What would Ryan Miller say?
The Buffalo Sabres goaltender, who noted that “lazy refereeing” contributed to his club’s loss to the Washington Capitals Sunday, would have to dig for a word more profound than lazy to describe Sergei Kostitsyn’s atrocious line change during the Oilers-Predators game later than night.
Momentum-swinging, definitely. Indolent, perhaps? Slothful? Apathetic? Team-deflating? Soul-crushing?
With the game tied at one in the third period and Edmonton killing a Nashville power play, the puck is passed back to Kostitsyn, who is creeping in from the right point. It takes a hop and bounces over the stick of Kostitsyn, who then loses a footrace to Sam Gagner for the loose puck.
But instead of tracking down his man on the shorthanded two-on-two rush, Kostitsyn bails on his checking assignment and raises his glove, signaling a change.
It’s the kind of ugly change that could get a man kicked off his beer-league squad.
The best part is watching coach Barry Trotz and his assistant waving manically at the forward to stay on and help.
Now on a two-on-one, Gagner dishes easily to Lennart Petrell, who one-times the shorthanded go-ahead goal. The Oilers would go on to win 3-2. The Preds have lost three straight and have slipped to 11th in the West.
“I made a mistake. I went to change, I should have backchecked but didn’t see the second guy was coming there,” Kostitsyn admitted to reporters after the loss. “Even if it was a one-on-one, I should go back. It doesn’t matter if I was tired. I should have gone back and pressured him from behind.”
https://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec/status/313473352285188099
