Shot Out

I wanted to call this post “Upon further review” but the DetNews used that headline before I could. Oh well.

A wedding caused me to miss the game live but my DVR let me catch the game’s highlights and it’s hard to talk about the game without mentioning two things.

Ville Nieminen’s hit on Brett Lebda happened first but, to me, somehow seems less important.

The game’s end is the big thing. Doug Weight scored on St. Louis’ second shot and Dan Cleary was stopped on Detroit’s third but it wasn’t as simple as it sounds.

Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek stopped Weight’s shot and slid backwards into the net. The call on the ice was “no goal” replay reversed the call, as the puck did end up in the net.

What could have gone overlooked is that the puck did not drop from Hasek’s equipment and cross the goal line until after it was called a no-goal at ice level. The call on the review seemingly ignored that the play was blown dead before the puck crossed the line.

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock didn’t comment on the goal after the game but after the review, his lips could be read saying “How the hell was that a goal?”

Cleary’s chance to tie it ended up being equally controversial. St. Louis goalie Jason Bacashihua made the initial stop but slid into the net. Replay seemed to show that the puck went into the net with him but by the time he got up, the puck was in the crease, and that was the call that stood.

As I mentioned in the forums, the Cleary call is almost understandable, just not after the Weight goal.

The calls just added insult to the injury that happened earlier in the game. Nieminen hit Lebda from behind early in the first period. Lebda’s face caught one of the metal stantions and he collapsed to the ice, bleeding.

Nieminen was ejected for the hit but it will be added to the list of incidents that seem to have plagued the NHL lately.