Finally, after 3 weekends blighted by ill health (Don’t worry, I shan’t bore you all with the details), I finally made it to the game this past Sunday. Great, I thought, its MK… these are always doozys. Hell, I even brough the long suffering wife, a couple of her friends, and my baby god-daughter with me.
Which left me feeling a bit ‘meh’ about the game. Sure, we won (comfortably in the end), and the girls all had a good time, and thought the game itself was ‘good’. But for me, it just lacked… something. Most likely this was due to MK having just 12 outskaters available through injury and U20s GB duty, so they by played a chippy, scrappy game pretty much by default. However, good old Ref Brown at least gave me some reason for my blood pressure gauge to register in the red zone. Mostly due to his call on Bakrlik.
Now, Frankie isn’t an angel by any stretch of the imagination. But the call on him was, in my opinion harsh. Brown had a clear, unobstructed view of the incident between Carr and Bakrlik, and chose not to call anything. When he did stop the play, it was only after much protesting by Leigh Jamieson that any call was made. And even then the call itself was positively bizarre. Apparently he was convinced, sorry I mean’t decided that Bakrlik had somehow been able to check Carr in the head, despite the fact that Carr was behind him. Yes, Bakrlik has figured out how to check a player to whom his back is facing, apparently. Now, initially this was given as a ‘match’ as there was some blood on the ice, caused by Carrs own teeth cutting the inside of his lip. Thankfully, Carr was so badly hurt he returned after missing just 2 shifts, so Bakrliks Match was downgraded to a 5+Game.
Now, fairs fair, blood injuries carry an automatic tariff. I’m fine with that (except the weird rule that an accidental blood injury gets a match automatically whereas a penalty that is deliberate and causes bleeding is ref discretion). What i’m not fine with is refs making calls after the intervention of players who were not involved in the play. Jamieson acted in a pathetic and cowardly manner in convincing Brown to make the call, after Brown had seemingly already made his decision to call nothing. And believe you me, he knew exactly what he was doing. He saw an opportunity and took it, despite the underhand nature of it. And more fool Brown for agreeing with him. Players have no place urging refs to make calls. Spoilt the game for me that did.
And breathe….
On a positive note, Schnabels goal on the PP was a bullet! Perfectly taken slap shot from the point, which no netminder was stopping. Almost made up for the officials incompetence.
See y’all on the 22nd!