Game 7 referee choice could spell disaster for Oilers
Questionable referee choice puts Oilers at disadvantage before stepping on the ice
With the way the Stanley Cup playoffs have been trending, referees are seeming to have more and more impact on the game. The referees have been very hit or miss this playoffs, and gave gotten more calls wrong than in recent playoff memory.
That's why it's unnerving to see the referees for game 7 tonight, as referees can have a huge impact on the outcome of a game. The referees tonight were released by scoutingtherefs, and it doesn't seem good for the Oilers.
The referees for tonight include Chris Rooney and Jean Hebert, both of whom have skated in other games this series. The big issue is that under Chris Rooney, the Canucks are an astounding 10-0-1 in the last 3 years. This is past the point of coincidence, as the Canucks were also not a good team over this stretch.
Rooney last refereed in game 3, where the Canucks stole the game 4-3. The calls were in favour of Edmonton that game 4-3, but Edmonton still couldn't close out the game. Hebert refereed game 6, where the Oilers stomped the Canucks 5-1. The calls in this game were 4-3 for the Canucks, but with no powerplay goals from either team.
The referees can have a huge impact on the ending of a game, which can be detrimental to either team. It's hard to ignore such a drastic winning record for the Canucks under Rooney, which will just add to the list of things for the Oilers to overcome to stay alive this year.
| POLL | ||
MAI 20 | 451 ANSWERS Game 7 referee choice could spell disaster for Oilers Do you think the referee choice will impact the game? | ||
| No, they're doing their best to stay neutral | 192 | 42.6 % |
| Yes, the referees may sway the tide of the game | 259 | 57.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
