When The NHL Playoffs Are 'Rigged' (RD 2)

The officials are not referees anymore. They’re just game managing.

Not a Boston or Florida fan, but NHL refs have been increasing suspect over the last few years. Their credibility has never recovered from the Tim Peel Hot Mic scandal. With increased sports betting, there is more incentive than ever for the refs to effect games. If fans have no confidence in the refs either because of their corruption and/or their incompetence, then the popularity of the sport will suffer.

I'm a Panthers fan, and that goal really wrecked my head. I don't think anything's rigged, but that was a stupid call. Coyle was clearly in the way of Swayman and unable to make space or clear the puck and that was only because of the cross-check.

It definitely diminishes the enjoyment of watching the sport when the officials and the league put this on display!

I don't believe in a league wide conspiracy. But I do believe, as a Habs fan wanting only for Boston to suffer, that that Panthers goal shouldn't have counted.

After watching game 2 of the Oilers in Vancouver series I can't believe this officiating is allowed in the league

You won't hear this much, from me, but I agree with Boston. %100

since sports betting became so mainstream i have been questioning the whole integrity of the NHL.

What pissed me off? The entire sequence that resulted in the Soucy suspension was started by Mcdavid, and ended by Hyman. And yet here we are.

The way to fix this is the refs meet post game with the media to review tape and explain each penalty called

Dallas is scary good! So many goals throughout the whole team! They are the team to beat at the moment. Greetings from Dundee, Scotland!! UK

I'm the Vancouver series you missed that Hyman cross-checked zadorov in the face in that same play that required stitches and he went unpunished. The NHL will do everything they can to help McDavid.

The league's explanation, on Bennet's goal, makes no sense.

Bad officiating is a tale as old as time. I usually chalk it up to be maybe being in a bad angle, because things look different on the ice, but that goalie interference call was pretty hard to swallow after a video review. There is a pretty clear rule on the books for this, so it really blows my mind, and I have no dog in that fight.

The NHL’s explanation of why they allowed that goal is bizarre as F. One it’s been called a cross check forever. Two, this is literal definition of the goaltender interference rule via NHL. “If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed.” Therefore, whether the save was a possibility or not, that’s goaltender interference. The argument over whether it could’ve been saved or not isn’t one that’s needed to be had. Coyle had the positioning to defend the rebound via skate or stick, and Swayman had no chance to get over. He’s insanely flexible. It’s not just this. The sucker punch by Bennett was during a game that the NHL issued warning pregame to both teams saying that the game would be heavily scrutinized. Bennett has used this type of sneaky sucker punch many times already. He actually uses the stick as well to make partial contact. How Player Safety didn’t even have a talk with Bennett is beside me. There is a video of a net scrum in front of Swayman where he has control of the puck and despite a whistle, Tkachuck does the exact same sucker punch attempt with one hand on his stick but misses Swayman’s face. Look it up. The Bruins organization hasn’t been able to absolutely crush the NHL and refs because Jeremy Jacobs is one of the most uncaring, stingiest, money hungry owners ever. He clearly put a gag order out on everyone. For Cam Neely to not even leave his office during the press conference shows that he just said F it all then. The worst part about all of this is that when you try to have an open dialogue about it, You get everyone coming at your throat saying you’re whining, making excuses, blaming the refs, Marchand deserves it, etc.. Do people not realize that Bruins fans are clearly aware of their lack of offensive production and ability to play their game effectively? You can call these plays for what they are without being a homer. Bruins were heavy underdogs going into this series. They lost their 1C, 2C, 1/2Winger & more. They’ve overachieved. All of these incidents and more that have occurred truly make my “spidey sense” tingle. Something fishy is going on. Whether win or lose, the Bruins are always a top 5 revenue generating team; 1.5B+. The Panthers yearly revenue is less than half the Bruins. They’re 30th in revenue yearly. Gary Bettman knows that the Panthers have untapped potential revenue wise if they can draw fans in. Biggest way to do so? Win in the playoffs. It’s all about getting Florida closer to the revenue of other teams close by such as Tampa Bay. In the end, it’s always about money. Player safety and ensuring the integrity of the game means nothing; except if it’s done to a superstar who pulls in massive money via apparel sales & attendance. As a lifelong diehard fan of hockey for 35+ years, I’m losing interest at a massive rate. New York Rangers crush either team anyway next round and I’m all for it.

I saw a stat somewhere that in this years playoffs only one of four goalie interference challenges were overturned, and the one was in favor of the Panthers (last round)

I'd never thought I could hate a team more than Boston, but Florida made a step-up.

OK I am not actually wearing a tinfoil hat here but I can see where some people could be convinced theres something sus going on with regards to the Panthers. Way way back in 2010 the VP of Hockey Operations for the NHL, Colin Campbell, sent the Director of Officiating emails complaining about a bunch of on ice calls and one referee he eventually got fired in particular. Many of the calls he was complaining about involved his son Gregory, these emails were one might say overly harsh and definitely profanity laden. This all came out and there was a little bit of a scandal about it but it wasn't big news outside of very invested hockey fans. Campbell apologized and kept his job, he is in fact still the Director of Hockey Operations. Gregory his son is no longer playing but he is the Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers. So one of the three most powerful executives in the league offices who is known for cursing out his subrodinates in person and via email for making questionable calls regarding his son is still in a position of power. And maybe, just maybe this might be going through the minds of those head officials as theyre looking over the tape of that goal to determine if it should be called back. The Panthers still deserved to win that game they were outplaying the Bruins but this isnt a good look for NHL officiating.

I think it's obvious that the leagues explanation of the goal was simply to protect the referees

With the Bruins series, there have been COUNTLESS questionable penalty calls (Lauko interference, Maroon high stick, McAvoys interference, Lindholm interference) that 1. Restrict the bruins from generating offense because they’re always on the penalty kill and 2. Puts into question the NHLs handling of this series. If they’re gonna “scrutinize” the “dirty play”of the Bruins/Panthers, Bennett should’ve been suspended, the goal shouldn’t have counted, and countless others. Now that the NHL’s policing of this is a joke, players do not care about the hits they’re going to make. I’m not sure how the slightest infractions and common occurrences (Maroons high stick, Lindholm interference) are called as penalties and giving the panthers an obvious edge.