Digdug76

While I agree that the 6 men on the ice should have been called, I guess I wasn't feeling too sorry seeing as the refs ignored Zetterberg covering the puck in game one which could have changed the game. I'm not saying it would have happened...and with the Pens breakaway skills, the odds are against it haha. But at least there would have been a chance to change the game. However, they chose NOT to call it. In game two, I never said anything about a slash like people on here are saying...i said Hossa hooked him and if you go back and watch the replay like I've done on PVR, you can see that Dupuis was just about to ice the puck when Hossa came in with his stick, parallel to the ice, and hooked him so that he couldn't shoot. The stick break I wasn't upset at. The thing is, I've seen the smallest ticky tack hooks get called all year, then a blatent hook where it detered the player from icing the puck didn't get called. Just boggled my mind and scoring on top of it made it worse. I agree with the Wings fans in the fact that there's a lot of interference going on all over the ice and it stunk that Ericsson got called right then and there. However, there's no doubting it WAS a penalty....but i guess what we're all looking for is consistency. I just feel the refs missed two pretty blatent calls in game one and two that were QUITE obvious but for some reason chose to ignore them. Other calls get missed, but sometimes they're behind the play or off to the side of the action, whereas the puck covering and hook were RIGHT in the middle of the play. That being said, scoring one goal in each of the first two games isn't going to win you any games, so the Pens better figure it out. I guess it's sorta even now that major calls were either missed or called in each of the first 3 games and every one of them was pretty much a game changing call....or had the potential to be (penalty shot in game 1) My point is, nobody has a right to be whining, it's gone both ways. I, along with many Pens fans were left scratching our heads after games 1 and 2 as to WHY they WEREN'T called, and now Wings fans are scratching their heads in game 3 as to why they WERE called. Still, I think we've got some exciting hockey coming up here. If Datsyuk comes back, who sits? Abdelkader? What about if Draper comes back? With Datsyuk's struggles thus far in the playoffs, would it be beneficial to the Pens if he enters and Abdelkader sits??

Pens fan here, but I come in peace. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Wings and their franchise. To be able to continually put out a competitive team without ever seeming to get any top 10 draft picks is a feat in itself. I've read a lot of posts with people whining and crying about the refs in this series. I've also read a ton of responses by intelligent posters that are telling these members to shut up and because of this, I know board has some pretty knowledgable and respectable fans. To hear the complaints about the interference call in the third really blows my mind. Cooke didn't have the puck, Cooke didn't shoot the puck, and Ericsson left his path and went out of his way to cut Cooke off into the boards. Like MANY people on here have already said, it was text book interference. I've been disappointed with some of the reffing too. Imagine being a Pens fan and seeing Zetterberg cover the puck in the crease in game one only to see it ignored. Or even in game two he MAY have done it again, but it was under his body, so nobody knows. I'm not saying he did, but it was possible again. However in game two Hossa got away with a blatent hook that resulted in the game winning goal. Was it frustrating? Hell yeah, but I'm not going to sit and whine about it. Scoring one goal a game won't win you a playoff game, so the Pens had to be better at finishing their chances and not depend on the refs only. To hear these people whine about the refs is pretty sad. Keep in mind in both of the first two games, the refs missed blatent calls that were either game changing (Hossa hook), or could have been game changing (Zetterberg covering the puck, resulting in a penalty shot.) Was the Ericsson penalty game changing? Sure was, but the thing is, it was actually a legit call. I'm not impressed with the reffing for either team. All season and into the playoffs certain calls are made, but it seems now in the finals, the refs have a whole new way of reffing the games....it makes no sense. I point to the hit from behind on Hossa last night and why it wasn't called??? Also, normally I have a lot of respect for Babcock, but even HE was whining in a subtle way after the game. Talking about how the Pens got a PP and they didn't in the third. Saying that they could have had PP's, but it didn't end up that way. Nice way of getting around the fine and making your point. Yet in the first two games after two blatently missed calls that changed the game in the Wings favor, Bylsma didn't say a WORD about penalties, or missed penalties. It just seemed very unlike Mike. I know our fans aren't perfect, in fact some are just downright ridiculous, but I'm not one of them that sits and blames the refs. Yes the refs missed a blatent penalty that cost us the game in game 2, but like I said, if you're only going to score one goal, you're not going to win. Did they miss a penalty shot in game 1? Yup, but again, 1 goal won't win you a game. Hats off to the fans on here that put these whiners in their places. It's been an enjoyable series thus far, and I'm sort of embarassed to come away with a win last night, but I guess we're allowed to steal one too....seeing as I thought the Pens played well enough in game two to get the win....they just didn't get the bounces. Good luck the rest of the way.