Most everyone is of the impression that the puck crossed the line in overtime as the Edmonton Oilers now find themselves down 3-1 in their first-round series with the Anaheim Ducks. Logic suggests it was in. But, that's not really the point, is it?

Logic alone is not supposed to be enough to determine such a critical call in a potential series-changing decision. You need proof. The officials didn't have it. 

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First, with no conclusive video evidence showing the full puck in the white space behind the goal line, there is no footage proving that a part of the puck wasn't touching the goal line.

Second, no referee was in a position to call the goal good while the play was happening. Yet, somehow, after not calling a goal, the officials got together and ruled the puck had crossed. They essentially overruled their indecision. That choice meant the war room had to find enough evidence to overturn the call on the ice. They couldn't. As such, the goal stood. 

It was a situation where, as the rules are supposed to work, they ended up working against the Oilers.

"Worst call I’ve ever seen. In the history of the NHL, this is it," said Spittin' Chiclets Ryan Whitney. After some time to reflect, Whitney posted another video saying, "I’ve had time to cool off. It was probably in. But calling it a goal on the ice will never make sense to me."

Fans can argue it was in. They're probably not wrong. Still, there has to be definitive proof, which didn't exist, and no official, if tied to a lie detector, can honestly claim they saw the puck cross. That's where the Oilers should take issue.

"The issue I have with this is I don't understand how you can say that puck is completely crossing the goal line. There's no official behind the net there," said the Hockey Central Panel after the game. 

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted on the broadcast that the NHL war room didn't have any additional footage that the network or fans hadn't seen. The goal was called good because there wasn't enough evidence to suggest the officials call on the ice was wrong. That's a rule everyone knows exists. Fair enough. What the Oilers should be upset about is how the officials, who had no way of actually seeing the puck over the goal line, decided that it crossed. 

Friedman posted, "Apropos of nothing: no idea how they could call it a goal on the ice...no official was behind the net."

Jonny Lazerus posted what many are thinking: "It’s easy to guess that it completely crossed the goal line, but there’s definitely no way you can tell for sure based on Jarry’s skate."

"You never want to be on that side of it, and it's tough to lose that way. Tough to have the indecision of that, but I guess that's the way it goes. I wish it could've went the other way," said Tristan Jarry after the loss.

Jarry played extremely well, given he was called upon to start the game after weeks of sitting on the sidelines. 

Head coach Kris Knoblauch said, "They call it a goal. You know, it's very close and often, and I've seen it before, where I've seen the past with thought goals have gone in and they haven't been able to prove them, so I thought that's what the call was going to be, but obviously they thought it was and just thought otherwise." He added that he was never given an explanation about how the officials were able to determine on the ice that the puck crossed. 

At the end of the day, the call doesn't make sense. However, there are bigger problems for the Oilers, stemming from the fact their play throughout this series has put them in a tough spot. Now on the brink of elimination, when all is said and done, if the Oilers don't advance, it won't be because of a strange call in overtime of Game 4. 

Edmonton has been outplayed by Anaheim. The Oilers have had multiple leads in this series and have not been able to hold them. Up 2-0 again in Game 4, Edmonton let the Ducks tie it. The Oilers took a 3-2 lead, then the Ducks tied it again. It's been a common theme, as has the team's poor play on defense and refusal to keep the game simple. 

Now, the Oilers have to claw back. They've dug a hole and to get out, they'll need better play from their stars, most of whom are hurt or dealing with something. 

Connor McDavid doesn't look right. Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman are still clearly impacted by lingering issues. Jason Dickinson was back in, but he's not whole. These aren't excuses. What they are is the reality of Edmonton's situation. 

A team that was a heavy favorite coming into this series took the Ducks lightly. The Oilers forgot what style of game led them to a solid record over the last 10 games of the season and they've let a young team playing with house money run their show. As a result, they're backed into a corner and calls like the one is overtime on Sunday night could mean the end of their season. 

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