Clik here to view.
Alex Ovechkin doesn't think the Washington Capitals got a fair shake from the referees in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers. The Capitals lost Game 6 to the Rangers, then were eliminated the following day in a 5-0 Game 7 loss and he's pointing fingers not just at the referees, but the NHL too.
"I am not saying there was a phone call from (the league), but someone just wanted Game 7," the Capitals star told Russian newspaper Sport-Express.
"For the ratings. You know, the lockout, escrow, the league needs to make profit. I don't know whether the refs were predisposed against us or the league. But to not give obvious penalties (against the Capitals), while for us any little thing was immediately penalized."
The Capitals had no power play opportunities in Game 6, while the Rangers had five. The rest of the series had a similar theme, with Washington getting just 16 power play opportunities all series compared to New York's 28. The Rangers were the least penalized team in the NHL during the regular season with just 9.2 penalty minutes per game, while the Capitals were ninth in the league at 10.8 penalty minutes per game.
Ovechkin, who led the NHL in scoring during the regular season, had just one goal in the playoffs and just one shot on goal in Game 7.
