Babcock rips NHL game 1 officiating- & the $2500 Zetterburg pancake smash!

"These are the two least-penalized teams in NHL. What's different? ... The referees are trying to get to Stanley Cup Final like the rest of us," - Mike Babcock



REF YOU SUCK!

and if you haven't seen enough of Shea Weber helping Zetterberg's face get onto the glass- bookmark this vid:


For this moment of WWE in the NHL Playoffs- they hit Weber with a HEFTY $2500 fine.

The NHL, rather than suspend Shea Weber for bouncing Henrik Zetterberg's head off the glass, fined the Nashville Predators' captain $2,500, proving, among other things, how much stock the league puts in whether a player is injured by a particular illegal act.

"We felt this was a reckless and reactionary play on which Weber threw a glancing punch and then shoved Zetterberg's head into the glass," NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan said in a release explaining the move. "We reached out to Detroit following the game and were informed that Zetterberg did not suffer an apparent injury and should be in the lineup for Game 2.

"This play and the fine that addressed it will be significant factors in assessing any incidents involving Shea Weber throughout the remainder of the playoffs."



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Wings coach Babcock should zip his lips about refs

RED FISHER, The Gazette

Published: Saturday, January 23, 2010

Detroit head coach Mike Babcock has had enough problems with his Red Wings thus far this season without muttering about a call by the officials that recently provided the Dallas Stars with a sixth-round, game-winning shootout goal.

Dallas goaltender Alex Auld and Detroit's Jimmy Howard stopped everything in the first five rounds before Steve Ott backhanded a shot through Howard's pads. Howard pulled the puck off the goal line, but after a lengthy video review, officials ruled the puck had gone fully over the line.

Babcock was not a happy camper with the decision.

"The puck didn't go in the net," the coach fumed. "I thought that's why we had video replay. The referee on the goal line called it, but then they determined he was blocked out and the referee decided it went in the net. I don't know how a guy 20 feet away can make that decision when we have people in Toronto with video replay. That makes no sense to me whatsoever."

After talking to reporters, Babcock visited the officials' room to voice his displeasure.

Babcock wasn't fined for his outburst, but somebody should remind him that while players can't be fined more than $2,500 (see Alex Burrows) for criticizing referees, the ceiling for coaches is $10,000.

Detroit Red Wings: Another 'No Goal' Call Controversy at Joe Louis Arena

by Matt Hutter

bleacherreport.com

Matt Hutter

Correspondent, Featured Columnist

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Correspondent Written on November 28, 2009

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

There were a lot of familiar things about Friday's game at Joe Louis Arena.

For the fifth time this season, the Detroit Red Wings gave up a goal less than one-minute into the game.

For the eighth time this season, the Detroit Red Wings out-shot their opponent but lost the game.

For the second game in a row, the Detroit Red Wings were shutout.

And, for the second time in as many weeks, the Detroit Red Wings had a perfectly good goal denied by an NHL on-ice official.

All of these trends are disturbing, and all of these have contributed to what is now, officially, the Red Wings' worst start in 20 years.

However, its that last one that is just a bit more troubling than the others.

Playing poorly and beating yourselves is one thing. That's actually something you can control.

But, the added pressure of having to not only score goals, but then hope that they count is something no team should have to endure.

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