[Phils20]

In a game only Flyers haters and Hab fans could love, the Refs gave this game to the hometown team.

I won't comment any further, as the Flyers gut F#$@KED tonite by the officials.

A goal that clearly shouldn't have been, and a phantom kneeing call hand the Habs a game.

Sickening.

The Flyers play a great game, and play the way the NHL wants them too, and get a good screwing for thier efforts.

I hope they come out as the goons that most fans think they are and just run wild on em next game.

I might not even watch. And I'm not kidding this time.

This ref crew should not be allowed to work another game, and Toronto should really take another good, hard look at that goal that wasn't and fix whatever is broken about the goal replay system.

Total Bull**** out there tonight.

[chilltown]

There is nothing worse in sports when there are three teams affecting the outcome of a game!

What happened to putting the whistle away late in a game?

Canada can puck themselves if they think this was a legit win!

[Phils20]

I don't even want to comment on just putting the whistle away, because it just wasn't a penalty. That should be a concern. He hit the Canadians player with his shoulder and maybe a knee, and I do mean maybe, at the same time.

It wasn't a matter of tucking the whistle away, it was just not a penalty, period.

No question, no way, no how.

I know that folks who don't like the Flyers, or the Philly fans, will call this whining.

But if they watched the game, they know that is was BS.

I'm VERYproud of how the Flyers played tonite. No cheap shots, and i thought they outplayed them tonight.

And they truly got screwed.

Truly...

This was a sad game for hockey fans, because that is why so many friends of mine just can't get into hockey.

When it comes down to it, the refs in every game, in every city, just can't ever get it right.

And a lot of calls over the years have gone the Flyers way as well, but tonight was a perfect storm of bull****, and we deserve better as die hard NHL fans.

Not just as Flyers fans. The sport in general needs to find a way to get these calls right.

And they need to do it soon.

I'm embarassed to be a hockey fan tonight.

And I don't blame the Canadian team at all. They did what you are supposed to do, capitalize on the calls.

But they never should have had the chance to do it.

Man, I am just so pissed off right now.

[glenn]

Don't worry, Flyers will rebound. Not saying they'll win, but the Wachovia center is waiting and I'm sure you folks down there won't go down gently. I hope you do of course, but I know you won't.

[glenn]

and don't blame the officiating. Do you really think these guy's have biases. They're payed a lot of money to do a professional job and their attempt at that is sometimes questionable but it goes both ways most definitely. I hate questionable and stupid penalties against my team as well and yeah, I'll throw **** at the tv and curse and swear but at the end of the day, it's the professionalism of the team in question to overcome the adversity and win because they want to win.

[Phils20]

I don't think they have any bias, but I do think they are incompetent.

That was NOT a penalty on Richards.

He hit him with a shoulder. The replays show it.

Both teams played well, and as I said earlier, bad calls are made in every game.

For the credibility of the sport, the calls need to be right.

The Flyers got hosed twice last night, and facing the best team in the east, those are breaks they Flyers couldn't afford to give.

The NHL refs are just terrible.

And they make mistakes at the worst times.

Who can ever forget that goal in the Dallas/Buffalo series that won the Cup for Dallas.

Never should have happened.

We shouldn't remember games for blown calls, they should be remembered for great plays.

We got screwed last night.

I felt that way when it happened, I feel that way now, and I'll feel that way for all time.

This team played too well to deserve that fate.

It's unforgivable to give up that goal too. And to go to the replay and STILL get it wrong.

I'm still seething.

This loss stings like few others.

I'm still mad as hell this morning...

[Phils20]

"[Referee] Don VanMassenhoven told me that he thought it went off my head,'' Biron said. "That's why I was mad. He was right there. I thought he could have called what he saw but he said he saw it go off my head and then there was another call on the play.

That is a quote from an article this morning.

Wow.

Just plain bad.

I'm not going to beat this to death any more.

I'm done.

I'm very proud of the Flyers play last night. They played the type of game that most don't think they know how to play. Partly folks think that because of some bad plays earlier this year.

