Boston Bruins: NHL Coach's Challenge Under Scrutiny

Boston Bruins: NHL Coach’s Challenge Under Scrutiny

The Boston Bruins had a one goal lead over the Washington Capitals entering the second period. At the 3:17 mark of the second period, Torey Krug found the back of the net which seemingly snapped a 39 game goal-scoring drought. All was for not, however, due to another controversial coach’s challenge.

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Washington Capitals’ coach Barry Trotz challenged the play, claiming that Loui Eriksson was offside prior to the goal being scored. After reviewing the play multiple times, there seemed to be zero conclusive evidence that would have allowed for the goal to be called back. Despite what appeared to be a good goal, however, the referees deemed the play offside due to Loui Eriksson‘s foot being lifted as the puck entered the zone.

Per Rule 83.1 off the NHL Rule Book:

"“A player is on-side when either of his skates are in contact with, or on his own side of the line, at the instant the puck completely crosses the leading edge of the blue line regardless of the position of his stick.”“It should be noted that while the position of the player’s skates is what determines whether a player is “off-side,” nevertheless the question of an “off-side” never arises until the puck has completely crossed the leading edge of the blue line at which time the decision is to be made.”"

“Honestly, I didn’t think I was lifting the foot,” Eriksson said. “The refs told me it was up a little bit, so that’s why they called it offsides.”

The video clearly shows that Loui Eriksson‘s right foot was raised off the ice during the play. While Loui Eriksson probably should have been called offside on the initial play prior to the goal, the real dilemma comes down to consistency.

“A lot of times they seem to go against us,” Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said. “I don’t know why.”

In a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on January 25th 2016, Claude Julien challenged a Philadelphia Flyers’ goal for the exact same reason with Flyers’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto‘s right skate being lifted off the ice prior to the puck entering the zone. The referees declared that the play was onside in this instance, however, and the goal was upheld.

Torey Krug, who clearly wanted the goal to be upheld more than anybody else in the world due to his recent goal-scoring woes, was respectful about the NHL’s process.

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“Well, if its offsides, it’s not a goal,” he said. “It’s frustrating, because I haven’t scored in a while. But it’s a good test for your character on trying to respond and still having faith. Like I’ve said, right time, right place, it’ll happen.” Hopefully for sake of both Torey Krug and the Boston Bruins, that right place and right time will come soon.

Bruins’ coach Claude Julien is no stranger to discussing specific coach’s challenge results following games this season, and he had this to say after Saturday’s loss:

“You know, you guys (in the press) keep asking coaches,” he said. “We’re not all, I guess, 100 percent on board with some of that stuff, but you’ve got to live with it.

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“You live with it, because we always compare it to other calls that we’ve had — whether it’s with other games and stuff like that. I guess we don’t always see consistency. But who are we?”

Boston’s top goal-scorer Brad Marchand made his opinion of the coach’s challenge clear as well.

“I’m not a big fan of it,” Marchand said. “Just because everyone is complaining about how the scoring is down in the league, and they’ve taken away a lot of goals this year. They’re also taking a lot away from the referees, but if that’s … It’s not my call and my job to really care about that, so whatever happens, happens with that.”

Next: Kevan Miller is Injured Again

The NHL’s first year with the coach’s challenge has been fairly disappointing to say the least, and there will need to be significant changes to the process before it deserves a permanent spot in the NHL. The Boston Bruins’ are just one of many teams who have been on the wrong end of a blown coach’s challenge, whether that be due to a bad initial call and then failed consistency, or a blown call altogether.

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