The referees in Sunday’s Game Six lost their damn minds. In the span of five seconds, Officials Dan O’Halloran and Ian Walsh blew two calls, resulting in a four-minute power play for Philly plus two minutes of 5v3.
They were bad calls.
In the second period, Chris Vandevelde bloodied Ryan White‘s nose with a high stick. It was friendly fire, but the refs sent Nick Backstrom to the box for a double minor.
Barry Trotz could be seen saying to the referees, “He was hit by his own stick.”
On the ensuing power play, Matt Niskanen was assessed a hooking penalty. He did not commit hooking.
Neither of these was a valid Capitals’ penalty. Neither call was overturned.
The Capitals killed off the two-man advantage, and then Ryan White was penalized for holding Jay Beagle’s stick at the end of the power play. That was a marginal call, which is more than you can say for the other two.
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