Steve Palumbo: Bad calls casting a dark cloud over the San Jose Sharks remarkable run

No doubt Sharks have played well and had some solid solid performances.... However one can not dismiss the enormous breaks they have received.

People may be downplaying the Sharks strong run some... but I’ve heard plenty singing the praises of many Sharks.

Trolls have already put an asterisk on the Sharks success and it's a damn shame.

Just because you don't like something people are saying, doesn't make them trolls. The officials are the ones who have put an asterisk on sharks run in many, many people's minds. Direct your anger towards the stripes, instead of calling people names just for pointing it out.

Nobody talks about the 52 years Blues fans have been waiting for the cup.... 52 years of disappointing losses, early playoff exits, and underachieving teams. Blues will win this series in 6 and then the world will forget about the Sharks / NHL refs playoff run. Let's Go Blues!

Are people actually letting a few fortunate calls spoil what has been an otherwise remarkable playoff run, full of remarkable stories?

Unfortunately yes. Probably ever since the phantom match penalty to Eakin in the first round. If they go on to win the cup these calls will be talked about for years, just like Hull's skate in the blue paint.

Look it's undeniable that it's cast a cloud over your success, but do you really care?

I'd much rather my team was still playing hockey, even if the beneficiary of some bad refing. But it's also undeniable San Jose will draw the ire from other fans because of it, that comes with success, embrace it, deal with it, and enjoy in the fact your team is still playing hockey in May.

Teams don't win a Stanley Cup based solely on 1-2 calls. Even if the hand pass it blown dead, it was still a 50/50 game they could have won.

Did they deserve a 5-minute major in Game 7? No. Could Las Vegas have killed it and let up less than 4 goals? Yes.

Should the hand pass have been allowed? No. Would SJ still have a good chance to win it? Yes.

There's no doubt that SJ has been the beneficiary of two very lenient rulings thus far (the MacKinnon ruling was legit). But those 2 plays, compared to the 17 games they've played so far, should not take away from what is a very talented team. That said, if the Sharks don't find a way to do their annual playoff choke job, the space time continuum may cease to exist.

Like other people have said, don't worry about what others (like myself) think and just enjoy it.

Are people actually letting a few fortunate calls spoil what has been an otherwise remarkable playoff run, full of remarkable stories?

A few fortunate calls? LOL A fan can hope to have so many favorable calls (that are also obviously wrong) in a season, much less the span of a month...in the playoffs.

It's 2019 so the tin foil hats are plenty, but the NHL is just giving them ammunition like Oprah giving away cars. For pete sake NHL, train your refs. It's embarrassing.

But yes, Sharks fans will have to deal with the asterick that will be assigned to this run.

Are people actually letting a few fortunate calls spoil what has been an otherwise remarkable playoff run, full of remarkable stories?

A few fortunate calls? LOL A fan can hope to have so many favorable calls (that are also obviously wrong) in a season, much less the span of a month...in the playoffs.

It's 2019 so the tin foil hats are plenty, but the NHL is just giving them ammunition like Oprah giving away cars. For pete sake NHL, train your refs. It's embarrassing.

But yes, Sharks fans will have to deal with the asterick that will be assigned to this run.
- FoxMulder

And they should do so gladly, just like the asterisk assigned to the millions of dollars that Barry Bonds made while taking steroids.

But yes, Sharks fans will have to deal with the asterisk that will be assigned to this run.

Meh. honestly Who Cares, the Sharks have put themselves in position to Win games that should have been over, Credit to Them, can't worry about all the Leaf Fans all the time, oh shi* sorry I mean you can't worry about Fans all the time.

Best of Luck, maybe see you in the Finals

And they should do so gladly, just like the asterisk assigned to the millions of dollars that Barry Bonds made while taking steroids.
- jmatchett383

Yep, steroids. That's what you compare that to lol.

