At 4:40 of overtime, Jets forward Mark Scheifele scored what looked to be the game-winning goal. But then Caps head coach Barry Trotz challenged! Trotz thought the Jets were offside on the play.
Then for the next eight minutes and forty-five seconds (which was excruciating by the way), linesmen David Brisebois and Mark Wheler reviewed the play on a tiny tablet to see if the Jets’ Blake Wheeler was offside when Jacob Trouba brought the puck into the zone.
Dean Morton, an NHL official since 2000, announced the judgement on behalf of his crew.
“After video review, the call…” Morton, confused, stops for five seconds to think through what he’s actually saying. “Is a good goal.”
Morton then points towards Holtby’s net and skates off the ice.
But was the play offside? That’s a very good question and it depends on who you ask.
After the game while speaking with reporters, Barry Trotz was adamant that it was.
Here's the full Trotz quote on the coach's challenge review: pic.twitter.com/Imgq2L4CLe
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 5, 2015
CSN Washington’s Craig Laughlin agreed. “I still think it was offside by a little bit,” arguing that Wheeler’s skate was not touching the ice.
Meanwhile Alan May (“It was definitely a good goal”) and Joe Beninati (“It was good the first time I saw it and it was good the last time I saw it”) thought it was a legal play.
Later the NHL indeed declared that the video review was not conclusive.
At 4:40 of overtime in the Capitals/Jets game, the Situation Room initiated a review under the terms of a Coach’s Challenge to examine whether Winnipeg was off-side prior to Mark Scheifele’s goal.
Review was not conclusive in determining whether Winnipeg was off-side prior to the goal. According to Rule 78.7, “If a review is not conclusive and/or there is any doubt whatsoever as to whether the call on the ice was correct, the On-Ice Official(s) will be instructed to confirm their original call.”
Therefore the original call stands – good goal Winnipeg Jets.
So what do you think? Was Wheeler’s foot off the ice? Did the Caps get screwed? Is the referees’ tablet too tiny? Should the Situation Room in Toronto ultimately be making the final judgements? There’s a lot to sort out here.
I hope video replay doesn't happen too much in playoffs or there may have to be a defibrillator installed to the Holtby house! #anxious
— Tami Holtby (@Meemaw_Tami) December 5, 2015
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