Colorado Avalanche: Officiating Decides another Game 7 in Sharks’ Favor

The Colorado Avalanche lost Game 7 of the Conference Semi-Finals at least partially because of an inconclusive, and therefore controversial, call. NHL playoff games shouldn’t be decided this way.

The Colorado Avalanche lost their Game 7. I’m going to be honest — I kind of expected that. San Jose is such a cloggy team, one that makes you pay for your mistakes. And our young bucks make a lot of mistakes.

But to have the game decided by officiating… that’s not something I can stomach. If you’re not in the mood for a ranty post, best move along now, son. (Or daughter.) I’m really mad about the disallowed goal, and I’m releasing my fury here.

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I mean, what’s the point of being a fan blogger if you can’t rant

occasionally

on a regular basis?

So, in case you missed it, Avalanche forward Colin Wilson tied the game with a goal in the second period. He tied the game. He scored a goal. It was assisted by our superstar, Nathan MacKinnon. It was the game-tying goal.

Unfortunately, the officials in Toronto decreed that they didn’t want the Avs to score a goal at that time. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer used a Coach’s Challenge because, hey, why wouldn’t you? In today’s NHL any goal can be decided by a coin toss.

And tonight Toronto tossed the coin in San Jose’s favor. It wasn’t enough that the on-ice officials in the Game 7 of the first round called a five-minute major that they then had to apologize for. No, they had to further the Shark’s cause tonight.

Ok, here’s how it all went down. Midway through the second period, the Colorado Avalanche were simultaneously making a change and going on the rush. As you can see in the video below, certain players are jumping over the boards while the on-ice players are shuffling off:

Now, the problem is Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog — and by problem, I mean in the way pesky fine print that requires a lawyer to untangle is a problem. Landeskog is making his way off the ice as his teammates on the ice get the puck and go on the rush.

And somehow, as Landeskog is making his way off the ice, he ends up being offsides:

The puck entered the offensive zone while he was still stepping through the door. Because the Avalanche players scored on the ensuing rush, he was deemed offsides.

Dang it, the NHL says it praises speed, but it punished speed in this instance. If Nathan MacKinnon had been as slow as Joe “Dinosaur” Thornton, Landeskog’s casual exit wouldn’t have been a problem. But Nate drove up the ice too darn quick.

An especially frustrating part of the situation is that the official reason for overturning the goal is that Landeskog is supposedly in the offensive zone. Yet all you have to do is have a sliver of your skate blade on the blue line, and you’re golden. Landeskog did:

His skate was on the line.

Here’s the part that really burns me. Landeskog is not guilty of a too many men penalty because he’s clearly exiting the play. He’s not in any way involved. The offsides rule is supposed to prevent players from just hanging around in the offensive zone, not punish players who happen to be exiting the ice as their team goes on the rush.

Even Jared Bednar was confused:

"“He said Landeskog was still on the ice, he’s standing right at the bench getting ready to make a change and they have him standing in the zone when the puck goes in. But I have him touching the line before (Nathan) MacKinnon enters which would be a tag out rule for me so I don’t know.”"

Here’s the part that burns even hotter — the explanation of the rule in question:

PSA: That rule is supposed to apply to delayed offsides, not a coach’s challenge.

The NHL later came back with the explanation that Landeskog’s left skate, the one on the blueline, had already lifted to enter him into the bench zone. His right skate didn’t lift up fast enough — or he didn’t step forward with the correct foot.

Really? Really, NHL? You’re going to decide a second round Game 7 goal on the fact that a player stepped forward with his left foot instead of his right while exiting the bench? Because that is what the exciting sport of hockey is based on?!

Because it all boils down to that — this wasn’t just any game. This was a Game 7 in the playoffs. And that wasn’t just any goal — it was the game-tying goal.

And, yes, you can talk to me about missed power play opportunities and the goals the Avs allowed. That doesn’t matter. The Colorado Avalanche scored a game-tying goal midway through the second period, one that could very well have been the momentum-changer.

And the NHL took it away on a vague, inconclusive call.