Inconsistency in officiating during the Stanley Cup playoffs seems to have turned one writer off to the point where the individual prefers the regular season over the post-season.
Paul Kasprzak of The Guardian Express used the term “annoying” a few times in a piece about the playoffs, primarily to describe the feeling over the suddenly different standard in officiating from the regular season.
Here are two snippets of what Kasprzak wrote. Click here for the full version.Living in Buffalo, N.Y., I am a hockey fan like many others in my city. Even though I am a hockey, the National Hockey League Playoffs are annoying.
The regular season in the NHL is great to watch. The reason is players can skate, players fight and penalties are called. When the playoffs commence it’s a totally different story as the referee’s whistle goes into their pockets.
And to finish:
The league and other hockey fans could counter with the recent ratings, which hold the NHL, not far removed from another lockout, in very high esteem.
According to the Associated Press, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins “attracted the most TV viewers for an opening game of the Stanley Cup finals in 16 years.”
But officiating - and the different standards in the playoffs - has been a source of frustration for hockey fans, players and those in the media.
Bettman has stood by his officials.
“The officials in this league are the best in the world, I believe – not just in hockey, but in any sport,” Bettman said during a press conference last week.
“I believe they have the most difficult job, and it always seems to undergo even more intense scrutiny this time of year.