Rangers 3, Officials 2...

This post will NOT be about the "officiating" in tonight's Rangers game in Chicago, where Chicago had five 5-on-3 power plays. 

But, let's get it out of the way first. The NHL say there is no bias against the Rangers, and I agree. However, I think there IS a bias FOR certain teams, namely Pittsburgh and Chicago. The NHL (and former NBA shill Gary Bettman) love young teams in cities that had awful attendance in the early part of the decade, we know that. 

Let me take you to the final game of the Rangers-Penguins series last year. Ryan Malone's stick gave Chris Drury a blade-shaped cut on his face. He gushed blood. The game was stopped for a few minutes to clean the ice. No penalty called. At the end of the same period, Drury's stick hits Malone. Four-minute penalty going into overtime with the series on the line.

Let me take you to the Winter Classic this year, when Detroit was called for 4 penalties in the first period on what the NHL wants to be their biggest stage. Chicago scores 2 power play goals (and another even-strength).

So it should be no surprise when playing the Blackhawks or Penguins that your team is unfairly penalized while the opposition skates punishment-free.

What I want to write about is Tom Renney. A few games ago - to be honest, I forget after which game - he said that he should be more vocal in arguing with the referees in hopes to get some calls go his way. Makes sense, no? Remember how vocal Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello was to the referees? Then, magically, Michal Rozsival gets called for a high-sticking penalty. Not only was his stick on the ice, it never touched an opposing player. But apparently, referees make up calls when a playoff game is tied 2-2 after the GM rips you apart.

Well, after Chicago tied the score at 2 in tonight's contest, Renney got madder than I had ever seen him. Sure, we've seen him yell, and even question a referee before. But never had he John Tortorella-ed and completely flipped out on the refs. Okay, okay, he didn't do that today, but when he ran to the bench door and opened it, I thought he was going to go out and physically attack one of the referees. What Renney said was not fit for TV, and I'm surprised MSG wasn't ready with a pixelating device to cover his mouth up. 

What happens soon after he throws a hissy fit? Chicago is called for a penalty, which can definitely be seen as a make-up call.

And in overtime, a Ranger had their stick broken. The referees obviously missed it (after all, why would they be watching the puck carrier?), but the players reaction - stick thrown down, hands up while looking at the ref - made the referee blow the whistle even if he didn't see it. 

So, class, let's recap. Renney stays quiet, Drury gets his face cut open in the playoffs. No penalty. Renney attacks the refs verbally, a Rangers' stick gets slashed, 2 minute penalty. In overtime, no less.

Let's hope that Renney keeps this newfound passion. I'm not looking for make-up calls, all I'm looking for is fairness to both teams. But since that is few and far between, and since the refs genuinely blow a lot of calls on accident, it's nice to see him getting worked up about it. I hate watching him casually shake his head time after time on a bad call. It's nice to see him get angry.

Finally, Something Good to Happen in Jersey...

Traditionally, the loneliest jobs in the NHL are backup goalies to Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur. Kevin Weekes took the job in Jersey, and probably never saw himself as the Devils' starting goaltender. Since 1995, the least amount of games Brodeur has played is 67, and in every other season he has played in atleast 70. 

Yes, it was curious when Weekes signed on in New Jersey, considering he still saw himself as a starting goalie. Well, now he has the chance to prove himself.

A lot of outlets are predicting the Devils make a trade, and they are saying they should get Dwayne Roloson from Edmonton. Two problems with this...

1) They are guessing. They have no clue. Lou Lamoriello runs a tight-lipped ship in Newark and there are historically very few leaks and rumors to come out of there. People are estimating, and since Edmonton has 3 goalies, they are attaching Roloson's name there in hopes of being right.

2) Roloson is on a roll and is the starting goalie in Edmonton. Nearly traded last year at the trade deadline, he is now higher than Mathieu Garon on the depth chart in Oilerland. 

Anyway, personally, I think the Devils should run with Weekes, but when they falter, they shouldn't blame him. The team there has been living on "the system" and Brodeur for the past three seasons. This year, the system isn't all there, and Brodeur is now gone. They don't have the forwards to put 4 goals in every night, and now they won't have those 2-1, 1-0, 3-1 games anymore.

However, I won't go further right now. There are more pressing issues at hand: a national election, and more importantly, a Ranger-Islander game at the Garden, where the Islanders always come out flying.

Cheating?...

RANGERS POST by ZACH

Once again, don't want to usurp Bryan's 2 worth-the-read posts below, but 3 quick hits about tonight before I forget.

1) The Devils had 4 goals, yet only really scored 1 goal. The first goal hit off of a Rangers stick because Sergei Brylin charged hard to the net and they got lucky. The second goal hit off of Shanahan and somehow dribbled past Lundqvist's shorts and into the net and they got lucky. The third was a good shot by Patrick Elias (by the way, what's 6 million divided by 20 goals?). The overtime winner hit off of a Rangers' skate and into the net because John Madden threw it at goal and they got lucky.

Moral of the Paragraph: Charge to the net, throw the puck at the net, and maybe you can score more than 2 goals a game.

2) Lou Lamoriello has been around the league a long time. He has complained a long time. He tore into the officials and their boss(es) two nights ago after Blair Betts held a red jersey. (He also thought that going even strength with 15 seconds left would have guaranteed a goal if they pulled the goalie.) He also, understandably, got mad at the icing call while they were shorthanded. 

Moral of the Paragraph: If you are Lou Lamoriello, you can get the officials to blow the whistle in your favor if you complain enough.

I know, I know, you shouldn't blame to referees for a loss, and the Rangers didn't put forth a real effort in overtime. But...

3) I have watched the "high sticking call" on Michal Rozsival about 10 times, and I cannot come up with where this penalty happened. His stick didn't go much more than waist high, and he didn't touch anybody with it. Yet, with the score tied at 2 in a playoff game, the officials whistled him for a phantom penalty, thus directly leading to a power play goal that turned out to be huge in the end.

Moral of the Paragraph: If you are trying to appease a General Manager named Lou L., please don't be so obvious. It was apparent that the assholes he ripped them the other night were still hurting and they didn't want that to happen again, so they blew phantom calls.

I understand the "reputation penalty" Avery got when Brodeur tripped him. I touched on that in my last post. But just blowing the whistle and making up a call? That's blatant cheating. To be honest, I'm shocked that Ryan Callahan didn't get a penalty when Colin White tripped him into Brodeur.

By the way, no blowjobs or burritos today (although I ate my body weight in lasagna, sausage, meatballs, and chicken parm), but Sean Avery scoring on Marty Brodeur for the third straight game is heaven.