For the second straight overtime, a perceived missed call led directly to the winner being scored for the Montreal Victoire. But the missed calls have also gone the way of the Ottawa Charge, drawing the officiating itself under fire.
Maggie Flaherty walked into the slot wide open, with no coverage in sight to receive a perfect pass from Marie-Philip Poulin before scoring the game two overtime winner for the Montreal Victoire.
Flaherty however, was wide open because blatantly missed tripping call sent Ottawa Charge defender Emma Greco toward the corner, instead of being in position net front.
"That last game-winning goal, you know, our net front D is in the corner because she was tripped right beforehand," said Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod post game.
Seconds before the goal, Montreal's Kaitlin Willoughby clearly gets her stick into the legs of Ottawa defender Emma Greco sending her to the ice. Greco was unable to recover, and the wide open Maggie Flaherty seized the opportunity.
MacLeod acknowledged that the Charge may have put too much focus on the puck, but believed the call was blatant, and directly impacted the result.
"At the end of the day, obviously we probably put too many players in towards the puck, but again, our net front D is going to be net front, but if she gets her feet wiped out from her from behind right before that play, it's pretty hard to get back to where you need to be. So, that's what we see there."
There were other plays in the game many fans believed were missed, and made that sentiment know to the officials. Most notably for Montreal fans was Taylor House's hit on Amanda Boulier, which could still see a review and supplemental discipline from the PWHL Player Safety Committee. Boulier was shaken up by the play, staying down on the ice in pain, but the hit which came predominantly from behind was not penalized.
For Ottawa fans, the sting of Game One hadn't healed yet as many argued that Marie-Philip Poulin touched the puck while still on the bench only moments before the overtime winner was scored. It's a play that could have also resulted in a penalty, or a stoppage in play.
The PWHL's standard of officiating has been called into question at other points this season. In March, Vancouver Goldeneyes forward Sarah Nurse addressed media about the confusion players felt about what was and was not considered a penalty.
“I felt like the game was pretty out of control today from puck drop, and I don’t think it ever got under control," Nurse said. "I think that as we went through the game, everybody’s skating around not really knowing what a penalty is. That’s kind of frustrating. I think us, the referees, nobody really knows what’s a penalty. That gets frustrating because you go into a battle and you’re like, ‘Could I get called here? Maybe. Could I not? Maybe.’”
Ironically, Nurse's comments came after a non-call followed immediately by an overtime winner for the Ottawa Charge against Vancouver.
The PWHL knows it needs to do better when it comes to officiating. It was a key message prior to this season when the PWHL announced changes to their officiating systems and structures.
“As the PWHL continues to grow and strengthen its foundation, it’s critical that we continue to elevate the standard of our officiating,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations.
“Officiating is central to the success of our on-ice product. It defines the standard of play, safeguards the integrity of competition, and contributes directly to the trust and confidence of our fans, players, and partners. The professionalism, preparation, and decision-making of our PWHL Officials reflect the League’s values and the competitive excellence we strive to deliver each night for our fans.”
Whether or not the PWHL is living up to that message is for the league, PWHLPA, and fans to decide.