Big game, bigger goal.
With the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets facing each other in a game with massive playoff implications, you don’t want to see the contest decided on a disputed goal.
But that’s precisely what we got. (Watch above.)
Four Eastern Conference clubs — the Jackets, Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals — are embroiled in a dogfight for the conference’s two wild card spots. And with the Caps and Leafs both losing Tuesday night, the Jackets-Wings winner had an opportunity to gain ground.
With the score knotted at two in the third period, Jackets forward Cam Atkinson cut hard toward the Red Wings goal and was pushed by Detroit defenceman Brendan Smith. Atkinson’s momentum caused him to dislodge the post, but the net was off its moorings when he slipped the puck across the goal line.
The borderline play went to the booth.
“I knew the net went off, but their explanation was the puck was kinda going in prior to the net going off,” Atkinson told reporters. “I was in the right place at the right time, and I’ll definitely take that.
“That’s what we harp on — getting those greasy goals. In order to win these games, you gotta get to the paint.”
Columbus added an empty-netter to complete a 4-2 victory and deprive its rival of a standings point. Heading into Wednesday’s action, the Caps, Leafs, Jackets and Red Wings are all log-jammed with 80 points.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock took the high road (also the less expensive road) and did not blame on the Atkinson winner for his team’s loss.
“It doesn’t matter what I think, obviously,” Babcock said. “They made a decision. I thought when the net was off, the goal didn’t count, but they evidently thought our guy pushed their guy in. So it’s a goal. There’s no sense disputing that. We had to get one more goal.”
This is the second time this week, the Red Wings were undone by a controversial call.
The league issued a statement Tuesday night explaining the good-goal decision, citing Rule 63.6:
In the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, prior to the puck crossing the normal positions of the goal posts, the referee may award a goal. In order to award a goal in this situation, the goal post must have been displaced by the actions of a defending player, the puck must have been shot (or the player must be in the act of shooting) at the goal prior to the goal post being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts. The goal frame is considered to be displaced if either or both goal pegs are no longer in their respective holes in the ice, or the net has come completely off one or both pegs, prior to or as the puck enters the goal.
“This is not a reviewable call,” the NHL stated. “Good goal Columbus.”