So, it seems like another NHL official is under the microscope, and this time it's Kelly Sutherland catching flak for alleged favoritism towards the Vancouver Canucks.
You know how it goes in the playoffs - refs tend to let a lot more slide to amp up the intensity. But sometimes, it feels like fans and players are left scratching their heads, wondering what's fair game and what's not. And in Game 7 of the Leafs vs. Bruins series, Sutherland was in the hot seat, with Leafs fans fuming over what they saw as some questionable calls that tilted the scales in Boston's favor.
Now, Canucks fans are outraged, pointing out Sutherland's supposed bias towards the Oilers in a recent game. There's even talk about Sutherland's off-season opinions about the Canucks not being exactly a secret.
And check this out - the Canucks haven't been faring too well when Sutherland's blowing the whistle. They're sitting at a not-so-impressive 2-7-2 in their last 9 games with him reffing.
Sure, Sutherland's been around for a while, and accusations of game management aren't exactly new to him. But when the patterns start to add up, it's hard to ignore.
As of now, there's no official investigation into these claims, but you can bet there's gonna be a lot more scrutiny on NHL officials moving forward.