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]
