When the Montreal Canadiens scored its game-winning overtime goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night, there should have been a penalty. It’s not obvious at full speed on the television, but the referees should have seen and called that. This video on TVA Sports shows it pretty well.
Unfortunately for the Jackets coach Dean Evason who was livid, it happens. When it comes to professional sport and arbitration, you win some, and you lose some. Fans of almost every team are convinced that the refs are against their team and most will also say they are biased and favourable to one of its rival teams. In Montreal, we often hear the zebras are always giving the Toronto Maple Leafs a break.
It’s a shame, but it is what it is. When it comes to calling penalties, the referees are human beings and prone to human error just like any of us. Hockey is a fast game and in the heat of the action, it can happen that an errant arm that hooks the opponent isn’t seen. Just like Suzuki’s on Wednesday night.
Should the coaches be allowed to challenge a goal because a penalty call was missed? Does the game need to be slowed down by numerous huddles by the penalty box in which the refs are looking at the play, and then looking again and again before rendering a decision? I don’t think so.
To be honest, I don’t think the game was made better by the possibility to challenge a goal for offside. The delays it causes are tedious and it’s often a question of millimeters. The game doesn’t need more delays. As frustrating as it can be for coaches, players and fans alike, being on the receiving end of a non call is the lesser of two evils.
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