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Up-to-the minute updates and insights from the Red Wings locker room at home and on the road. By Chuck Pleiness of The Macomb Daily.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Uphappy coach

How mad was Joel Quenneville about the minor penalty given to Matt Walker at the end of the first period during a scrum? Here's what the Blackhawks coach said after the game ...

"Well, I think we witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports today at the end of the (first) period there, a nothing play. You know, they scored, it's 3-0. They (officials) ruin a good hockey game. They absolutely destroyed what was going on on the ice. ... That call, I’ve never seen anything like it."

The Red Wings were up, 2-0, at the end of the first period. Valtteri Filppula scored 1:13 into Walker's penalty to give the Wings a three-goal advantage.

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

A certain 5 minute major + game misconduct begs to differ...

May 24, 2009 at 7:39 PM 
Blogger Graeme said...

As I recall, the Wings were down 3 - 0 in the last game. What did they do? They gutted it out, played their game, and forced the OT. It's not like they were getting calls... The refs only started calling Chicago on their cheap shots when Wings players started hitting the ice. What a pathetic spectacle.

I'd love to see Chicago try to match up with Anaheim next post-season. Bed, Bath, and Beyond should stock up heavily on cryin' towels if that matchup comes about!

May 24, 2009 at 7:42 PM 
Anonymous John W. said...

Yeah, because calling the Hawks for thuggery after the whistle was such a stretch in that game. Gimme a break. Hawks had no class at all and deserved every penalrty they took.

May 24, 2009 at 7:56 PM 
Anonymous Justin said...

Quenneville was only angry because he didn't even realize Walker was penalized until the beginning of the 2nd. If he had actually paid attention he would've known earlier. He has nobody but himself to blame for not realizing his team was going to shorthanded to start the second period.

May 24, 2009 at 8:46 PM 
Blogger Unknown said...

Justin, I think you're right. But how in world could he have not known? They put the game summaries online between periods for god's sake.

May 24, 2009 at 9:15 PM 
Blogger Kurt said...

Maybe he should blame his crap goalie for allowing a soft goal right before the end of the 1st.

May 24, 2009 at 10:13 PM 
Anonymous Justin said...

I don't know, but I watched the game on CBC and their commentators mentioned that Quenneville didn't find out about the penalty until the beginning of the second and that was the reason he was irate. It makes sense too - if he had known the minute it was called, he would've gotten the venting out of the way before the break and calmed down during.

As for how he didn't know, the penalty was given at the 20:00 mark. That is, after the period ended. Maybe the PA announcer didn't announce it, and/or Quenneville headed off to the locker room before the skirmish was all sorted out and the penalty was called. Who knows. Frankly, knowing Quenneville's coaching abilities, I'm not surprised he didn't pay enough attention to know his team would be shorthanded.

May 25, 2009 at 2:16 AM 
Anonymous Ryan said...

yeah - and when they replayed the penalty on versus, they didn't rewind far enough. all you saw was walker's little shove, but not the fact that it stemmed from a clean kronwall hit... they were after him and the refs put their foot down so things didn't get out of hand (at least in the vengeance on kronner dept.)

it was a message by the officials - would it have been called in all situations?? probably not, but was it all that "bad" a call... considering all circumstances, it was pretty standard stuff. Except the wings then scored on the power play and that's the real reason for Quenneville's breakdown.

... or maybe he's realizing that he probably won't get rehired if he sustains his image as a playoff flop... especially against the Hawks new biggest rival!

May 25, 2009 at 4:20 AM 

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