Officiating team for Leafs/Lightning Game 4 announced
A lot has been made about the officiating in this year's playoffs - but especially during the Leafs/Lightning series. Game 1 was an absolute abomination in the eyes of fans and analysts alike, with the Lightning being awarded 8 power plays on the evening. Of course, that was under Wes McCauley.
Game 2 was also fairly lopsided, albeit in the other direction, as the Leafs were awarded 6 power plays to the Lightning's 3 during a 7-2 Leafs win. That was under Eric Furlatt and Trevor Hansen, who didn't exactly do a poor job, but anytime the penalty scaling is leaning one way, the optics of it are never all that great.
Francis Charron and Jake Brenk called a pretty balanced Game 3, with both the Lightning and the Leafs seeing 3 power plays each, but there were certainly some issues in the game, such as Steven Stamkos not picking up an extra penalty for attacking an unsuspecting Auston Matthews, which set head coach Sheldon Keefe off since it cost the Leafs a 5-on-3 opportunity.
Tonight, however, the Leafs and Lightning have drawn Graham Skilliter and Chris Rooney as their Game 4 officials, which could bode well for the Leafs. The Buds are a combined 3-2 under Rooney and Skilliter in the playoffs between 2006 and now. The breakdown is 1-2 under Rooney and 2-0 under Skilliter.
This game has the potential to sway the series. A win for Toronto puts the Leafs up 3-1 in the series and lands the Lightning on the brink of elimination. A Lightning win gives them new life, tying the series at 2-2, heading back to Toronto for Game 5. With how competitive Game 3 was, I'd assume that there will be fireworks tonight in an all-important Game 4.
