The officiating this year is already worse then last
 

I didnt think it would be possible but the games have been total PP fests. No flow garbage phantom calls just garbage all around.

its been bad for a long long time...All that I know is that there is a lot of boarding calls this year...

That's because of the stupid new rules where if you "push" a player hard into the boards - even if it isn't from behind - it's a penalty, and if you just put a hand on a player trying to get by you on the forecheck, it's a penalty. Fukking bullshyt. Why the hell can't they just leave the damn game alone?

no question its been bad for awhile now, but it seems like this year is even worse if possible.

I agree, it's becoming a joke. We are taught at ten years old to lift the other players stick and take the puck, you know , den you get a goal :D. Not in the NHL it's a FUKKIN penalty. No wonder there are more Europeans than ever playing in North America .

Don't drive the net either because if your breeze is felt by the goalies , dat wood be interference.

Fuk off shanny and your little fraternity¡!!!!!!!

In my opinion it has been downright horrible. It is mostly 5-6 games in for each team I am hoping things calm down quite a bit from here on out. I assume the refs get lectured quite a bit before the season starts and so it takes them a little time to get into a groove, hopefully that's all this has been.

In In the past 2 games Vanek and Hecht has been assed 2 minute unsportsmanlike penalties for chirping at the refs. Pathetic refs have to act tough and ruin the game.

Bringing in new rules such as the faceoff violations was a stupid idea for a 48 game season with no exhibition games. Like last night, Mike Brown took a faceoff and barely touched the puck with his glove then passed it with his stick and got called for a penalty.

Some very veteran hockey fans on some hardcore Oilers sites I follow are saying that last week's game between the Oilers and Kings was the worst officiated game they've seen in a decade bar none...

I think there were 17 power plays or something... more than half the game was played on special teams.

That's not hockey.

It's been unimpressive this year to say the least. Colin McDonald got 5 and a game for boarding Lovejoy last night on a hit that should've been a 2 min minor. Lovejoy got right back up and played perfectly fine the remainder of the game. It wasn't a legal hit but not worthy of 5, a game and probably a suspension. Tavares got boarded by Phaneuf last week and it wasn't even called! Ridiculous.

Yeah and Brown hit Kaleta from behind. Kaleta is out - injured...only 2 minutes. Comparing to that to McDonald....it's a joke.

It seems to be a league mandate to have every game have 10+ power plays and the zebras try to keep it "even" so the next best thing can happen, a tie game, and a shootout!

The League thinks this is what people want to see and it's absolutely retarded, special teams play constantly, 3rd and 4th liners are lucky if they get 5 minutes of ice time and of course, the players don't know which way is up in regard to what a penalty is. It's disgusting.

They keep tinkering more and more and it's become what it is, the World Championships with the occasional fight here and there. :(

I don't know if they figure since it's only a 48-game season to crack down this season in the hopes that for next season all of the players are on the same page with the new rules or what, but wow. This season has been terrible. Games are ruined with special teams, not made better. I remember the Flyers one game (not sure exactly) but well over half of the 1st period was on special teams. There is no flow to the game if it's constantly being played on an uneven table going back and forth between teams. It drags games out longer, and makes it tough to watch. I think the physical play has picked up this shortened season, and if it will last or not I'm not sure, but the Refs have been absolutely atrocious.

Look at the guy Brown hit. There's a very good reason why he only got 2 minutes.