Boston Globe slams the officiating in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The people of Boston are not happy about the way their beloved hockey team was treated in Game 5 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final and that includes the journalists who write for the Boston Globe. 

Since the Bruins suffered the Game 5 loss on Thursday the Boston Globe has published multiple articles regarding the things that went on over the course of that rather controversial game. Although every writer has been quick to point out that the Bruins, and not the National Hockey League officials, are to blame for the loss in Game 5 they also have been quick to point out just how egregious some of the mistakes from the NHL officials in Game 5 truly were. 

Globe writer Chad Finn had some scathing comments regarding the officiating, especially when it came to NHL referee Kerry Sutherland, a man who is rightfully receiving the brunt of the criticism coming out of Boston. From Finn:

The officials aren’t just letting them play with dubious physicality. They’re missing, if not outright ignoring, the most egregious offenses. One particular missed/ignored called Thursday night was so puzzling, so angering, that it assured Sutherland of being this generation’s Ben Dreith or Larry Barnett if the Bruins do not win the next two games.

His most brutal criticism of the officials however came in his comments regarding the Bruins chances in Game 6 of the Final. Afain from Finn:

It would also help significantly if the officials offer at least an occasional reminder that they know how to do their jobs competently. Thursday, they didn’t even seem to know what their job was.

The Globes Matt Porter made it clear that he feels the failure on the part of Sutherland in Game 5 has brought the officiating issues in the National Hockey League to a breaking point. From Porter:

Those unfamiliar with the sport are asking about Kelly Sutherland, the latest referee to fall flat on the biggest stage. The NHL’s officiating crisis, renewed Thursday night at TD Garden, has created a critical point.

Porter however was much more specific in his criticism. Although his comments were certainly measured it was clear based merely on the examples he laid out that he feels Sutherland was incompetent in his role in Game 5. Again from Porter:

In Game 5 of this Cup Final, Sutherland and Co. missed two illegal hits to the heads of Bruins — one of which resulted in Blues forward Ivan Barbashev being suspended one game after a review by the league — a hold against Bruins defenseman Torey Krug that nearly led to a St. Louis goal, and the Acciari trip that Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy called “egregious” in heated postgame comments.

The Bruins will be going into Game 6 with plenty of bulletin board material and plenty of motivation behind them, the question now of course will be whether or not officiating once again plays a factor in the outcome of the game.