The Rangers were given a too-many-men call at 4:53 of the overtime period, but should the call have been different?
The Rangers were given a too-many-men call at 4:53 of the overtime period, but should the call have been different?
The Maple Leafs won in a shootout against the New York Rangers on Saturday night, but there should've been a different opportunity for Toronto to end it in overtime.
With seven seconds left in the extra frame, the Rangers took a too-many-men penalty. Toronto, ultimately, didn't score with the man advantage, but according to the NHL rulebook, they shouldn't have had the power play to begin with.
During the second intermission of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames game — which followed the Maple Leafs and Rangers matchup — the panel discussed Rule 74.4 - Deliberate Illegal Substitution, which states that when the Rangers were given a too-many-men penalty, it actually should've been a penalty shot instead.
"If by reason of insufficient playing time remaining, or by reason of penalties already imposed, a bench minor penalty is imposed for deliberate illegal substitution (too many men on the ice) which cannot be served in its entirety within the legal playing time, or at any time in overtime, a penalty shot shall be awarded against the offending team," the NHL rulebook says.
Although the Maple Leafs still won the game in the shootout, it remains true that the officials missed what likely should've been the right call at that point in the game. Since there was not enough time for the Rangers to serve the penalty in its entirety, Toronto was supposed to be given a penalty shot.
Some could argue that the officials also missed a call in the first period where Matt Rempe takes several strides before flying into Ilya Lyubushkin, which resulted in the defenseman leaving the game with a head injury.
"Comes a long way, leaves his feet, hits him in the head, [causing an] injury," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of the hit following the game on Saturday.
Plenty of fans and media speculated that Rempe could've been given a charging penalty since he took a few strides before leaving his feet to hit Lyubushkin.
According to Rule 42.1, charging is: "A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates, jumps into or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the actions of a player who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A “charge” may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice."
Although the Maple Leafs still won the game in a shootout, these two instances will add to the long list of question marks surrounding NHL officials this season.
Related
News from THN.com
How Good is Pettersson's New Contract? And How Does the Tanev Trade Affect the Stars' Cup Chances?
Screen Shots: Islanders' 'Meh' Performance, Elias Pettersson's Extension Talks, Red Wings
Opinion: Maple Leafs' Draft Pick Trading is Recipe for Disaster, But It Could Be Worth It