John Tavares' no-goal against the Oilers came with a ton of controversy as multiple angles show that the officials robbed the Maple Leafs of a tie game.
During Saturday night's game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Maple Leafs put in their best showing of their six-game losing streak, holding them to only one goal and preventing another blowout. Issue was, they couldn't score at all and still came away with a 1-0 loss.
Things could have been much different though, because early into the third period it looked like the Maple Leafs had tied the game off a John Tavares deflection:
-
However after a lengthy review, the referees determined it was an errant high stick caused the goal, and it was overturned. That shifted the course of the game, and sucked the life out of Scotiabank Arena.
Video evidence proves the Maple Leafs got shafted against the Oilers
Though, if you look at the different angles, you can see Tavares and head coach Jim Hiller - who staunchly believed it was a goal - may have an argument:
-
The NHL put out a ruling that tried to clear things up, with an explanation of the high-sticking rules but it doesn't really definitively overturn Tavares' goal:
Video review determined that John Tavares' stick was above the height of the crossbar when he directed the puck into the Edmonton net.
The decision was made in accordance with Note 6 of Rule 78.5 (vi), which states that apparent goals shall be disallowed by the Referee “when the puck has entered the net after making contact with an attacking player's stick that is above the height of the crossbar.
Where the puck makes contact with the stick is the determining factor.”
Notice the jargon? Shall be disallowed, not must. It's clearly open to interpretation, and various angles show that Tavares' stick was parallel to the crossbar, not over it. Technically, since he didn't go above it - it should be a good goal.
Case in point, Alex Newhook's no-goal that was also ruleda high stick, where you can see that his blade clears the bottom of the bar pretty easily:
-
Suffice to say, the referees are taking a conservative approach on deflected goals and would rather call it no goal - despite taking minutes to get it sorted out.
Maple Leafs can't catch a break during historic home losing streak
Toronto got robbed of at least a game-tying goal, and if they weren't able to come out with the win it at least would have put things back on even footing.
It definitely sucked any momentum the team had built up and after a strong two periods it looked like they had finally solved Devon Levi, and ensured they came away with their worst home stretch in franchise history.
Tavares was looking to get back into the scoring column after four lifeless games and some miserable numbers.
That is brazenly unfair that his elite hand-eye coordination is punished due to an oversight, and another piece of evidence the Maple Leafs may be getting the short end of the stick more often than not.
It just goes to show you when it rains, it pours - and right now it's becoming a torrential downpour in Toronto.
Should John Tavares' deflection goal be allowed or disallowed?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Maple Leafs could target under the radar free agent as things become desperate