Those In Glass Houses…

March 10th, 2008 by James

Look what happens when you go away for a few days. The Sabres needed to send an extra player out to score a goal. Jeff Carter continues on his tear. Riley Cote only needs one punch to take out Andre Roy. Not to mention the Flyers Power Play seems to be working again.

It seems like that over the past few years, the quality of NHL officials has been steadily going downhill. I’m not the only one complaining, and I’m not complaining just because of the blown call last Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres. It seems that fans in NHL cities around the league are saying the same thing. 4 officials are out on the ice…and not one could count? What about this so-called “War Room in Toronto” where they are supposed to be watching every game? Other leagues punish their officials when they blow a call, why doesn’t the NHL? I even read an article where the scorer tried to plug in 5 guys on the ice for the goal, but the computer system wouldn’t allow it because it was supposed to be 4 on 4. So one guy mysteriously disappears from the score sheet. Unfortunately, I can’t find the article anymore to give you the link. I don’t want the game to become overly technological with instant replay of every play. Remember the debacle ten years ago with the skates in the crease? Every goal was scrutinized. Was his foot in the crease or wasn’t it? All I ask the NHL is: 1) Stop changing the rules and the penalties. Call the actual hook, not the intent to hook. 2) Have better quality officials and show some consistency with the way games are called.

Could not trading Jeff Carter at the deadline be the best move the Flyers made? He’s averaging more than a point a game over the last 8 games. About a month before the deadline, rumors started flying that Carter was being shopped around. A few even said that one reason was that Carter was on the outs with GM Paul Holmgren because of his inconsistent play. I think Carter is a great, promising player, but over the past 2 and a half, almost 3, seasons, he’s shown that he has streaks with some great play, then streaks where his is nowhere to be found.

Now the Flyers have to worry about signing both Carter and RJ Umberger before the July 1st start of free agency. Both are restricted free agents and there is a growing trend for teams to tender large offer sheets to promising, young restricted free agents. You know that some GMs are chomping at the bit to do that with these two. If it happens, that will mean serious cap problems for the Flyers.

One little punch from Riley Cote not only knocked Andre Roy out, it also got him grounded for the weekend. During Thursday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Cote and Roy duked it out twice. The first one was a win by Roy, and the second was decided by only one punch from Cote. Later in the game, during a TV timeout, the fight was repeatedly shown on the jumbotron for a good 30 seconds. Roy became so enraged, he jumped off the bench and started challenging the Flyers bench and had to be restrained by a linesman. Back on the bench, he still couldn’t calm down, so he had to be restrained by Lightning coach John Tortorella. Does anyone else find it odd that Tortorella was telling someone else to calm down and knock it off? Anyway, this temper tantrum earned Andre a weekend in his room…um I mean a weekend in Tampa. Hey Andre, if your reading, here it is again….

Coming up next for the Flyers is a home and home series with Toronto. I always get excited for games against the Maple Leafs because of my utter dislike for this team. Anyway, the Toronto media is already dishing the dirt about their basement dwelling Maple Leafs’ next opponent. What I find ironic about this article is, isn’t this same team that had Tie Domi and still has Darcy Tucker? The same Tie Domi that fought a fan in the penalty box. And the same Darcy Tucker that just about took off Sami Kapanen’s head in the 2004 playoffs? Oh, wait, in a Toronto jersey, those guys, and countless others, aren’t dirty scrubs, they’re role players. Tsk, tsk Toronto media, remember, those in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones.

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