Ms. Lord,

Let me start out by saying how important it is to serve the youth. The Big Brother/Sister organization is wonderful. Kudos to you.

I was directed to your rant by bostonbruinslinks. Being a ref, naturally I wanted to see if this was going to be praise or disgust, it's usually disgust.
I was not at the game so I have to take your view into account.
You claim the ref called the goal from the blueline. Are you sure it was the ref and not the linesman? Your description of the play has "everyone" skating in the other direction, which if the ref was a good ref, includes him. The official on the blueline would then be a linesman, he would not leave the line until the puck had crossed over to neutral ice. If the ref had not been looking in the direction of play, the linesman has the authority to call a goal, it rarely happens, but he does have that authority. He then would tell the ref exactly what he saw and the ref would have final say. If the linesman was adamant about the puck crossing the line, the ref would have no other choice then to award the goal, unless of course instant replay were to be utilized.
You claim the crowd wasn't too pleased with the decision but you fail to mention the Providence bench. If there was no reaction then it should be determined the call was right, not to mention if the goalie went a little nuts, again you didn't specify.
Too bad there isn't any video.
As for Thompson, Abuse of Officials was the call that got him tossed. I looked up the game report. Being a ref, this is no longer tolerated by coaches or players. There has been a lot of emphasis placed on this at our seminars. Truely it would only take a few choice words to get a player or coach tossed.

Oh Chip,

First off, while most “rants” regarding referees are in disgust, I do not dislike refs! In fact more often than not I give refs (and linesmen) a lot of credit for the work they do. I know I certainly could not do the job (even though I think I do a hell of a good job from the stands! Lol!)

When I wrote my post I was going more for emphasis on the frustration…and while the play FELT like slow motion it most certainly was not in slow motion. When you are watching the puck slide (I sit right next to the net) towards the net, as a fan you don’t keep a head count of EVERYONE on the ice and their location (another reason I give refs credit…being able to see off sides, too many men on the ice etc). All I know is there was no goal signaled, it looked like the goalie had made the save and then the next thing there is a conference going on, hands waving and goals being awarded…It is just my PERSONAL opinion that in situation where the linesman or the ref is not right on top of that net and not right up on top of that line to be sure that puck crossed over then they should refer to the goal judge who is sitting right there and can SEE the line. It would be one thing if the goalie had reached behind him and grabbed the puck obviously snagging it after it crossed the line and trying to make it look like it did not go in, BUT when he throws his glove down on top of it and hold it there not moving to show he has got it?????

Not that it is any excuse, but I do not always put as much detail as I should in my posts because I barely ever have time to write and when I do it is usually on a lunch break at work! Between my regular job, working Boston Bruins games, working Celtics games, going to Providence games, the volunteer work that I do, the 120 mile round trip commute each day and trying to have some sort of a resemblance of a life, I am tired ;) I guess what I am saying is that I am not always as focused on the details of everything but more focused on the point I am trying to express. While I recognize that good detail is needed to validate points sometimes I am just not able to get it all out there in the first shot. I am also going to refer back to the admission that I am not as well versed in hockey as most as I am newer to the sport and learned things as I have gone...(this leads to the sequence I was going to do on the site last summer but never had a chance to do and will try to do this summer exploring the basics of hockey) for those readers who do not knwo all of the ins and out and thus making me even more educated as well.

The crowd was not pleased. Nor was the bench or the goaltender who was having a discussion with the ref and pointing to the goal judge with his stick. While I was not involved in the conversation as I am a stand dweller not a player or official on the ice, I think it was quite obvious he was trying to plead his case and the expression on his face (because yes I sit close enough to the ice to see it when he is facing my direction) was not one of pleasure or implying he felt the right call was made.

As for the Thompson situation...here is where I stand on that one...I do not promote the "abuse" of officials. Now knowing that I sit close enough to the goalie to see his face and that I sit next to the net I am now going to throw out there that the penalty box is to my left and over a few sections. If I look closely I can see inside of it though generally that is not where my attention falls. Thompson was sent to the box to serve a penalty. Once inside he smashed his stick. This was when he was ejected from the game. Call it what you will, but the sound that came from the box did not sound like him beating the penalty box official...more like him abusing his poor stick! When he came out of the box he absolutely mouthed off at the ref but never laid a finger on him. While these words could have easily gotten him kicked out, if he had already been ejected then what? How can you eject someone twice?

Listen...here is the tired me on her one night off for the week laying it out there. We won...at the end of the day that is all that matters! I do not think officials should be abused nor do I think they should be taunted and told they suck! However, I also think that there are times when sometimes it is important to consult with everyone. Maybe it is the woman in me, the politician in me, or the lack of sleep, but I think there are times when the entire picture needs to be examined. I am sure my description was a bit off...it was written some three odd days later on no sleep, cold medicine, and on a time limit as I had to get out the door to work the Celtics game. Just trying to make a point! But just remember Chip...it would be kinda weird to chant Ref we love you! So unless fans are screaming at you, you are not that bad off ;) I have no problem making the boys cookies for their road trip bus rides....instead of waving an olive branch...I will throw out there that should the refs and linesmen want cookies for their rides, they can have some too! My way of letting them know that on an average night we like them, appreciate them and respect them...until they tangle with crazy calls ;)