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Marian Hossa watches what should have been the game-tying goal slide past Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. Instead Detroit finds themselves down 2-1 in the series. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)
As good as he is — and it should be said here that Detroit is making him look much better by blackening the Ducks logo in the middle of Hiller’s jersey — it wasn’t Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller who stopped Detroit from winning game 3, and it wasn’t the defensive play of the Ducks team as a whole. No, it was something that has, unfortunately, come to be expected in “today’s NHL:” Horrible officiating.
Judging from the phantom penalties that were called it seemed at times that the officials were looking for any reason to place a Detroit player in the penalty box, and some of the calls that were made are the stuff conspiracy theories are made of. Seriously, last I checked interference was a penalty imposed on a player if he impedes the opposing player’s movement, not if he brushes against him and whispers sweet nothings in his ear.
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And then there were the goals, or in Detroit’s case no goal.
On Anaheim’s second goal Wings goalie Chris Osgood was clearly and blatantly interfered with, a call that would have and has been made if a guy named Holmstrom was the offending party. Crashing the net is all well and good, but when you knock the goalie on his ass and give him absolutely no chance of making a save then it’s interference. Cut and dry, that is it. For some reason the on-ice officials thought otherwise.
And just when Detroit fans thought it couldn’t get any worse in stepped referee Brad Watson, or as he’ll forever be known in Michigan hockey circles, The Man With the Magic Whistle.
With just over a minute to play in the game, and with Detroit pressuring Anaheim for the game-tying goal, a scrum ensued around Jonas Hiller and the puck squirted loose and lay there, unobstructed, beside him. One more time with enthusiasm: The puck squirted loose and lay there beside him. Marian Hossa then proceeded to deposit the loose puck into the net, but because Watson — and apparently every other official on he ice with a pair of working eyes — “lost sight of the puck” the play was whistled dead and the goal was deemed no good.
Now I know what you’re thinking: The referee lost sight of the puck, so he blew the whistle. Sure, but if you watch the replay you’ll see that Watson was behind the net and with a clear line of sight when he blew the whistle, so the losing sight of the puck argument gets thrown right out the window. Said Hossa about the goal that wasn’t:
“I just shot it right when he whistled, I keep telling him, but he said he blow the whistle earlier. He said no goal. It’s just frustrating, you know – we keep battling, battling, and after that little play, it could be different hockey game. But these things happen and we have to stay positive.”
The only way Watson could have lost sight of the puck is if he closed his eyes and counted to ten, but we’re not playing hide-and-seek here. This is playoffs hockey, a time when a call like that can literally cost a team the series. No one knows if Detroit would have won the game in overtime, but then again no one knows if they would have.
E.J. McGuire, spokesman for officials, had the following to say:
“He (Watson) said he talked to the players on the ice. It’s an emotional game. He wanted to explain to the players on the ice, as he saw it, the puck was out of sight and he blew the whistle. The assumption was that the puck was covered.”
And what is it they say about making assumptions?
Announcers and color commentators hold back from pointing out just how ridiculous the officiating can be at times for fear of disciplinary action, but thankfully writers aren’t under such restraints.
Last night’s game was an important one for the Detroit Red Wings, and thanks to one asinine decision they now find themselves down in the series 2-1.
I’d say the officiating can only get better, but we all know I’d be lying.
Paul Benvin covers the Detroit Red Wings for The Hockey Writers. Feel free to contact him with tips, video, or general dissension.
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That was a horrible call. How Watson lost sight of the puck is beyond me…it was right in front of him. Unbelievable call that costs the Wings a game and the Ducks know they were lucky to get out of that with a victory. Officiating, as usual, has been awful in the playoffs.
Yeah, the same thing happened in the Hawks-Nucks series. Officials got whistle happy when the puck was near Luongo or Khabibulin in Game 1, and on one particular occasion, the puck was never out of sight to the camera but the ref blew it anyway. The officiating in the playoffs is supposed to be based on merit from games called during the season, but if this situation is any indication, then I think some changes need to be made.
It was a horrible break, no question. Maybe you could see how Watson lost sight of it, coming from the corner while the puck was sliding across the line, maybe Watson thought it stayed under Hiller. In any case, Watson has said he made a mistake, refs are human. It would have tied the game, probably sent it to OT, and who knows what would have happened. But there is no question it was a painful mistake.
The Capitals-Rangers series was filled with calls in Washington’s favor. Ovechkin sells tickets and the Rangers have no superstars. Enough said.
Here’s the odd thing:
When you REALLY watch the replay of this – the whistle is not blown until WELL after the puck is in the net. When you really slow it down the whistle isn’t blown until Hossa & the Duck defender ends up in the net after being checked (or falling) into the net.
I’m honestly convinced that Watson blew the whistle NOT because he lost sight of the puck – but because of the players ending up in the net – to prevent a pile up on Hiller.
The one inexcusable thing is NOT that the call was blown – it is the complete inability of the NHL to admit it actually got a call wrong. Most coaches and fans would grudgingly accept a league/referee saying he missed the call, or made a mistake. What is COMPLETELY CRIMINAL is the refusal to admit that the referee made an incorrect call.
The INTENT aspect is ridiculous and I wonder why it hasn’t been something the GM’s & owners have pressed before. Play stops when the referee blows his whistle, and so does the clock. Play does not stop when the referee INTENDS to blow his whistle, otherwise we would have to add back 1-2sec on every play.
If I violated the speed limit – but didn’t INTEND to… am I then innocent of the offence?
The rule allows the league to ALWAYS be right – and SERIOUSLY call into question the integrity of the game of hockey. It’s one reason why since the strike I have not spent $1 on an NHL product, or ticket. I’ll support the CHL leagues – they at least SOMETIMES admit when they’ve made a mistake !
What concerns me is this: By watching these playoffs — and I’m talking about all the games, not just the Wings — it seems that the officials want to dictate who wins the games. Penalties are being called that wouldn’t be called in a Pee-Wee league and blatant infractions are being let go. It makes me sick. It also has made me, a true fan of the game, change the channel a few times.
No one hates Anaheim more than I do, but I wouldn’t call it a horrible call. Refs are instructed to blow the whistle when they lose sight of the puck, and I think that needs to be reexamined. maybe they should use that awful Fox technology of the glowing puck to blow a play dead only from upstairs–then they’ll know if it’s covered and it’ll stay live if it’s not.