Just because you don't like something people are saying, doesn't make them trolls. The officials are the ones who have put an asterisk on sharks run in many, many people's minds. Direct your anger towards the stripes, instead of calling people names just for pointing it out.
- Antilles

what makes them troll is looking at a 30 second replay of one game out of 7 and then proclaim that one team deserves or not to win. The only difference between these calls and all the ones that went against the sharks is that one team overcame the bad calls, the other one didn't. I miss the days where coaches and players were accountable and said: We shouldn't have put the games in the hand of the refs and things like that.

But now it's social media "my uninformed opinion is as valuable as your knowledge" crap.

* actually I've got to give a hand of applause for the accountability from Colorado

Yep, steroids. That's what you compare that to lol.
- pl222

Not at all. Just saying that people can put an asterisk wherever they want, but that doesn't change that it still happened.

Also, this will all be a forgotten issue in 5 years, just like the "intent to blow the whistle" in the SCF a few years back.

RE:
- Turning a 3-0 game 7 deficit into a 4-3 lead with four goals on a five-minute major, which has happened - never.


Actually the Blues were down 3-0 Vs. the Kings in '98 and Sean O'Donnell gets a 5 minute major and the Blues scored 4 power play goals to win the game and the series. Only difference was the Blues did it in game 4!

Go Blues!!

I assume they would just add a few extra names to the cup is all.

I assume they would just add a few extra names to the cup is all.
- ItHossaGood

Hey, Pocklington did it.

The only difference between these calls and all the ones that went against the sharks is that one team overcame the bad calls, the other one didn't.
- pl222

The idea that all missed calls equally effect the game & are equally difficult to overcome, is ridiculous. As is the idea that the headline making calls that have gone in the Sharks favor are the only ones that favored the Sharks. Take out the major against Vegas, the hand pass against St. Louis; and you have a pretty equal number of missed calls against both teams, that both teams have equally overcome.

But since you are making the claim, go ahead, tell us. Which terrible missed call leading directly to an overtime goal did Sharks overcome to win the game anyways?

Sharks have definitely taken advantage of their breaks. But no one mentions them being screwed on multiple occasions as well. It goes both ways.

If it wasn’t for the refs the sharks would t have made it past the first or second round. Then this happens it’s clear Bettman wants them to win this year.

Sharks have definitely taken advantage of their breaks. But no one mentions them being screwed on multiple occasions as well. It goes both ways.
- Zupes

sure man

If it wasn’t for the refs the sharks would t have made it past the first or second round. Then this happens it’s clear Bettman wants them to win this year.
- APar2008

If it wasn’t for the refs, Vegas wouldn’t have won game 2. Same goes for Colorado in game 6 OT hook when Sorenson had an open net. You only highlight where the Sharks take advantage, but turn a blind eye when they’re being screwed.

sure man
- Yeah Boyes

Try watching more than one game per series, man.

What more do the Sharks need? three games of Ref's calls going their way, the in studio SnNBC crew almost sickening love of the Sharks and wanting a cup for Joe Thornton. I will tell you this, I have personally started a campaign to STOP PURCHASING ANY ADVERTISERS PRODUCTS WHO SPONSOR THE NATIONAL GARBAGE LEAGUE!! Gary Bettman and his billion dollars new contract better get off his throne and do something about all of this!! It's amazing that a league would have a supervisor of officials be a former goaltender instead of a former Ref!! What an embarrassment, cannot wait for Honda, Lexus, VW, Discover Card, Duncan Donut, Capital One, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car to stop the ads and PULL OUT!!

^ ^ ^ ^

Maybe you should switch to decaf.....

The Sharks have been on the wrong side of a lot of bad calls both this season & years prior. It's what you do with those opportunities as well as what their opponents didn't do. Knights should be looking in the mirror when they let in those PP goals across the span of 4:05 (I agree it shouldn't have been a 5 min major)....same goes for the Blues who didn't seal the deal the in game 3 via the empty net (& yes..it was a hand pass).

It's the bounces, sometimes it's the luck (including the suspect calls), but mostly it's the skill & determination that has got them there.

Stanely Cup prediction . Bruins 4 JT 0 . Apropos