Re: Refereeing by the score of the game?
1. ... When a major is assessed when there maybe shouldn't have even been a penalty called, it really sucks for the kid
We seem to routinely see this over the first several weeks of the season, when the edict probably is issued to crack down on dangerous plays. So kids get sent off for a CFB or contact to the head that may not warrant a glance come playoff time. Given the objective is to make players conscious of not taking actions likely to injure one another, I see the merit, but you're right, it's rough on the player and her team.
2. ... Have the guts to call a penalty without having to talk it over with your buddy.
That seems to be the process when a CFB call is a possibility. Given the severity of the penalty, I'm okay with this; take the time to get it right, or at least as right as the caliber of WCHA officiating allows.
3. ... If a ref right on top of the play decides that a given circumstance doesn't warrant a penalty, but their partner calls it from long distance, isn't that kind of showing their partner up?
Here I believe the rationale is that the more distant official had a better view. In some cases, that's true. I've seen where the nearby ref is turning in an attempt to avoid contact and misses a takedown a couple feet away. I have no problem with the further ref calling that. Other refs just seem to like to blow the whistle and skate around making dramatic signals, because they'll make up calls if nothing is happening on the ice.
As for evaluating the officials, I've seen Greg Shepherd at Ridder doing just that on two separate weekends this season. He likely doesn't get out to Columbus very often.
Look at the bright side -- the Buckeyes got to work on their PK in advance of the trip to Grand Forks, where they'll see a more dangerous PP.