Losing a 7th game in any playoff series is always devastating. Trust me, I know. At the tender age of 8, my team lost the Cornwall Atom C Division House League final, in overtime, to the only other team in our league. Granted, it was by virtue of the fact that our opponents had more players who didn't fall down in the act of trying to skate backwards, but still... I was years getting over it. In fact, I'm getting a little misty eyed right now (stupid repressed memories).
Imagine then, if you will, how much worse that 7th game loss would feel if, in fact, it came in Game 8. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Clarence Beavers:
The Ottawa West Golden Knights got a second chance yesterday and took full advantage of the opportunity, three days after it looked like they had lost the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League Metro Division final to the Clarence Beavers.
The Knights won the series last night with a 2-1 win in a Game 7 replay, which was the result of a blown call by a referee in the original Game 7 on Sunday.
The blown call in question, came when the Golden Knights were disallowed what would have been a second period tying goal after an officials' conference, thirty seconds after the fact, determined that the play should have been whistled dead on an offside. The Knights immediately filed an appeal (and by immediately, I mean between the second and third periods) and on Monday, the pointy heads that control the Ottawa District Hockey Association had decided that, despite the Clarence win in overtime, this most egregious injustice of biblical proportions could not go unaddressed, and that the game be replayed, not from the point of the mistake, but in its entirety. And of course, Karma being the fickle bitch that she is, Clarence subsequently lost the replay.
So what's the lesson to be drawn from this children? Well, while a referee's top priority (with the possible exception of Dan Marouelli) should be to ensure that any game they officiate be as fair and equitable as possible, they will miss things from time to time. And when that happens against your team, do not, under any circumstances, merely accept the result with grace and sportsmanship, but whine to the heavens that you were robbed until you can convince someone, anyone, in a position of authority to see it your way and give you what you want. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the moral here.
In unrelated news, Dominek Hasek was seen earlier today, sprinting toward the NHL's head office in New York, a video tape in one hand and a skate in the other. Early reports that he was heard muttering "I am totally going to kick Brett Hull's ass" remain unconfirmed as of this writing.
Give The Do-Over to Ottawa West [Ottawa Citizen]
3 comments:
You're absolutely right about the whining to the heavens until you get what you want and the lesson learned here. In this case the Clarence fans, players and coaches were screaming at the referee and linesmen until the referee agreed to disallow a goal that should have counted. Had Clarence accepted the original mistake by the officials with "grace and sportsmanship", perhaps they would now be the Metro Division Champions. Instead, their behavior resulted in a legitimate goal being disallowed and the game having to be replayed.
There is also another very valuable lesson here for the referee and that is never to call something you haven't seen and to read the rule book on a regular basis. There is also a lesson here for the referee-in-chief; don't send an incompetent linesman to handle a playoff game. (That wasn't the only offside that particular linesman missed.)
Anon: While I can't judge the competence or lack thereof of the on ice officials (I wasn't there after all, and as far as I know Jr. B games haven't been picked up by the Cee Bee Cee...yet), the fact that a playoff series, no matter the league, was essentially decided in a boardroom rather than on the ice, makes me sad.
That, and the inherent lack of space for dick jokes in stories like this. That makes me sad too.
Hasek could, too.
Brett looks to have been hitting the buffet tables pretty hard since he moved into a suit position, so I don't think he has as much mobility as Hasek.
Of course, Dom's groin would snap like an over-stretched rubber band, so it would be a lose-lose proposition. He'll probably wait until after the season. :)
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