News outlet suggests the NHL is rigging playoff games in favour of Connor McDavid
PUBLICATION
Dorin Canaday
May 30, 2022 (9:55)
A news outlet called Deadspin recently released an article titled, "Is the NHL now rigging games for Connor McDavid?: After last night's Oilers win, it sure seems that way".
The article was written after the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames in game five to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Of course, the controversy surrounding the victory was the replay of Blake Coleman's disallowed goal.
The Flames didn't lose the series because one goal was disallowed, but there's more of a case that they lost game five because of it. Calgary simply lost the series because Edmonton was the better team overall. Whether it was a good call or not, nobody really knows the rules, fans or players, and maybe not even the NHL.
In recent years the playoffs haven't seen young star players excel, besides players like Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Patrick Kane, to name a few.
The 2022 playoffs have been different, though.
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Fans have seen Connor McDavid and Leon Draisiatl literally win a series for their team. While Nathan MacKinnon has taken over games and willed his team to the Western Final for the first time since 2002. Even Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner had a tremendous series in the first round, even though they were eliminated in seven games.
We've also seen far more penalties called, with less hooking and grabbing tolerated than what fans have been accustomed to in previous postseasons. The NHL is notorious for not being able to market its star players, so it's understandable that this year's playoffs raise questions like this.
Has the NHL changed the officiating to benefit players like McDavid? Or is this just the evolution of star players?
Here's the article by Deadspin if you want to read it:
