CONFUZZLED ZEBRAS AND WEAK TARGETS

Here’s a Tuesday morning talking point: What are the two positions most adversely effected by the crammed schedule in order to accommodate a two week shutdown for the Winter Olympics?

If you said "officiating and goaltending", you agree with me and are keenly perceptive.

If you didn’t, you are either severely optically challenged or are a mouth-breathing dipsh** - or both. (I demand compliance from my disciples)

Evidence on the officiating side is mounting. The Burrows-Auger affair, the Stars-Wings Shootout “review”, and the general lack of consistency and accuracy in arbiting the games.

As for the goalies, lately “pulling your goalie” has gone from a juvenile (yet amusing) euphemism and seldom used coaching ploy to an every game occurrence. Last Tuesday, the night Turco got yanked in Philly, 6 of the 9 goalies who started games didn’t finish them, and another 6 in the 10 games played last night got the hook, 5 of them “Olympic Quality” netminders! WTF?

For the zebras it might be the travel that has them worn down and off their game. They don’t cruise around on a G5, they travel commercial, which now days can be a meandering, novacaine-free root canal, and they do so on the day of a game.

The targets are feeling the effects of too many games in short periods of time. The attention to detail in front of them is deficient as teammates try to play with weary legs and minds.

For some, the two-week Olympic break can’t get here soon enough and should help re-fuel the tank.

But for a select few who will be involved in the Games the worst might come on the other side.

If that is the case they may want to install a revolving door in front of both nets and issue extra noise-canceling ear buds for the referees.