There is a lot of head scratching that has been happening by Toronto Maple Leafs fans throughout the playoffs. That’s because of the lack of clarity when it comes to the way games have been officiated.
Let’s be clear, calls are made on the ice in real time, which is an incredibly difficult task for NHL referees. They makes mistakes. That’s not unique to the Torotno Maple Leafs or any individual team.
On Sunday, for example, in the game between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, Marcus Foligno was incorrectly called for interference when he hit Jani Hakanopaa who had the puck at the time.
The Leafs are currently entwined in a very physical series. This has led to myriad penalties. Whether the calls are believed to be the correct ones or not, hasn’t been the biggest problem for the Buds. The issue has been the way the game has been managed by the referees.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Victims of Game Management
Game management happens when the officials on the ice decide when to hand out penalties in order to try and curb behaviours before they become unruly. This can happen to also appease teams when tensions are high. An example of managing a game would be referees penalizing one player on both teams after a scrum where three players were in violation of a rule.
Fans have been conditioned to expect game management. It’s why they don’t anticipate penalties to be called during overtime. The exact same play that happens during the first period will not always bear the same results in overtime. It’s the way the NHL works.
With the Tampa Bay Lightning recognizing the referees’ interest in game management, they have used this to their advantage. Sheldon Keefe brought this to light after Game 3. He addressed the media post game and explained how Tampa is manipulating the officials.
In discussing Auston Matthews‘ fight with Steven Stamkos, Keefe opined on why his club didn’t get a two-man advantage. The Leafs coach explained that even though Matthews had his gloves on and was holding a pair of sticks, he was given a five-minute penalty while being punched by a gloveless Steven Stamkos.
"[The Lightning] know we’re basically already going on the power play because of the Kucherov situation, so it’s a free-for-all. They can do whatever they want, and they just know the way the games get called, they’re not going to get another penalty."
He correctly assessed the Lightning’s ability to game the refs.
Game management benefits the Bolts more so than the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s because of the way Jon Cooper has his squad playing. Tampa has taken every opportunity to be a nuisance on the ice. Until the referees choose to penalize plays with consistency instead of trying to appease the flow of the game, the problem will persist for Toronto.
As the series continues, the NHL needs to consider how their games are being called. Game management will continue. However, the referees need to be less concerned with trying to even up calls and care more about getting things right. If they can do this, the penalty calls will not just be more consistent and clear but games will be safer for the players involved.
All eyes will be on the refs throughout the contentious series. Hopefully, they will temper their desires to manage the games.