There is one absolute during this 2017 edition of the NHL playoffs. It affects every team battling to earn the right to sip champagne from the Stanley Cup and is a continuing source of aggravation and frustration for both fans ponying up the big bucks to attend games and those watching on television. And like the weather, there is absolutely nothing anybody, particularly the coaches and players, can do about it.
Of course, I am referring to the sorry state of officiating in the NHL, be it during the regular season or the playoffs. And it isn’t just the referees.