NHL May Hand Out a Fine For 'Diving' in Oilers VS Kings Game
it's no secret that referees can be the most influential and controversial figures in any sport. The NHL is no exception, especially during playoffs when referees seem to make more erratic decisions that can determine the outcome of a game based on their opinion or bias towards a team, coach, or player.
During Game 3, the Oilers were on the road against the Kings and several plays left NHL fans scratching their heads as calls clearly favored the Kings and were outright wrong against the Oilers.
One example was when Oilers' Darnell Nurse appeared to have his skates tied up with Victor Arvidsson. However, upon further review, it was clear that Arvidsson never even touched Nurse, and had to make an embellished throw to the ice. Initially, Nurse was given a five-minute penalty, but after review, it was reversed to a two-minute tripping penalty.
In another instance, Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais joined a scrum and threw a small check towards Sean Durzi, which Durzi made look worse than it was. Desharnais was given a two-minute interference penalty.
Unfortunately, the grand finale of the game was the goal that lost it for the Oilers. The video shows the goal was scored by a King player who was clearly offsides, but the referee did not call it, and the goal was allowed.
Despite the frustration, the Oilers will have to regroup and come back stronger for the next game. As for the NHL referees, they will need to be more consistent and impartial in their decisions if they want to avoid further criticism from fans and players alike.
| POLL | ||
Have the refs treated the Oilers well this year? | ||
| Yes | 24 | 22.6 % |
| Ummm ... Not a Chance | 82 | 77.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
