Caps Coach Barry Trotz accused the New York Rangers of using some veteran stall tactics to their advantage in Tuesday’s 5-2 New York victory.
The Caps were dominating puck possession and shot totals, outshooting the Rangers 14-3 in the middle period and 34-22 overall. Washington was working hard on wearing down the Rangers, who were often content to simply clear the zone or ice the puck. There were 10 icings on the night, with nine coming against the Blueshirts. After a stretch of three icings in 1:57, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault used his timeout.
That was when, Trotz claimed, the equipment problems began.
Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz (Image: Bridget Samuels)
“It was a tough night for the referees,” Trotz said after the game. “They were doing everything they could. [The Rangers] burned their timeout early, and we had a couple extended shifts. That’s a veteran team. Everybody was doing whatever they could, from 10 guys on the bench jumping all on the ice to ‘I’ve got something wrong with my visor,’ to ‘Something’s wrong with my skate,’ to ‘My stick’s not right.’ “
It’s not uncommon for teams to take liberties to delay the puck drop in order to catch their collective breath, but that’s not necessarily easy on the officials.
“It’s tough. Tough for the referees.”
Referees for the game were veterans Marc Joannette and Wes McCauley. Linesmen were Derek Amell and Mark Wheler.
The full post-game from Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz:
