The NHL Is A Fucking Joke

When a YouTube video comes up, I'll use that instead, but for now, fast forward to the 2:30 mark in this video. Just watch.



Now let me direct you to Rule 69.1 clearly stating the following: "Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact."

Isn't that what just happened? Ville Leino's contact with Marc-Andre Fleury was incidental (i.e. he did not intentionally plow into him) and Fleury was OUT OF THE CREASE when it happened. Simon Gagne then scored the goal, THE REFEREE RULED IT A GOAL, and then reversed it, citing incidental contact. INCIDENTAL CONTACT!!! HE CITED INCIDENTAL CONTACT!!! DID YOU HEAR ME? INCIDENTAL CONTACT!!!! INCIDENTAL CONTACT!!!!

What does rule 69.1 say about incidental contact, again?

"Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact."

Keep in mind, the initial rule was a goal and they overturned it citing incidental contact with a goalie, when that goalie was clearly outside of the crease when that happened. INCIDENTAL CONTACT!!!!!!!!

After that, it was all hopeless. The Flyers lost all their momentum. Backlund was taken out after the 2nd period for a groin injury, thus forcing Laviolette to play Boucher again. But this is not about whether or not the Flyers will or will not win. Do I believe the Flyers are a Stanley Cup contender this year? No. Do I think we are capable of winning a playoff series this year? No. Would I rather see us lose games ourselves rather than the refs losing them for us? Yeah, because at least that way I can honestly assess the Flyers and the opposition and say they were better. When the refs make the rules up as they go along, it affects the game, it affects momentum, it affects morale, and the game ceases to be a game and becomes a joke. 5-year olds playing a pick up game with no actual referee would call a better game than what these refs did today. As if this was a cake that really needed icing, it is illegal to disallow a goal like that if there are no penalties.

Do I expect perfection from the referees? No. Do I expect them to know and apply the basic rules of the league inside and out when it comes to judging whether or not a goal is a goal? Yes, I do. Is that a crazy expectation? Fuck no it's not. It's like I said a million times in the past few days. Do I think the Flyers are going to win it all? No. Do I think they are good enough to win it all, or even a playoff series? No. Do I think they at least deserve a fair shake from the refs and the league? Yes. Do I think that is asking too much? Apparently it is

And to think this does not even begin to touch upon the other atrocities in this hockey game joke. This does not even begin to touch upon a phantom penalty on Scott Hartnell for touching Sidney Crosby. No. Really. He touched him and got a penalty. This does not even begin to touch upon Matt Cooke's holding the stick of Ryan Parent going uncalled. A non-call that DIRECTLY LED to the Penguins getting their 3rd goal of the game, a goal that would further break the backs of the Flyers in this game.

But you know what, for all the rule citing, none of it matters. Take your copy of the NHL Rulebook and throw it away. Rip it up, tear it to shreds, take a bottle of gasoline, pour it on the remaining shreds of the rule book, and light it on fire. Throw the damn thing away and light set it ablaze in flames. You won't be the first one to have done it. That honor belongs to the NHL.