TAMPA — Remember Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Final between the Bruins and Lightning? Well, that game is obviously a distant memory and not just for Nathan Horton’s game-winner, but for a free-flowing, passionate and exciting game that featured zero penalties. Yes, zero.
Sure, the officials could have made a penalty call here or there, but any critique of missed calls was nitpicky at best. No game has been better officiated since.
Fast forward seven years later. The tight officiating throughout the playoffs has put a dent into the free-flowing and passionate event that is postseason hockey.