The Confluence
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Flyers blaming referees for economic crisis, world hunger
by Tony on 04/18/09 at 06:14 PM ET
Comments (9)
Or so it seems.
Here we go. You just knew it was coming, didn’t ya ??
The Flyers are doing their best “Why is everybody picking on me” gamesmanship during the off day while both teams head east to Philadelphia for Game Three.
Ya think being down 0-2 has anything to do with it ??
Today, it was veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen who blew most of the hot air. Kimmo said “The only thing that I notice is that I didn’t see the refs yelling at their bench, not one time. And I can see them coming over to our bench a few times. It makes you wonder, ‘Why?’ That’s for other people to judge. We just go out there and play. And hopefully, we get some breaks, too.” “Obviously, they had something to tell. Was it us yelling at them? Or them to us? I don’t know,” he said. “But you see [their] guys going to the refs and talking to them and it looks like they talk to them back. But when we go to talk to them, they yell at us. It’s a little bit of a difference. It’s not something we can control.”
And then it was Coach John Stevens, who couldn’t resist throwing in a jab or two himself, suggesting that the Penguins “tend to talk a little more than most teams.”
Hey, we all know, this is exactly what happens. All teams, particularly teams losing in a series, are gonna work the referees, via the media of course, in the attempt to get more of an advantage the next game.
It’ll surely go both ways, if and when the Penguins lose. You’ll see IHCDB up there questioning a call or two made during the game. That’s just how it works in pro sports.
But back to Timonen. Excuse me, senor Kimmo, but don’t you think that the lack of a penalty shot call against Scott Hartnell for throwing his stick on a Petr Sykora slapshot would be classified as a “break” ?? Are you seriously telling us that the two Flyers penalties called in overtime, the cross-check to Mike Knuble and the broken stick slash on Claude Giroux, were not the proper calls ??
With just a shred of discipline, the Flyers could easily be tied in this series, but instead, they chose to 1) make a cross-check right in front of the net while you were on a powerplay in overtime, and then 2) commit a ridiculous overhand slash in the neutral zone to give the Penguins a 5-on-3 powerplay, and basically, that was the ballgame.
So Kimmo, you can blame the refs all you want, but perhaps you can take this bit of advice. Want someone to blame ?? Tell your teammates to look in the mirror.
We’ll see about 24 hours from now if they listened.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Comments
The cross-check to Knuble was actually pretty weak IMO, but it’s a call that’s happening across the board so it’s not a conspiracy against the Flyers by any means.
Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 04/18/09 at 08:06 PM ET
Clearly you’re Pens fans. Would that be long term or a result of the post-lockout NHL campaign ?
Posted by Elizabeth from Los Angeles on 04/18/09 at 09:14 PM ET
Hey, we all know, this is exactly what happens. All teams, particularly teams losing in a series, are gonna work the referees, via the media of course, in the attempt to get more of an advantage the next game.
That quote takes me back to the 2008 cup finals. Michel Theirien and Sid with continuous whinny obstruction crap, from a team losing in a series. The Beatles wrote a song about it. “Cry Baby Cry.
Lets Go Red Wings!!!!!
Posted by Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit on 04/18/09 at 09:27 PM ET
Kate from PA - You are awesome - Go Wings, indeed!
Posted by Elizabeth from Los Angeles on 04/18/09 at 09:36 PM ET
Yup, you’re right Kate….
As I said, they all do it….
Some more than others, but they all do it….
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 04/18/09 at 09:38 PM ET
Actually, Elizabeth, I’m a hockey fan, not a Pens fan. The team I loved hasn’t been good since 83. Whining and bitching by a loser is just that, whining and bitching by a loser. The Flyers are penalized not because they’re tough, but because they run around like undisciplined jackasses. Did you just watch the Bruins/Habs game? The Bruins know how to play tough and smart, and in trying to be tough, the Habs were laughable, just like the Flyers in game 1 in particular.
And I agree with Kate too. At least some of us Keystone-Staters are objective.
Posted by dip from philly on 04/18/09 at 10:00 PM ET
Shane,
Short memory?? The only reason the cross check on Orpik was called was the fact that a weaker call for cross checking was made against Gill lass than two minutes earlier??
It was an obvious call and a dumb move by Knuble. Everyone knows if you get a PP in OT, better walk a tight line or the refs will call one the other way. Knuble - dumb, dumb dumb play. He’s to blame, not the refs.
Oh yeah, Hartnell THROWS his stick and no call. Forgot about that too I guess? How about Cooke getting his teeth knocked loose with a high stick in gm 1. Forgot that one too??
Posted by McFly on 04/19/09 at 08:11 AM ET
McFly, you stopped reading at the comma, didn’t you?
“weaker call for cross checking was made against Gill lass than two minutes earlier??”
Yep, that’s why I said it was happening across the board so no reason to assume conspiracy.
As fort the rest? I couldn’t care less. I don’t believe in even up calls whatsoever so none of that matters to me thinking that the Knuble call was weak.
Which it was.
Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 04/19/09 at 01:20 PM ET
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Watch Richards. He’s jawing with the refs after every single whistle when he’s on the ice. Maybe its “How are the kids?” every once in a while, but probably not.
We’ve had these two games shown on Comcast with the Flyers own game crew. Keith Jones, Bill Clement and Al Morganti have all concurred with the refereeing and pointed their fingers at the Flyers as the culprit in their losses. Our resident Homer Steve Coates said of the Giroux slash that he hates the automatic penalty call for a broken stick on a slash, but its the same for everyone, just like clearing the puck over the glass. Why is only one team making that mistake? Again, Morganti and Clement agreed its the right call, pointing out that Giroux’s slash started with his stick above his head, drawing even more attention to it.
Philly is a funny town. With the Eagles, its ALWAYS the players and coaches faults, even when they win. With the Flyers, its ALWAYS someone else’s fault they’ve lost.
Posted by dip from philly on 04/18/09 at 06:54 PM ET