A frustrating second period in a frustrating season for the Buffalo Sabres erupted in anger at the referees in the team's 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Rangers Saturday night. Leading the charge was defenseman Erik Johnson, who felt victimized by some inexplicable decisions from the men in stripes.
“It was absolutely effing ridiculous, and then the ref tells Don that he gave me the unsportsmanlike because we were screaming at him in the first period for not making call,” Johnson complained after the loss, per The Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski.
“So, tell me how that is somewhat justified? I go over to him, he obliges. That’s hockey. That’s not an instigator. That was (nonsense).”
Johnson feels slighted in loss
Johnson was heated after an altercation in the game's second period. The squabble saw him sent off for fighting after he dropped the gloves with Rangers center Will Cuylle.
But in addition to the five-minute fighting major, Johnson also received a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct. His dance partner, Cuylle, got off with just a five-minute fighting major. Cuylle avoided any discipline for a check on Ryan Johnson that started the fracas.
Buffalo winger Jeff Skinner also got a 10-minute misconduct for his involvement, a decision that puzzled Sabres coach Don Granato.
” (Skinner) was given a 10 based on what they saw, but the explanation of why it was chosen then was not good,” Granato said. “I thought the fight … obviously, what I saw in that regard, was the player did shake his gloves, which is a sign that he's more than willing. We ended up short on that.”
The Sabres' frustration stemmed from what seemed like a mutual decision between Johnson and Cuylle to drop the gloves. But only Johnson incurred a harsher sentence.
The loss dropped the Sabres to 14-17-4, with their .457 points percentage sitting sixth-worst in the entire NHL.
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