from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,
There is considerable similarity between the Boston Bruins in these playoffs and Broad Street Bullies of old in that they approach the game with virtually the same theory with respect to the officiating, whether they know it or not.
Hear us out here — don’t go jumping off the handle. This isn’t to say the Bruins are picking fights, going up into the stands or seriously injuring opponents the way the ’70s Philadelphia Flyers who earned that nickname did. That would be absurd and never tolerated in the 21st century NHL, which exists in a nanny state whereby everything must be made as safe as possible at all times for the participants and spectators. Perish the thought.
But Wednesday night’s Game 3 win over the Penguins was a classic case of how the absurdly abrasive style of the Bruins can be so tremendously effective. And it’s built on one overriding theory about officiating that they share with the Flyers: No matter how strict or determined a set of referees might be with respect to getting a grip on a game, they can only call so much.
That was exactly the same theory the Bullies used. They would punch and face wash and slash, and if you were willing, fight all night long to the point where there should have been a penalty or two on every shift. But the referee (only one then) couldn’t do that. He couldn’t call a penalty or even two on every shift. No way.
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