Following a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders last night, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy expressed his displeasure with the penalty scale in Game 5, and the NHL replied with a punishment of $25,000 today.
Cassidy made it clear he wasn't happy with the officiating, saying they treat the Islanders like the «New York Saints». He also said the Bruins are not receiving nearly the same calls the Islanders are and that perhaps the only way to get more calls is to flop. It should be noted that last night the Bruins had four minor penalties while the Islanders had just two, so perhaps his criticism is somewhat warranted.
The officiating continues to be a controversial topic in these Stanley Cup Playoffs. It seems in nearly every series there have been major complaints from fan bases and teams alike, some more justifiable than others. For whatever reason, it is a continuing trend in this league for the refs to put away the whistles almost completely in the playoffs, calling it completely different than in the regular season. Perhaps some consistency would help put an end to the complaints from teams and their fans.
