Here's the reported referee crew for Bruins-Blues Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final

Share

Officiating has been a controversial topic throughout the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, and that is unlikely to change in Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues.

Wednesday night's showdown at TD Garden will feature the same referee duo assigned to Game 6 in St. Louis, per Sportsnet's John Shannon. The NHL has not officially announced the Game 7 referees and linesmen.

Gord Dwyer and Chris Rooney also were the referee tandem in Game 2 and Game 4 of this Cup Final. Boston lost both games, but it did have a 7-6 edge in power plays over those two matchups. Rooney and Dwyer did a pretty good job in Game 6, where both teams had four power plays.

Kelly Sutherland and Steve Kozari are the other ref duo in this series, and they were next up in the rotation, but the controversy surrounding Game 5 might have played a factor in them not getting the call for Game 7. The Blues got away with a blatant trip late in the third period of Game 5, but no penalty was called despite Sutherland standing right behind the play. St. Louis scored seconds later to take a 2-0 lead, and the Blues ultimately won 2-1 for a 3-2 series advantage. Sutherland's no call was one of the worst Cup Final gaffes in recent memory.

Game 7s typically feature less penalties, which is good because the players should decide a matchup of this magnitude. Fewer whistles does favor the Blues, though. The Bruins have the more potent power play, and the unit showed signs of improvement in Game 6. 

Click here for the top Conn Smythe Trophy candidates>>>

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.

Contact Us