Anyone watching Sharks @ Canucks?

[netwolf]

What I am seeing does not bode well for the playoffs, especially if Bill McCreary and Dan O'Halloran are allowed to call a came. This game reeks of "letting the boys play," which is a phrase that makes me ill.

Joe Thornton and one of the Sedin brothers were fighting for a loose puck behind the net and Sedin grabbed on to him, literally pulled his jersey over his head (knocking off Thornton's helmet in the process) and pulled him to the ice. A referee (not sure which one) was 10 feet from it and called nothing.

Earlier, Cheechoo had worked to the front of the net for a shot and was trying to avoid Alex Auld, but could not because a Sedin was pushing him from behind. Cheechoo was sent off for goaltender interference.

At least they are consistent in their suckitude. The Sharks announcers continue to decry the poor job, but say they have screwed up many, many calls and non-calls at both ends of the rink and has nothing to do with the score.

Regulation just ended and the game is headed to OT thanks to a goal in the last 5 minutes from Scott Hannan.

EDIT: Game over, Sharks win and clinch a playoff spot. They will be no lower than the 7th seed. Thornton goes coast to coast and set up Christian Ehrhoff for the winner 34 seconds in. It was Thornton's 4th assist of the game.

[Fast B]

Take that, zebras! Sharks are I-N like Flynn!

And the 7 seed means no Detroit in the first round. 8)

[Vanbiesbrouck]

Yeah, it's been gradual, and I'm not surprised.

Sorry to hear you report that it's gotten to this point already. Welcome to playoff hockey. It's still the most exciting tournament in sports, but it's sad how much single games can be ruined by refereeing.

[Fast B]

The most amazing part is that this team lost 10 in a row in November, before the Thornton trade. Ten straight losses and now they're in the playoffs. It's not as good as if the Pens were in, but it is pretty exciting.

And Big Joe had 4 assists tonight, bringing him to 91 for the year. 91 assists! Unreal.

[netwolf]

I would love to hear Stephen Walkom's evaluation of this game and the "job" McCreary and O'Halloran did. It might have been the worst job by a crew all year.

[Fast B]

I would love to hear Stephen Walkom's evaluation of this game and the "job" McCreary and O'Halloran did. It might have been the worst job by a crew all year.

You already know what will happen: nothing. Walkom won't do a damn thing, because he's a giant tool who has no business in his current position.

But you're right; as bad as some of the officiating in the Pens games has been, this was a travesty. The non-call on Sedin was hilarious in its stupidity, to say nothing of the constant blatant hooking the Canucks were doing on the PK.

[netwolf]

For some unknown reason, I believe Walkom when he says he is trying to get the game cleaned up. I know I shouldn't... maybe it's because I want to believe him and that because the last guy was such an incompetent jack-ass.

I don't expect to hear anything publicly on this and as much as I would, it's probably best for them to handle it in private. Here's hoping these two get the riot act read to them and either shape up or get let go in the off-season.

[Mad City Mike]

For some unknown reason, I believe Walkom when he says he is trying to get the game cleaned up. I know I shouldn't... maybe it's because I want to believe him and that because the last guy was such an incompetent jack-ass.

I don't expect to hear anything publicly on this and as much as I would, it's probably best for them to handle it in private. Here's hoping these two get the riot act read to them and either shape up or get let go in the off-season.

Trouble is, the only way he can make the edicts work is by canning the oldtimers like McCreary, Koharski, and Devorski. But the refs union would never allow that, so we are stuck with these guys that will call it their own way, NHL be damned. Because they know better than anyone else what's good for the sport .