One thing this weekend's refereeing demonstrated clearly is just how differently (inconsistently) that different referees call things. Usually, we have to wait a couple weeks for a different ref to come into town, and we're left wondering whether its just our imagination that Adam calls things totally differently from Albers.
On this particular Friday and Saturday, we got instant feedback. Play goes down to Adam's end of the ice and attackers can slash at will and not get called for it, but when the play comes down to Albers end of the ice (the Maine end) and attackers get penalized for the identical slash that just went uncalled on the other end. Meanwhile, on Albers end of the ice, defenders get to interfere and hook at will, while defenders on the other get get called for hooking.
If this is going to work, we need a LOT more consistency of standards. Perhaps even switch the referees from end to end every five minutes to at least balance the inconsistencies.
I don't think it affected the outcome. Maine kicked our clocks. I just think the 4-ref system needs more work before it gets implemented.