Note: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, Schneps Media may earn a commission.
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) stops a shot on goal by New Jersey Devils’ Timo Meier (96) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 27, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
ELMONT, N.Y. — It was the moment that could have changed the game for the Devils, but instead became the turning point for the Islanders.
Tomas Tatar’s third-period goal with 11:08 left in the game would have tied things at two, but the refs almost immediately waved it off for a kicking motion. Tatar was charging to the net after Dougie Hamilton’s initial shot from the point was stopped by Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin, but the rebound was propelled into the net by Tatar’s skate.
A short review confirmed the call for the refs, but the call left a bad taste in the mouths of the Devils in the 5-1 loss.
“I feel like players don’t know what the kicking rule is,” Erik Haula said after the game. “And they made the call, I don’t know they looked at it for 10 seconds and we don’t see. I see him stopping at the net. I don’t even know if he knows where the puck is. So to say that it’s kicking motion, it’s interesting. It’s just one of those things where the ref makes the call and there’s nothing you can do about it, but it’s just interesting that whole kicking rule.”
The NHL has been somewhat inconsistent in its implementation of the kicking rule and the players have seemed to be more and more open about the lack of clarity. Ironically, the Islanders benefited this season from a call by the officials for the second time in the last three weeks.
Hudson Fasching was the beneficiary of an overturned call by the refs in a win over the Buffalo Sabres on March 7. The play had originally been called a no-goal, bu the refs ruled there was no kicking motion after a review and led to a crucial…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply