As it stands, only goals are reviewed by league officials at the NHL's war room in Toronto. In the wake of what happened to the Dallas Stars against Calgary on November 4, the league may want to consider expanding the review criteria to include pucks flying over the glass and pucks returning to the ice after hitting the netting that protects fans at both ends of the rink.
One week ago the Stars were the victim of an incorrect call; a decision that left the team short-handed in overtime and ultimately led to a 3-2 loss. On the play in question, Dallas defenceman Nicklas Grossman was fingered for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass at 1:04 of overtime. Twenty-one seconds later Calgary's Jarome Iginla scored the winning goal.
The problem? Grossman was in the neutral zone at the time he launched the puck into the crowd. The rule clearly states that a minor penalty shall be imposed on a player who shoots or deflects the puck directly out of the playing surface while in his defending zone. The television replay clearly showed this to not be the case and when Dallas coach Marc Crawford got word from his staff watching on TV because he immediately went bonkers on the bench.
The NHL is understandably worried about the flow of the game and having too many stoppages in play to review the action. But in this instance it would have taken 30 seconds for somebody to inform the officials the wrong call had been made. Sadly, three of the four on-ice officials (Rob Martell, Kelly Sutherland, Derek Amell and Brian Murphy) agreed Grossman was in the neutral zone when he shot the puck into the crowd, but one stubbornly dug in and insisted the penalty be assessed. A little black mark will be attached to his record this season; which could affect playoff assignments.
However, to its credit, the NHL has always been proactive in its effort to make sure proper calls are made, starting with using a goal judge behind each net and ending with the use of video replay. Both changes were far from popular with the owners. The late Bill Wirtz used to say, "How do I explain to our fans that a decision affecting the outcome of our games is being made in a different country?"
Wirtz's concerns led to headsets being put in the timekeeper's box so referees could be in communication with officials in the war room in Toronto. But with advancements in technology, why can't the referees have access to replays and then make decisions themselves? Had this been possible, Martell and Sutherland, the two refs in the Dallas-Calgary game, could have quickly reversed the decision to penalize Grossman and the game could have continued. No harm, no foul.
There are other instances when the proactive approach might help, such as when a player on the attacking team gloves the puck to a teammate who then scores. Also, there have been times when an otherwise good goal has been waved off because the puck entered the net just as the whistle sounded, albeit prematurely. Implementing ice-level review for officials would help eliminate any confusion concerning both of the aforementioned scenarios.
Obviously the NHL doesn't want to make every play eligible for review, but in the interest of getting things right, it must consider expanding what can be reviewed in a timely manner.
The Stars currently sit in eighth place in the Western Conference with 20 points, tied with three other teams. If they should miss the playoffs by a single point, they will surely look back to the incorrect call that handed an extra point to the Flames.
SID'S WOES
Superstar Sidney Crosby is now without a point in five games -- the longest drought in his five-year NHL career (and I dare say, probably the longest of his life).
Recently, I wrote how it has been suggested that Crosby is unhappy with his line mates: Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz. But the funny thing is while he has been unable to register points in the last five games, they have. Kunitz scored once and the goal drew an assist from Guerin. As I suggested previously, Guerin and Kunitz are good and useful players, but they bring precious little to the table that can enhance Crosby's game.
The Penguins got off to a wonderful start, but have lately begun sliding back to the pack. To make a serious bid at repeating as Stanley Cup champions, they had better find more suitable line mates for Crosby.
PENNER VS. CHEECHOO
The Ottawa Senators had a deal worked out last summer that would have brought them Dustin Penner, among others, for Dany Heatley. As we all know, Heatley vetoed the trade to Edmonton, where winters tend to be a little chilly, and held out for a deal that ultimately sent him to sunny California. Well, Penner has rebounded from a horrible season and has 11 goals, third highest in the NHL. Cheechoo? The 2005-06 Rocket Richard Trophy winner when he scored 56 goals for the San Jose Sharks notched his first of the season in his 15th game in Ottawa.
