really showcase their skills. As I detailed, Dmen can still defend against even the best players if they're tactically and mentally prepared. That's the whole point of defense; to stop the opposition while playing WITHIN the confines of the rules.
- MaximumBone

lol and what generally sets apart star players from "average" players, generally speed and skill. The same poop goes on in Peewee, bantam, midget, junior, rec league, beer league, the pros. Teams do whatever it takes to stop the best players from beating them. Little whacks and holds aren't going to get called in the NHL. The game wouldn't constantly be whistled down if they called every single whack/tug/pull/push/etc. I think this whole thing was made into a big deal for no reason. The calls in favor of the Canucks were 5-1 with how many "pucks over the glass" penalties? Either way, difference of opinion. Connor is going to have to get used to it.

Everyone crying about the 5-1 PP count. 3 of those penalties are automatic calls. Nothing that the Nucks did to cause those.
- Itsjustarash

Except the one where Leivo used Gravel's stick to throw the puck over the glass. Gravel had one hand on the stick; is it even physically possible for him to clear the puck over the glass like that? That one was the only one I took real issue with.

lol and what generally sets apart star players from "average" players, generally speed and skill. The same poop goes on in Peewee, bantam, midget, junior, rec league, beer league, the pros. Teams do whatever it takes to stop the best players from beating them. Little whacks and holds aren't going to get called in the NHL. The game wouldn't constantly be whistled down if they called every single whack/tug/pull/push/etc. I think this whole thing was made into a big deal for no reason. The calls in favor of the Canucks were 5-1 with how many "pucks over the glass" penalties? Either way, difference of opinion. Connor is going to have to get used to it.
- Codes1087

Alright, then I'll be sure to remember this stance you guys had once Pettersson and the Hughes brothers (because it HAS to happen) reach the point in their careers where the refs stop calling the things they used to. You're free to disagree, but you'd better be consistent.

I’m afraid the officiating is only going to get worse.

The league brass sent a message to all officials league wide to reduce the amount of penalty calls as it was “greatly interrupting the flow of play” for most hockey games. This bit of news comes from Elliotte Friedman, so safe to say it’s true.

Reading between the lines, essentially most players around the league are cheating as much as they can get away with. I do share Sean’s opinion of calling absolutely everything to force players to eliminate the cheap stuff, and get it firmly planted in their mind, but you’d have to change the name of the game from Hockey to PowerPlay or something if you get the drift of it.

In the current model, if team X gets a PP, and team Y gets one right after, and neither team scores, team X gets away with a blatant trip on team Y if it’s right after team Y’s powerplay is done so as to not “interrupt the flow of gameplay”. Pretty bullshít if you ask me but you can see how it becomes a double edged sword.

What you end up with is close to 1/3rd of all games outcomes in the NHL being decided by hit and miss officiating, not nessesarily who was the better team that night, that’s epidemic levels right there. And the league knows it, they just don’t know what to do about it. Ask pretty please players, don’t cheat?!,cause that’ll never happen. Tell the officials to call absolutely everything to try to get the message across to the players?! You’d end up with maybe 5 minutes of true 5on5 during a game.

To be frank, I don’t honestly know what the solution is either. If it was me, I’d go the calling absolutely everything route in all the preseason games and maybe a little bit into October to start the next year and see what happens. In the meantime, your going to see a lot of non calls against McDavid, Gaudreau and star company like that to continue.

Bottom line. It’s the players faults that it works the current way it does. It starts with them. They have to stop trying to cheat every little time they think they can get away with it. But it’s a part of the fabric of the game, human nature even. Until the players straiten themselves out, nothing is going to change for the positive.

Sorry this was so long, but this is the short version actually..
- Flamin_Irishmin

2005-06. It did a good job expanding the game's appeal.

Wow, lose a game and its blame the officiating. Maybe get more depth.....like the Flames.

Alright, then I'll be sure to remember this stance you guys had once Pettersson and the Hughes brothers (because it HAS to happen) reach the point in their careers where the refs stop calling the things they used to. You're free to disagree, but you'd better be consistent.
- MaximumBone

lol make sure you bookmark it I guess. I understand your frustration with Connor, I really do, but if you think the league, the refs, the players around the league are going to take a different stance on how to deal with him based off of Hitchcock crying about the "little things" that don't allow Connor to skate freely around the entire team, then I think you are about to be disappointed my friend.

Wow, lose a game and its blame the officiating...like the Flames.
- FlamesNOTLames

Yeah yeah, we all remember the 2015 and 2017 Playoffs.

Once again, we're not blaming the refs for the loss. How many times does this need to explicitly stated before you (frank)s catch on? The Canucks won the game with a strong effort and solid defense. What's coming out now is merely a reaction that the fans aren't the only ones seeing the type of garbage McDavid has to go through. It's probably rooted from McLellan NEVER taking a stand like this for any of his players. Hitch is just a breath of fresh air in so many ways.

lol make sure you bookmark it I guess. I understand your frustration with Connor, I really do, but if you think the league, the refs, the players around the league are going to take a different stance on how to deal with him based off of Hitchcock crying about the "little things" that don't allow Connor to skate freely around the entire team, then I think you are about to be disappointed my friend.
- Codes1087

No need to bookmark. I'm not that kind of obsessive

I just think making some innocuous noise about an issue we both agree exists is better than just laying down and taking it because "things will never change". The fact that a coach of ours said something is why the reaction is how it is; it's as much a recognition and appreciation of the change of pace Hitch brings as anything else. (frank) Todd.

I see your point, and we dealt with it (to a different degree) with the Sedins. Bure dealt with the same poop every night which evidently resulted in him doing the "mother of all elbows" to Churla. Having said that, its so much more evident in McDavid's case because he is literally THAT fast. I still don't think whining about it in the media by Hitch is going to change anything. He is going to have deal with it the rest of his playing career, opposing teams won't stop because Hitch cries about it haha.
- Codes1087

Yeah I agree with your point about Hitch. I guess with how apparent it is with McDavid and how much influence he has in the league I am just surprised that the NHL execs aren't putting more pressure on the refs to ramp up those calls to ultimately improve the on-ice product for fans of every team.

lol make sure you bookmark it I guess. I understand your frustration with Connor, I really do, but if you think the league, the refs, the players around the league are going to take a different stance on how to deal with him based off of Hitchcock crying about the "little things" that don't allow Connor to skate freely around the entire team, then I think you are about to be disappointed my friend.
- Codes1087

I don't think Hitchcock will influence any change but fans changing the channel might. Personally I think McDavid is one of the biggest attractions in hockey in terms of entertainment but when I have to watch him tow opposing players around the ice then I'd just rather watch the highlights or something else altogether.

Maybe if they weren't a ONE line team, Conner wouldn't have to deal with a love tap every shift.

I see you're not watching the video...
- MaximumBone

I watched the first half and all he does is complain about the obstruction holding and obstruction hooking that goes on before Connor gets the puck ...which is exactly what successful trap era teams did to slow players up on Hitchcock coached teams that were successful

That right there is the issue with the NHL. If Tobias Rieder gets an opportunity for a breakaway and gets hooked it will likely be a penalty, but if McDavid does it it is okay because that is how players have to defend him? The NHL is the only league which actively tries to bring the best players down to the average level.
- freelancer

Wrong. The nhl isn't trying to do anything and not calling every little hook or hold against McDavid makes him a better player. It's called overcoming adversity...a concept that is foreign to you millenials

To those Nucks fans who feel this is the argument for losing the game it wasn’t....our PK was poop....you won the game congrats....judging by some reactions you would think you never won a game before....look forward to the rematch

To those Flames fans that want to be funny....so it’s ok for this to happen but you whine b1tch and complain when Gio gets a suspension for a knee on knee that hurt another player? Yeah ok then

I agree with the comments about the officiating overall it’s been crap this year.....no consistency anywhere and not just with the Oilers either but in the league in general....these guys still can’t even figure out what interference is yet let alone anything else....don’t see it getting better anytime soon either

Just a reminder since you called Hitchcock Rattie's new coach; the majority of Rattie's career he has had Hitchcock as his NHL coach, saying all the right things about him, and having him in the pressbox or the AHL most of the year with short experiments in the top 6 where he is bench by the third.

To those Nucks fans who feel this is the argument for losing the game it wasn’t....our PK was poop....you won the game congrats....judging by some reactions you would think you never won a game before....look forward to the rematch

To those Flames fans that want to be funny....so it’s ok for this to happen but you whine b1tch and complain when Gio gets a suspension for a knee on knee that hurt another player? Yeah ok then

I agree with the comments about the officiating overall it’s been crap this year.....no consistency anywhere and not just with the Oilers either but in the league in general....these guys still can’t even figure out what interference is yet let alone anything else....don’t see it getting better anytime soon either
- RatedR80

Crap this year? It's been piss poor for years now. League wide. Those chuckleheads must have a strong union. Until the NHLPA makes a stink about it, more of the same will continue.

Just a reminder since you called Hitchcock Rattie's new coach; the majority of Rattie's career he has had Hitchcock as his NHL coach, saying all the right things about him, and having him in the pressbox or the AHL most of the year with short experiments in the top 6 where he is bench by the third.
- Antilles

Ha ha ha ha ha. Also, why was Rattie out a few games? Healthy scratch?

Crap this year? It's been piss poor for years now. League wide. Those chuckleheads must have a strong union. Until the NHLPA makes a stink about it, more of the same will continue.
- Slip and slap

Players and owners both should make a stink of it but at this point I don’t know what it will take to get any consistency going

Ha ha ha ha ha. Also, why was Rattie out a few games? Healthy scratch?
- BluesDroogie

Yes he has been a healthy scratch and yes he didn’t succeed under Hitch with the Blues this isn’t breaking news.....but he gets a chance to play in the top 6 tonight

Yes he has been a healthy scratch and yes he didn’t succeed under Hitch with the Blues this isn’t breaking news.....but he gets a chance to play in the top 6 tonight
- RatedR80

Rattie is just a good ahl player, that's it. We've seen under hitch, Rattie get his chance in the top 6. It's a very short leash. Hell Rattie couldn't catch on with the Hurrricanes

Rattie is just a good ahl player, that's it. We've seen under hitch, Rattie get his chance in the top 6. It's a very short leash. Hell Rattie couldn't catch on with the Hurrricanes
- BluesDroogie

Rattie couldn’t catch on just like Maroon can’t catch on now right? Point being is just because a player doesn’t succeed with one team doesn’t mean they can’t with another.....the hope for Rattie was to play with Connor and after the pre season it looked like a sure bet but then he gets hurt and has gained zero traction since....it happens

Rattie couldn’t catch on just like Maroon can’t catch on now right? Point being is just because a player doesn’t succeed with one team doesn’t mean they can’t with another.....the hope for Rattie was to play with Connor and after the pre season it looked like a sure bet but then he gets hurt and has gained zero traction since....it happens
- RatedR80

Sounds to me like he could only succed in the NHL playing on the top line with the best player in the world......so he's probably at best a career AHL'er and fringe NHL player at best.

Sounds to me like he could only succed in the NHL playing on the top line with the best player in the world......so he's probably at best a career AHL'er and fringe NHL player at best.
- leonkennedy

Which one? you could be talking about either guy

I’m afraid the officiating is only going to get worse.

The league brass sent a message to all officials league wide to reduce the amount of penalty calls as it was “greatly interrupting the flow of play” for most hockey games. This bit of news comes from Elliotte Friedman, so safe to say it’s true.

Reading between the lines, essentially most players around the league are cheating as much as they can get away with. I do share Sean’s opinion of calling absolutely everything to force players to eliminate the cheap stuff, and get it firmly planted in their mind, but you’d have to change the name of the game from Hockey to PowerPlay or something if you get the drift of it.

In the current model, if team X gets a PP, and team Y gets one right after, and neither team scores, team X gets away with a blatant trip on team Y if it’s right after team Y’s powerplay is done so as to not “interrupt the flow of gameplay”. Pretty bullshít if you ask me but you can see how it becomes a double edged sword.

What you end up with is close to 1/3rd of all games outcomes in the NHL being decided by hit and miss officiating, not nessesarily who was the better team that night, that’s epidemic levels right there. And the league knows it, they just don’t know what to do about it. Ask pretty please players, don’t cheat?!,cause that’ll never happen. Tell the officials to call absolutely everything to try to get the message across to the players?! You’d end up with maybe 5 minutes of true 5on5 during a game.

To be frank, I don’t honestly know what the solution is either. If it was me, I’d go the calling absolutely everything route in all the preseason games and maybe a little bit into October to start the next year and see what happens. In the meantime, your going to see a lot of non calls against McDavid, Gaudreau and star company like that to continue.

Bottom line. It’s the players faults that it works the current way it does. It starts with them. They have to stop trying to cheat every little time they think they can get away with it. But it’s a part of the fabric of the game, human nature even. Until the players straiten themselves out, nothing is going to change for the positive.

Sorry this was so long, but this is the short version actually..
- Flamin_Irishmin

Holy (frank)ing (frank). You need to hire an editor.

Which one? you could be talking about either guy
- RatedR80

Well played coach, well played.