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Canadiens, NHL fans outraged over referee Chris Lee’s Game 4 disaster
It’s a postseason tradition. No matter what sport you enjoy, there's always blame to be laid upon officiating if your team loses a crucial game. But this is hitting a whole new level now.
Canadiens supporters and hockey fans in general were rightfully outraged at the officiating during Montreal's Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL semifinals on Monday, with many naturally taking to the interwebs to express their displeasure.
McNabb punched Suzuki right in the head. Chris Lee LITERALLY LOOKS AWAY! @nhl WAKE UP pic.twitter.com/5e20RSPH8L
— Richard McAdam (@RealRGM81) June 21, 2021
Chris Lee shouldn't ref another game
He's completely lost control. The players don't know what they can and can't do. pic.twitter.com/pGaJzJZWBL— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) June 21, 2021
Chris Lee celebrating with his teammates #VGKvsMTL pic.twitter.com/F7DP26dOzW
— I hate the team that I love (@Vince_Effin_G) June 21, 2021
This officiating is embarrassing for the NHL.
— Conor McKenna (@mckennaconor) June 21, 2021
They just let them play prison rules for like 30 minutes and call THAT? What are we talking about here
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 21, 2021
Sometimes the blame is justified, and in Game 4 it certainly was.
The outrage over referee Chris Lee’s performance on Sunday was colossal. Calls for him to never be in charge of another NHL game were spewing out of Quebec like gravy over fries and curds. Missed calls all over the ice were the prime contributors to the Canadiens’ 2-1 overtime loss.
Just an absolute disaster. Good lord.
Chris Lee with a front row seat to Brayden McNabb punching Nick Suzuki in the face. Nothing.
I don't see how the NHL can continue trotting these two guys out. IT IS THE THIRD ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS.— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) June 21, 2021
This is a total joke. Honestly.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) June 21, 2021
It’s time for a reset. Call the rule book, a penalty in the first minute of the first period is a penalty in the last minute of the third or overtime. Expecting officials to “manage” the game doesn’t work. Call the penalties…the players will adjust.
— Gord Miller 🏳️🌈 (@GMillerTSN) June 21, 2021
Did Chris Lee ever try out for the #Habs and get cut?
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) June 21, 2021
So this is a bit of freebie but are people happy with “don’t want refs to decide the game” stuff? This is comical really. Just call the penalties that are there, quit trying to manage the game BC the refs always end up in a hole.
— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) June 21, 2021
The hockey world is in existential crisis mode in terms of officiating. After questionable decisions that influenced hockey games all over this postseason, the controversy seemed to bubble up and overflow on Sunday. Just an outpouring of emotion that was kept within by top-tier media members eventually rising to the surface and flowing from their tweeting fingers.
Through the first four games of this series, Vegas has been privy to a total of 11 power-play opportunities, while Montreal has had just six — including Sunday where they had just one PP and Game 2 when they had zero. A small-sample mismatch that cannot be the true calling of the rulebook.
The NHL handpicks the officiating teams for these late playoff rounds and because of COVID restrictions and limited travel, the same team of officials have been in place through the first four games in Las Vegas and Montreal.
The semifinal series is currently a draw at 2-2 with teams heading to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday.
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