Evolution

It is the year 2160. A group of tourists are visiting the Museum of Sports History. A tour guide leads them to an exhibit labeled, "NHL Referee: early 21st century".

GUIDE: And here we have a former NHL official. As labeled, we are fairly sure that he refereed sometime in the early 21st century, around the time which critics now describe as "The end of fair play". This was right before the NHL decided to officially revolutionize the referee's job, beginning to make it the way that it is today. Any questions?

TOURIST: How did the position work before the NHL changed it?


GUIDE: As many of you probably already know, there used to be a time when everything was not predetermined. Back then, teams relied on things such as coaching, management, momentum, and luck. Everything was totally unpredictable.

TOURIST: Sounds chaotic. Why did they let it happen that way?


GUIDE: Back then a lot of people held different beliefs than they do today. Most fans felt that the NHL and its officials should get out of the way and let the players and coaches battle it out. Their idea was that if the games were not interfered with, the best team would win. That's why, if any of you have watched old film from those days, you will often hear fans booing referees' calls. Announcers often used to protest by saying things such as "Let the boys play."

TOURIST: When and how did they finally decide to change things?


GUIDE: Well, historical evidence gives us reason to believe that the officials began rigging games in secret a little while before the NHL decided to officially change their job description. Then came 2010, which many describe as "The beginning of the end". A look at a Western Conference Semifinal game between the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks, which is now one of the most famous of all time, provides almost indisputable evidence. Though neither the NHL nor the officials ever confessed to it, we can be almost certain that the refs were under direct orders from Mr. Gary Bettman, the commissioner at that time, to make sure the Red Wings were quickly eliminated. They did a good job, too.

TOURIST: That was part of the Red Wing Conspiracy, right?


GUIDE: You know your history. In 2008, the NHL was frustrated and furious to watch their "promo boy" (a common nickname critics of the referee evolution used for Sidney Crosby) be defeated by a European-dominated team that somehow made its way into the playoffs just about every year. They thought a lowered salary cap could end the reign by limiting the talent that they could acquire. When that didn't work, they sought help from the men in stripes.

TOURIST: Sorry if this is a little off-topic, but what's a salary cap?

GUIDE: Salary caps, as I mentioned earlier, were the NHL's way of limiting the talent that each team could acquire. Back then, players went to different teams asking for money. The general managers, or GMs as they were often called, were in charge of figuring out contracts and trying to get the best players available. Often the highest bidder got the player. The cap limited each team's spending money. The NHL hoped that that would prevent teams like the Red Wings from stocking up, but it didn't work. Today, of course, the players and teams no longer have to worry about such nonsense, as the NHL now assigns each player to a certain team based on what they feel would create the best balance. They also pick their payroll for them. In doing so they have also eliminated the need for agents and general managers, which means more money can be spent on the players and stadiums.

TOURIST: Going back to Sidney Crosby, how did he manage to get around back when the NHL wasn't there to give him the tools to be the greatest player in the world?


GUIDE: To be honest, most would agree that he struggled. Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin often challenged the notion that there were none greater than Crosby, not only by consistently outscoring him, but also by adopting a completely different, and much more reckless style. He laid punishing hits on those who dared touch the puck. He even did that to Crosby. This set of actions ultimately led to the NHL's decision to ban Ovechkin for life in 2012. Though many were glad to see the back of him, the move also outraged many. The NHL, of course, used their favorite way of dealing with things at the time, which is today described as the "Policy of Ignorance". Instead of worrying about the Ovechkin outrage, they concentrated on Crosby. Just a few years later, the commissioner passed the Crosby Protection Plan, the first ever plan that called for officials to begin favoring certain players. That was truly the beginning of the referee evolution. And look how far we've gotten! How the games work out is now determined by the NHL and its refs. Thus we can assure for the most entertaining games possible!

TOURIST: I suppose we have them to thank. By the way, if fans and experts from the early 21st century were here to see this, what would they say?

GUIDE: Well, believe it or not, there would probably be plenty of critics who would strongly object to this. The NHL's decision to begin controlling outcomes angered many people. The Red Wings decided to drop out of the league in 2015, after player assignment began. Between the Red Wing Conspiracy and Oveckin's ban, chaos erupted. For a while it looked the NHL might close its doors and never reopen, but enough fans who hated the Red Wings and Ovechkin remained, and the league was able to build off of Crosby hype and rebuild itself. Still, there are plenty of fans who would say that they miss the "Fair Play Era" and wish the NHL would allow the players to "determine the games themselves".

Any more questions? .....No? OK let's move on then. Coming up next we will see an MLB player, BEFORE steroid use was made legal.

Nothing to lose

3-0.

Is it really happening? Can it really be happening?

3-0.

It seems like a strange dream. A nightmare, to be exact.

3-0

Fans can't believe it. What in the name of Gary Bettman happened?

3-0. That's the status of the Detroit Red Wings's series against the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have won all three games, each by a score of 4-3. Strange, huh? Not only is it weird to be defeated by the same score three times in a row, but it's even stranger to see the Red Wings, the winningest NHL team of the 21st century, down 3-0 in a series.

It's time. The Red Wings started in a deep hole, and they keep getting handed shovels. Some are from the men in stripes. Some are from the Sharks. The rest are from themselves. If things don't change soon, we'll find ourselves waiting till next season for the Wings to return to the Cup. Momentum must shift.

Now, before I go any further, let me tell you something: I love Jimmy Howard. He is one of the best goalies that Detroit has ever had. He is a Calder Trophy nominee, and, in my opinion, the best of the three. He has played phenomenally all year.

Now, with that said, I believe that it is time to pull the rookie out and go with experience. It's time for Chris Osgood to step out of the mentor role and back between the pipes. I'm not blaming the losses on Howard. He played decent in Game 1 and pretty good in Game 2. He wasn't all that bad in Game 3 either.

But this isn't about good or bad, or even about blame. It's about turning around a team that is trailing 3-0 in a series. That type of comeback is exceptionally tough. How do you pull it off? There's only one way: change dramatically. Switching goalies ought to do the trick. Pulling Howard for Osgood would be a game-changer. Even if Osgood does not play as well as Howard, the simple act of change could shift the momentum right back in Detroit's favor.

It might work out; it might blow up in Mike Babcock's face. If it works out, the Wings will be headed back on their way to the Conference Finals, and, hopefully, the Stanley Cup. If it blows up in Babcock's face, who cares? The Wings would likely have been on their way to failure soon anyway.

Putting in Osgood would be far from waving the white flag of surrender. Let's not forget experience. Ozzie won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. He put on a performance that likely would have earned him a Conn Smythe Trophy had the Red Wings not fallen to Pittsburgh in the Final. He has shown, time and time again, that he knows how to play when he needs to.

Ozzie may not be the better of the two goalies, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is the momentum. Right now it's certainly not on Detroit's side. They're tired. They're frustrated. They're losing hope.

3-0.

How do you get a team that feels that way back on track? Coach Mike Babcock needs to put in Osgood not because he's necessarily the better goalie, but because it is his only chance of getting his team to play the way that they need to.

Hopefully I'll turn on Thursday's game and hear a familiar old chant.

OZ-ZIE! OZ-ZIE! OZ-ZIE! OZ-ZIE!