Hockey

Playoffs refs are back (and the Habs will have to adapt accordingly)
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Playoffs refs are back (and the Habs will have to adapt accordingly)
Credit: Getty Images

Yesterday, it dawned on us: playoff refereeing is back.

In the playoffs, referees have a reputation for putting away whistles – for better or for worse. And yesterday, that's clearly what happened in the Capitals' win over the Habs.

It didn't take long to realize that this is what would happen. Brendan Gallagher may have a reputation, but a gesture like that speaks volumes…

On both sides, there were some shots that weren't penalized without much explanation. But let's just say that the CH ate up several shots that could, in season, have been worth a penalty.

Welcome to the playoffs. It's like this every year.

The CH guys refused to blame the refereeing after the game (maybe it was done in private), but it's clear that outside the dressing room, the disallowed clearance that led to the winning goal is the talk of the town.

It changed the game… even if Washington deserved the W in the end.

Seeing Patrik Laine tackled without the puck should have been a penalty. Because without the tackle, he would have taken control of the puck and there would have been no denied clearance.

That's pretty clear.

So right now, there's a certain wave of criticism towards the refereeing, which has been quite different from what we see in the regular season. The disallowed clearance was the icing on the sundae.

Let's just say a lot of people are talking about that one.

Of course, it's clear that throughout the game, things got out of hand and the Capitals' actions went unpunished. But we know that in the playoffs, referees don't want to steal the show by handing out too many penalties.

So it's up to the CH to adapt, up to a point. After all, defeat isn't just about icing…

Yes, it may mean dressing Arber Xhekaj for the next game, but we must also understand that the Habs will need reinforcements to play physically in the playoffs.

There are guys who take a club to the playoffs and there are guys who take a club through the playoffs. Does the CH have enough players from the second group? Does the second center the club wants to bring in this summer have to be from the second group?


in full

– To be continued.

– Three years already.

– What a catastrophic contract for the Rockies.

– Interesting.

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