Several NHL teams seem to be struggling to understand the definition of goaltender interference after a busy night for the Situation Room on Thursday.
The Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames all came away wondering why rulings didn't go their way after losses in their respective games.
The Sabres watched a couple of controversial goalie interference calls go against them in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, extending Buffalo's losing streak to five games.
The trouble started early when Sabres coach Lindy Ruff challenged a Jets goal tipped in by Gabriel Vilardi in the first period. Vilardi, just outside the crease, made contact with Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's glove just before the tip tied the game at 1-1.
The NHL denied the challenge, saying afterward: "According to Rule 69.1, 'Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgement of the Referee(s), but may be subject to a Coach’s Challenge."
"You don't know unless you challenge. It's that kind of grey. You don't know," Ruff told reporters after the game. "I thought just the fact he wasn't allowed to make a save, it's an interference penalty. He knocked his hand down. That's where the puck was going, you've got to challenge that.
"They used he was out of crease. Does that mean the guy can run the goalie over cause he's out of the crease? No. It's always a hit and miss. But the only way you'll know is challenging."
Luukkonen was angry about the call.
“I don’t know if there’s a smart way to say this, but I feel like it’s (expletive),” Luukkonen said, per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. “There’s no way I can make a save on that. I’m not that far out from the crease.”
In the second period, yet another goalie interference call went against the team with the league's longest playoff drought.
Sabres forward Tyson Kozak, a Manitoba product making his NHL debut, appeared to give Buffalo a 3-2 lead when he corralled a rebound and beat Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck from the slot.
Jets coach Scott Arniel challenged, feeling Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn interfered with Hellebuyck.
The officials agreed upon review, even though it appeared Malenstyn was hit by Winnipeg's Brad Lambert.
"Video review determined Buffalo’s Beck Malenstyn impaired Connor Hellebuyck’s ability to play his position in the crease prior to the puck entering the net," the NHL said. "According to Rule 69.3, 'if an attacking player initiates contact with a goalkeeper, incidental or otherwise, while the goalkeeper is in his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.'
Again, Ruff didn't see things the same way.
"It either goes your way or doesn't," Ruff said of the two reviews. "I don't like the call (on the Jets' goal). I didn't like it either way. It didn't go the right way for us and went the right way for them."
In Edmonton, the Blue Jackets felt that Oilers forward Zach Hyman interfered with goaltender Daniil Tarasov on the play and challenged Leon Draisaitl's goal that put the home side up 2-1. The challenge was unsuccessful and the Oilers scored again on the resulting power play to go up 3-1 in a game they won 6-3.
“We’re trying to get an explanation because our view is different from what they said they’ve seen," Columbus coach Dean Evason said.
"I don’t blame the refs because they’re looking at a little iPad. But when I came in here, our guys were adamant that he got hit in the head, he couldn’t move his stick because (Hyman) went freely in the crease, a foot and a half, so Tarasov couldn’t get over to make that save.”
The NHL, in its explanation, said Hyman "did not impair Tarasov from playing his position in the crease prior to" the goal.
In Calgary, the Flames were not happy when the St. Louis Blues left the building with a 4-3 win on a controversial overtime goal.
Blues defenceman Colton Parayko jammed a rebound by Flames netminder Dan Vladar before a review was initiated by the Situation Room.
The Flames believed that Parayko was only able to score the goal because he pushed Vladar's pad with his stick.
But after a lengthy review, the call on the ice was upheld and the Blues walked away victorious.
The NHL said in a statement that video review determined that "no goaltender interference infractions occurred as Parayko made a play on a loose puck in the crease prior to his goal."
Rule 69.7 of the NHL rule book states that "in a rebound situation, or where a goalkeeper and attacking player(s) are simultaneously attempting to play a loose puck, whether inside or outside the crease, incidental contact will be permitted, and any goal that is scored as a result thereof will be allowed."
"The referees didn't come over and explain it, they just skate themselves right off the ice," Flames coach Ryan Huska said post-game. "That's to me, the part that bothers me a little bit... the way I see it, (Vladar) probably would've kept it out if his pad wasn't pushed in. But that's the way it is."
-- with files from CP.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.