Blown Call, Play On
It won't make the Marlies or their fans feel much better on a historic night for the franchise that turned bitterly sour. Still, good on Dave Andrews for acknowledging an error.
The AHL president sent out a release this morning saying that the winning goal in overtime last night between the Marlies and the Norfolk Admirals scored by Norfolk defenceman Mike Kotska was, in fact, illegal and shouldn't have counted.
But without any remedy to replay the game, the result stands, 1-0 Norfolk, and the series continues, with the Admirals leading three games to none.
On the play, Kostka shot the puck into the Marlies zone. It hit a stanchion along the side glass and bounced into the net, with Toronto goalie Ben Scrivens caught behind the goal.
However, at least one Norfolk player was well inside the blueline on the play, which should have resulted in a delayed offside. By rule, the puck could not legally have entered the net in any way because of the delayed offside, even if the player cleared the blueline before the puck entered the goal.
Andrews confirmed the "rules interpretation error."
It is believed the Marlies will not protest the call or the game result.
When I started to read your article that the goal was disallowed I thought it would be because it went off of the referee's foot. The replay was inconclusive (the televison coverage of the AHL is not very good) my first instinct was that the puck touched the ref's foot, which would mean "no goal". Maybe the Spin could check it out!
Posted by: john benwell | June 08, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Blown call? In this day and age of technology? This is completely bush league. It will cost the Marlies a chance at a Calder Cup, and taints the championship run of Norfolk. How can any professional sports league not have the access to information close at hand to get the call right? What would have been so wrong for the officials to check the rule book at the timer's bench and get the call right? I cannot imagine a scenario where what was decided last night was the right thing to do. Shame on the AHL.
Posted by: MCOdd | June 08, 2012 at 11:16 AM
Dave Andrews has now put the integrity of the AHL in question, but doing nothing.
Posted by: Rick Morayniss | June 08, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Yes, it shouldn't of counted - but it was game 3!!! Good of Eakins (and the Marlies) to move on and think about how they are going to win the next 4 games. No easy feat!
Posted by: Conn Smythe | June 08, 2012 at 01:23 PM