Referee admits brutal mistake on ice in preseason
Towards the back end of preseason, NHL officiating seems to be in its brutal mid-season form. In a preseason game last night between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators, a referee essentially admitted a mistake, and tried to rectify it moments after.
While pursuing Penguins defender Erik Karlsson with the puck along the offensive blueline, Tim Stutzle stick checked Karlsson, caught him in his skates, and tripped him - but it wasn't called a penalty. Moments later as Karlsson fell and the puck got loose to spring a breakaway rush for the Senators, the referee raises his arm, and calls the penalty.
It's a clear representation of how the NHL's officiating currently works, being essentially randomized. Stutzle's obvious trip wasn't called for whatever reason by the official, but when it was clear the play would affect possession and possibly result in a goal, the referee recognizes the significance of the non-call and assesses the penalty much later than usual.
Instead of calling penalties when penalties are committed, the NHL has an obsession with parity and sometimes calling plays of significance. Hopefully in this coming season, NHL officiating can make steps to become more reasonable to everyone.
| POLL | ||
Should this have been a penalty? | ||
| Yes, it's a trip | 61 | 61 % |
| No, it's not a trip | 39 | 39 % |
| List of polls | ||