And unfortunately, some think that because of the way this team played 30 years ago.

But they will show what they are made of this series.

I'm sure they have already moved on from this, and now so will I.

I'd done with this thread.

I'll read any comments, but won't throw any more of my own.

I've seen the replays 20 times at least, and even though some won't buy it, I know what happened.

The better team got the breaks, and they are up in the series.

But they Flyers showed last night they aren't going to be an easy mark, and you better believe the HAbs know that too.

The war is on...

And you can thank the NHL for the Hell they just unleashed.

[blueandwhite]

wow.
I'm rooting for the Habs it's true but I have to admit - I have a soft spot for the Flyers. I love to watch them play. And i didn't see it like this - horrible officiating, biased for the home team.
I saw the Flyers come out playing such powerful hockey and it was stunning, they were skating rings around the Habs. then i saw the Habs come back. On skill, not some refs dirty bias.
Most of all - Canada is not responsible for this, Chilltown. It's just hockey - we don't run the game, we just play it well.
What I worry about is, as soon as the game is blamed on bad officiating, then the play by the kostitsyn and Kovalev's work is suddenly tarnished. And they had a great game last night. They came back. It's not fixed. It's a fast game with quick judgement calls, and sometimes there is a mistake made, I have to agree.
But that Richards penalty? He's trying to trip him, they played it over and over. That was intentional.
Glenn is right, too - it will even out over the next few game where the Flyers'll get a call for them that will enrage hab fans. that also is the game.

[Oli Jokinen!]

Well I do got to say, nothing but the hometown team of the Habs gets the advantage. Flyers would have won. The officials gave the game to the loved team. They won enough Stanelys. And I want them to get beaten bye Pittsburgh or Flyers.

[blueandwhite]

This conspiracy thing - it's a little paranoid.
Habs have been on the outside looking in for a few seasons now - give some credit to the talent. This wasn't "given" to them. It's insulting to say so.

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

This conspiracy thing - it's a little paranoid.
Habs have been on the outside looking in for a few seasons now - give some credit to the talent. This wasn't "given" to them. It's insulting to say so.

I don't think it's conspiracy, it just incompetence.

And the game was given to them. Again, not on purpose.

It wasn't a conspiracy when the FLyers were given a garbage goal against the Caps, and it isn't now.

But is is terrible officiating. It helped give the Flyers an edge in that series, and it helped the Habs out last night.

What's insulting is that we all pretend it isn't so.

No second goal for the Habs, and not "kneeing" last night be Richards.

One replay makes it look obvious that it was, but the cam from the end of the rink clearly show the shoulder contact.

Yes, Montreal had to score the OT goal, but it never should have gotten there. NEVER.

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by Phils20

I don't think it's conspiracy, it just incompetence.

And the game was given to them. Again, not on purpose.

It wasn't a conspiracy when the FLyers were given a garbage goal against the Caps, and it isn't now.

But is is terrible officiating. It helped give the Flyers an edge in that series, and it helped the Habs out last night.

What's insulting is that we all pretend it isn't so.

No second goal for the Habs, and not "kneeing" last night be Richards.

One replay makes it look obvious that it was, but the cam from the end of the rink clearly shows the shoulder contact.

Yes, Montreal had to score the OT goal, but it never should have gotten there. NEVER.

I have given the Habs credit for playing well, but the Flyers played better.

There is no roaring comeback without the goal that wasn't so I stop my credit there.

[blueandwhite]

I see this as a case of agreeing to disagree, then.
Bring on game 2.
And go pens (kill the rangers!).

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

I see this as a case of agreeing to disagree, then.
Bring on game 2.
And go pens (kill the rangers!).

Work for me! In the end, it's still just a game.

I just think the Canadians are too much better than the Flyers for that game to be lost that way.

I'm concerned this could end up a sweep now. Breaks like that can just crush a team that already knows it's playing the better team.

[Phils20]

And I can't root for either the Pens or the Rangers.

The winner of this series is who I'll be pulling for in the Conference finals, and for the Cup for that matter.