The Canadiens don't have a big star, so no preferential treatment. This was evident in the game against the Edmonton Oilers, with two penalties called against the Habs in the final minutes and overtime.
Monday night, in the game against the Avalanche, many believe the Canadiens were once again on the receiving end of preferential treatment. On the sequence leading to Rafaël Harvey-Pinard's goal, Nathan MacKinnon clearly tripped Jake Evans. The puck was right there, so the referees undoubtedly saw it.
The star forward even stopped playing when he touched the puck because he knew he was guilty and should be penalized.
It's infuriating to see penalties called for minor infractions while blatant actions go unpunished. In this sequence, it's simply embarrassing for the referees, who should have called a penalty, even if it involved MacKinnon.
Later in the game, Jake Evans was a victim of interference and was penalized along with his opponent for embellishment. Another moment of highly questionable officiating.
Fortunately, the Canadiens have a lot of character, and RHP's goal occurred on the same sequence.
POLL | ||
In your opinion, is NHL officiating ridged? | ||
Yes | 347 | 67.5 % |
No | 167 | 32.5 % |
List of polls |