Rangers Pushed to the Brink by Washington as Caps Win Game 4

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

I am truly sick and tired of the inconsistency of the officiating in the NHL. The refs will call it one way for the 82 game regular season, and then when the playoffs begin, you have holding, hooking, clutching, grabbing and interference all over the place and NO CALLS!

Pierre McGuire, the blowhard extraordinaire on NBC is ALWAYS pontificating on how this is interference and this is interference and how in today’s NHL, you get called for Interference. Then, Troy Brouwer of the Caps levels Derek Stepan of the Rangers to the ice, which allows Andre Burakovsky to swing out in front of the Ranger net and score the tying goal and NOTHING IS CALLED!

You even have Pierre the Blowhard telling, no, actually BRAGGING about what Brouwer did, as if he should receive a medal for it. If the Refs had called it correctly, it would have halted play and given the NY Rangers a Power Play. Worst case scenario: a 1-0 Blueshirt lead after two. Best case scenario: a 2-0 Blueshirt lead after two. What actually happened: Caps score and the game is tied after 2.

I do not know what coach Alain Vigneault will have the Rangers practice for a win or go home Game 5 at MSG on Friday night. Maybe the Rangers should clutch and grab and hook and hold and slash and interfere. It has worked so far for the Caps. Or if the Rangers try those tactics, will the Refs start a parade to the penalty box on the Broadway Blueshirts.

Are the Caps the better team? NO WAY. Are they playing better? Maybe. Are the non-calls amounting against the Rangers big time? YES Will the Rangers win in Game 5 and force a Game 6? YES!

A non-call in Game 1 leads to a last second goal to steal the game for the Caps. A fluke goal wins Game 3 for the Caps and now, a nother non-call leads to the tying goal for the Caps in Game 4. The Rangers are fine playing just the Caps, but when they have to play against the Refs also, now that is another story.

Last year in the Finals against LA, there was the non-call on the Hook in the Offensive zone that freed up Drew Doughty for his game tying goal. Ranger lose in OT. If call is made, NYR Power Play, maybe a win in regulation and a 109 series lead.

Game 2 vs LA, the non-call on Goalie Interference against Lundqvist. That allows a goal to cut the deficit to 1. The right call is made: no goal, a two goal lead for the NYR and a Power Play.

Game 5 vs LA, a blatantly stupid call on Zucc for a trip, when anyone with eyes saw that it was he who was tripped. This leads to the game tying goal. If right call is made, Rangers to the Power Play with a one goal lead.

Add them up and the Rangers could have won the Cup in five Games, not the Kings.

Now add these two in this series and the Rangers are on the brink of elimination. I am sorry, but I do not see how it is possible. The Refs have helped out the Caps on two separate occasions with horrible non-calls, and they never have to stand or sit in front of the media after the game and explain or discuss what they did during the game, but the coaches and the players always do.

Bottom Line: the officiating in the NHL SUCKS!!!!!

Scoring:

NYR: Derick Brassard (5) Assisted by Marty St. Louis & Rick Nash

WSH: Andre Burakovsky (1) Assisted by Jay Beagle & Tim Gleason

WSH: Andre Burakovsky (2) Assisted by Troy Brouwer

Team Stats                              NYR                              WSH

Shots on Goal                         29                                  30

Power Play                              0 for 1                           0 for 1

Hits                                         31                                  37

Giveaways                              10                                  14

Takeaways                             11                                  7

Face Off Wins                        29                                  38

Blocked Shots                         7                                    25

Goalie Stats:

Braden Holtby: 28 Saves on 29 Shots for a SV% of .966

Henrik Lundqvist: 28 Saves on 30 Shots for a SV% of .933

3 Stars of the Game:

3^rd Star: Henrik Lundqvist: 28 Saves on 30 Shots for a SV% of .933

2^nd Star: Braden Holtby: 28 Saves on 29 Shots for a SV% of .966

1^st Star: Andre Burakovsky: 2 Goals

Broadway Bits:

The three Finalists for the Jack Adams Coach of the Year Award were named today and they are: Bob Hartley of the Calgary Flames, Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators and Alain Vigneault of the NY Rangers.

Game 5 will be played on Friday evening at MSG. Face off is set for 7:00PM

Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist are I believe 9 and 2 in elimination games, so we will see what we will see on Friday night.