This is going to be a little bit rant-y and kind of set from the perspective of a Blackhawks fan. Because that’s what I am, and that’s what it is. This is what I’ve experienced over the course of the Blackhawks’ short playoff run, and I feel like some people outside of our fan base will feel the same way.

The referees in the Blackhawks-Blues series cost the Blackhawks the series. That’s a statement that’s going to come off a little bit excuse like for the Blackhawks, who didn’t have stars perform, but it’s true. Throughout the series, there were so many missed calls that could have put the Blackhawks in positions to win games late, or could have changed the game the other way – but it felt like whenever there was a penalty they could call on the Blackhawks they did.

Numerous sticks to the face of our players – at one point, a stick from a Blues player made  Teuvo Teravainen bleed, noticeably. I would like to have a conversation with the ref who didn’t call a penalty there why he didn’t. Why else would a player be on the ice bleeding? He didn’t flop. There were multiple instances of this throughout the series.

There were also some calls where it didn’t make sense to call a penalty. The hooking penalty in game 7 was barely touching, for instance.

I’m not going to touch Andrew Shaw’s big penalty leading to his suspension, but I feel like that was iffy as well. You know he’s a bit… heated on air. He’s said “Fucking A” on live air after winning the cup. That wasn’t bleeped. Why show him in the heat of the moment after getting a penalty at a crucial time?

But this causes a problem for the NHL. If people realize that refs can’t be trusted to accurately do their jobs, then people will stop watching. Allowing your biggest team to be cheated in a playoff series by dirty tactics isn’t going to help grow the league. The Blues are a dirty team. They’ve been in the top 10 in penalty minutes for the last five years running. If that’s a pattern, why not have refs who will call penalties so that they have to change their strategy? Clean play is safer play, and the safety of your players leads to them playing better. Not calling penalties leads to less safety, and insecure, and thus lesser, play.

I feel like this is the best league in the world. If we’re going to continue to be that, we have to focus on changing and working on problems. This is one that I would like to see fixed, and soon.

Whether that’s more refs, or better training, or refs being more aware of everything, it needs to change. We can be better. Let’s be better.