Originally Posted by sendme I think the NHL gave the refs a list of new things to call and a video showing them what to look for. I know the announcers for St. Louis keep talking about new penalties and a video that all the teams got just before the start of the season.

One of my very good friends said the Rangers were getting ed last night vs Pittsburgh.

If you know how much it would torture any of us to stand up for the Rangers, you have a good idea how bad the officiating is this year.

I only saw highlights from that game. I know they have been hitting the Blues with stupid penalties. I think some of the ones they are calling are for things that in the past players were able to do. I noticed the Blues tend to get one or two called on them that last season they could do.

EDIT: Damn the refs. I was having issue staying awake during the St. Louis and Detroit game last night, but when I woke up it was near the end and 3-3. They said Backes hit someone in the head when he went to check them. All the replays you can tell it was a clean hit. So he got 5 minutes in the box. That game would have went into OT and maybe even a shootout if it wasn't for such a BS call.

^I agree that was a bad call. Erskin's elbow on Simmons was dirty, also a bad non-call...

Yeah that was a poor poor call. It was made by the ref who saw the play from behind. The way the defensmen reacted made it seem like he was dazed. The way his head moved and how he looked like a young deer on his feet. It makes the win seem a little tainted considering the powerplay time.

From what little I was able to see last night and the way both teams were playing St. Louis might have still loss, but that call is what did it in for them. I try not to see things like that, but the game was tied and would have went into OT. I think Detroit would have still won, but it would have been in OT or a shootout. I know the replay was shown on TV, but did the refs even go back and watch it to make sure before going on with the call?

Compare that to the no call on Erskine's elbow to Wayne Simmond's face, which was observed by both the referee and a linesman...these officials are ing appalling. Shameful, horrible, inconsistent, inattentive, unaccountable.

I'm furious with the Erskine no-call, but I'd be beyond livid if I were a Blues fan. That's the worst call I've seen in years.

The refs seem worse than what I heard the scabs were in the NFL. That game last night in the first period I think both St. Louis and Detroit had 3 power plays each. The one was a 5 on 3 for Detroit. I'm wondering if the refs felt bad for them because of how bad they lost the last time Detroit played St. Louis.

Maybe they didn't have time to throw in decent refs in the lockout negotiations...?

Just announced on Center Ice during the Pittsburgh and New Jersey game the NHL has resended the penalty against Backes last night. A lot of good that does now.

ridiculous.

So what does that mean when they resend it?

From what I understand is that they (NHL) correct the call but as you said it's already too late for that to do any good. Perhaps it was done because it was major? I forget but do you get an automatic one game suspension if you receive a 5 minute major and a game misconduct?

yeah it's so it doesn't count against any automatic suspension requirements

Same thing happened to Kris Letang a couple years ago. He put his shoulder into a dude's chest and sent him into next week but because his helmet came off refs gave 5 + game. Got overturned.

Hartford AHL announced attendance was 13,239 last night, larger than the announced NHL crowd of 12,151 in Phoenix. http://t.co/PvRf3cdu

What the is the NHL still doing in Phoenix?

Originally Posted by DestroVega What the is the NHL still doing in Phoenix?

Hubris. Can't admit they made mistakes...not mistakes, blunders...in trying to expand into non-hockey markets.

Continue to lose money on the league end of things, take a pound of flesh out of the players next time the CBA is up for renewal. It's easy to win that way, and precisely what happened over the past few months.

Here's the thing...what markets would be able to support an NHL team (have an arena that is usable) in the near future and are willing to make the financial commitment? I completely agree that Phoenix is a terrible market for hockey. They need to get out of there ASAP. But at the same time, it needs to be a smart move. I would personally love to see another Canadian team...

Quebec City, Seattle, Toronto part 2, clearly Hartford, CT as well.

They just don't want to move Phoenix to a lucrative market with enormously wealthy entities interested in ownership when they can extract more money out of them in expansion fees. Unfortunately they'll do what they can to keep them there and if they move, it'll be to a mid market city at best. Kansas City, Las Vegas, perhaps Seattle if there's not a potential owner there who will pay expansion fees, but the A list markets like Quebec City and Markham/Hamilton/Greater Toronto are out of that picture.

They're 100% going to expand again. Current owners get a payday that players don't get a cut of. The union adds 40 jobs. NBC's national footprint doesn't shrink by moving another US team to Canada. CBC/TSN are helped enormously.

I think it was during the Pittsburgh and New Jersey game the other day, but they were talking about Phoenix. I forgot some of what was said, but what I do remember is that they wont be moving to Canada. I think another thing was move them to another state and make them an AHL team. I also remember something said about a potential buyer, but they don't want to pay the 170 million being asked for them. Hell I don't blame them. The one announcer said the price the person was willing to pay, but I forgot it. All I know is it seems like their is a high chance that next season Phoenix will not have an NHL team.

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Anybody know what the deal is in Vancouver concerning the goaltending? Luongo has played 4 straight games. Are they giving him a chance to take over the starting position? Showing him off to trade suitors? Are they going to end up trading Schneider instead (lol)? It's odd hearing how they are basically holding on to Luongo until they see a worthy deal but the longer it takes the more complicated it is for the GM to make a move when the goalie he is trying to trade is the teams top goalie this season so far.