The Red Wings are struggling to score goals and struggling to prevent them right now. All in all that makes for some real bad things. Fortunately, when things are going that badly, you maybe get the benefit of the doubt on calls a bit more often. Never has that been more evident than the goal that the Red Wings gave late in the 2nd period on Friday against Florida, which was subsequently challenged and called back for goaltender interference.
Take a look:
So…where’s the goaltender interference here?
CC:@wingingitmotown pic.twitter.com/qB3RRqJyuW
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) December 24, 2016
For what it’s worth, the wording of the goaltender interference rule is as such:
goals scored while attacking players are standing in the crease may, in appropriate circumstances be allowed. Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease.
(Emphasis mine)
You can clearly argue that the player’s position did impair Coreau’s ability to move freely within his crease, but I have never seen it called in a situation where the goaltender wasn’t even attempting to use the ice that the attacking player was in.
You make the call, was this the right call?
