OF ALL THINGS HOCKEY: WOULD YOU BELIEVE UTAH YETI?

 The Salt Lake City Hockey Team, transplanted from Arizona beginning 2024-25, has asked fans for an appropriate name. Among the top 20 the leader is … Outlaws … with Yeti also favored my many … Outlaws we know. Yeti? Well, it could stand for a brand of water cooler products members of the National Rifle Association have taken to destroying (literally) of late because of the company’s stance against guns … and the Second Amendment … It also comes from a Tibetan word for “Abominable Snowman,” which probably is what the entrants had in mind … Either way it would be a headline writer’s delight. 

…… Worst Officiating (Not Close) Continues To Be Found in the 

NHL: Another Chapter, Many More Verses … Examples have 

been everywhere during the recent Stanley Cup playoffs … but 

never have we witnessed two related unquestionably bad 

decisions in back-to-back playoff games … much less go 

against the same team … By now the Boston Bruins have 

reason to wonder if someone in the league office has it in for 

them … Twice the people in Toronto upheld game officials on 

calls directly relating to goaltender interference both of which 

favored the Florida Panthers and enabled them to take a 3-1 

advantage in the best-of-seven second-round series … First, 

with the visitors already beneficiaries of a four-minute high 

sticking penalty (during which they scored twice), a Florida 

defender grabbed a Bruin from behind then pushed him into 

Panthers’ goaltender SERGEI BOBROVSKY. All three 

wound up in the net … while refs DAN O’ROURKE and

 FRANCIS ST. LAURENT both had hands raised, signifying 

penalty. Two minutes for holding on Florida? … Wrong, 

wrong, WRONG!!! … Goalie interference on Boston. Come 

again? … TNT’s DARREN PANGthought offsetting penalties 

were possible … which was more likely in this age of game 

officials doing a delicate balancing act so they can’t be accused 

of favoritism … The Panthers scored again with the man 

advantage to go ahead four-love … then weathered a Bruins’ 

rally that cut the deficit in half … leaving it up to Bobrovksy to 

maintain the victory with several top-flight saves the final 

couple of minutes.

If that wasn’t bad enough, consider what went down 48 hours 

later: The Bruins took a 2-1 lead into the third period only to 

have Florida draw even on – you guessed it – goaltender 

interference … that wasn’t called … Get this: The Panthers’

 SAM BENNETT cross-checked CHARLIE COYLE into 

goalie JEREMY SWAYMAN then calmly knocked the puck 

into the open net. When the ref nearest to the play, FRANCIS 

CHARRON, signaled “good goal,” Boston coach JIM 

MONTGOMERY immediately challenged his judgement. 

Surely the goal would be overturned … After several minutes 

discussing the play with the league braintrust watching on 

monitors 432 miles away to the north, the referee announced 

the call on the ice was upheld. The way Pang explained it to 

TNT’s viewing audience: “Toronto didn’t think Bennett hit 

Coyle hard enough to call it goalie interference.” Say what? … 

Never mind Charron missed the cross-checking minor, which in 

itself was inexcusable … but the rules are quite clear. To 

paraphrase, sending an opposing player into his goalie, 

regardless of the force involved, is automatic interference … 

and any goal scored as a result should not count. In other 

words, the intensity of the hit is not relevant … So, instead of 

the proper ruling and still leading by a goal, Boston was 

assessed a delay of game penalty … which it survived … but 

the damage had been done. Florida had momentum, and shortly 

after the game was 5 on 5 again, scored the winner.

Understand, we have no dog in this fight. I could care less 

which team advances … But, adding to the controversy was the 

fact that Bennett was playing … and not suspended by the NHL 

for a nasty hit to th in the second period of Game 2 that 

apparently gave the Bruins’ tough guy a concussion. He did not 

return for the third period and was not in the lineup for Game 4 

… They collided at center ice, near the benches, and Marchand 

went down. From most TV replays, it appeared to be a clean 

play … that is, until much later another angle surfaced that 

showed Bennett punched Marchand with his gloved right hand 

still holding the stick … The outcry, as you might expect, was 

rapid, from all directions. The anti-Marchand crowd naturally 

said he deserved it. No big deal … More typical of the response 

on social media ranged from: “I hate the Bruins … but it was a 

terrible call …” to “… worst call all-time in hockey … or any 

other sports, for that matter.”… Actually, it was a non-call, but 

you get the idea … On TNT, prior to Game 4, the panelists 

expressed disappointment they failed to notice it. 

….. So Rangers’ coach PETER LAVIOLETTE now is being 

groomed as hockey’s next Einstein for inserting marginal (at 

best) forward FILIP CHYTIL in the lineup after being 

sidelined since Nov. 2 with a concussion, fourth of his career. 

Boy, the man is a genius for changing a lineup that was 

unbeaten in post-season, with adding depth and keeping 

regulars fresh (as possible) in mind, right?

Then, Mr. Genius, how to explain keeping ZAC JONES on the 

pine for all but 31 games? With the defenseman from 

Richmond in the lineup, the Rangers are 22-9-1. He last played 

April 7. That’s 11 straight games, including eight in the 

playoffs, with goalie IGOR SHESTERKIN’sbrilliance making 

up for an offensive offensive-minded defense that has only

 ADAM FOX and 20-year-old BRADEN SCHNEIDER

 playing well (somewhat) consistently … According to a 

member of the Anti-(JACOB) TROUBA Fan Club, the NY 

captain had been on the ice for seven of Carolina’s last 10 goals 

at even strength. Which meant defensive partner ERIK 

GUSTAFSSON wasn’t much better, if at all … continuing his 

downward slide after a good first half of the season.

On second thought … there has been considerable second-

guessing over using Chytil, who played in Game 3 against 

Carolina but didn’t make it for Game 4, which ended the 

Rangers’ bid to go 8-0 to begin the playoffs. He was said to be 

ill … which immediately left the possibility of another 

concussion. Laviolette told reporters Sunday Chytil might be 

back for last night’s Game 5 … but also said Chytil would not 

be available for interviews.

In the meantime, one NY fan has started #FreeZac.Jones. Wish 

I had thought of that. 

Until next time ...