In the first period, a referee raised his arm to signal a penalty as the Lightning was entering the Leafs' zone. While getting to his net, defenseman Jake McCabe knocked down a pass and threw the puck to the side. Even if he didn't seem to be fully in control of the puck, he touched it and sent it away.
The referees didn't blow the whistle at the time, and the Lightning got the puck back, and eventually scored.
This was the first goal of the game, which gave the Lightning enough momentum to win the game.
According to NHL rules, a player must be in full possession and control of the puck for the referee to stop the play. On this case, it's frankly hard to judge.
At the end of the day, it was only one goal, and the Leafs could've still won that crucial game, but it's calls like those that can truly put a dent on the players' morale.
With Morgan Rielly back in the lineup, and the prospect of clinching a playoff berth against Tampa, everything was set for the Leafs to have an amazing night.
But once again, when it mattered, they fell short.
Even with Ryan Reaves' attempt to fire up his teammates, by dropping the gloves with Tanner Jeannot, it wasn't enough.
Fans will have to wait a bit longer before seeing the Leafs earn their ticket for the playoffs.
As for the Lightning, they earned two points and are now only four points behind the Leafs. The rest of the season will be very interesting to follow.
POLL | ||
Do you think the officiating decision cost the victory to the Leafs? | ||
Yes | 317 | 65.4 % |
No | 168 | 34.6 % |
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