Auston Matthews chastised the NHL refs for calling a delay of game penalty on him as he seemed confused as to what the rules actually were regarding the infraction.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' four-game win streak was snapped on Monday night after they couldn't extinguish the Calgary Flames and skated away with a 5-2 loss. They also got yet another injured player to add to the list, as Kirill Marchenko left the game and did not return.
However, some could point to the officiating as something of a rough showing for the refs on Monday as there was a total of 32 penalty minutes - only 10 coming via a fight. There were several questionable calls, but none more so than Auston Matthews' delay of game:
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Matthews was given a penalty for supposedly covering the puck with his hand off the face-off, which according to the NHL rules is a no-no, and thus he was given a penalty, but it didn't sit right with him post-game.
Auston Matthews confused and frustrated with NHL officiating on Monday
Speaking to reporters after the loss, Matthews was a bit perplexed and slammed the referees for not getting the call 100% right, and going off a gut instinct instead of following the rules:
I think you got to be sure 100%. I fall. I don't even know what exactly the rule is, if you have to cover it or whatever, but I got a lot of respect for refs ... They're not perfect but, in that situation, I feel like you really gotta be sure.
Matthews isn't saying the refs purposefully targeted him, and clearly he respects the NHL officials as a whole, but in a close game and Calgary already going to the box for holding - it basically shut down Toronto's chance at a comeback.
Why Matthews can be frustrated - but the refs got it right
The NHL rules regarding a covered puck during a face-off reads as follows:
Playing the Puck with the Hand (Rule 76.5 / 67.2): Neither center involved in the actual draw is permitted to bat or play the puck with their hand until a third player has touched it.
Doing so results in an immediate 2-minute minor penalty on the offending center for Delay of Game (Face-off Violation - Batting Puck with Hand) without a warning.
Going by the rule book, the referees certainly got the call right, as Matthews was the only one to touch the puck as it dropped, with no one touching it until well after he pushed it out of the circle.
Matthews can definitely be frustrated with the fact that he didn't get away with a sneaky puck shove, but it should be a lesson for him to know that if he wants to do that again, he needs a couple other players to scrum with him.
It didn't cost the Maple Leafs the game directly, and the Flames pulled away with it towards the end. But it did prevent them and their captain from storming back, and that's where the frustration lies.
The refs did their job - Matthews was just hoping they wouldn't.
Do you think Auston Matthews should have been called for a penalty against Calgary?
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