The NHL introduced the Coach’s Challenge as an opportunity to get the call right on a critical play that may benefit from a second look.  Through 103 games this season, there have been 27 Coach’s Challenges. Of those, eight resulted in a goal being overturned.

One of those, the NHL admitted today, was incorrect.

Miko Rantanen’s game-tying goal was waved off after Blues head coach Mike Yeo challenged that the play was offside.  After a video review, the officials ruled that Colorado’s Sven Andrighetto was offside.

 

 

The problem?  They reviewed the wrong zone entry. He was offside prior to the play.  The puck cleared the zone, with Andrighetto touching up and re-entering prior to the goal being scored.

Per Rule 78.7:

Goals will only be reviewed for a potential “Off-Side” infraction if: a) the puck does not come out of the attacking zone again; or (b) all members of the attacking team do not clear the attacking zone again, between the time of the “Off-Side” play and the time the goal is scored.

On this play, Andrighetto cleared the zone.  It was a missed call, granted, but it wasn’t eligible for review.

From the NHL:

The NHL issued the following statement on the Coach’s Challenge in last night’s St. Louis vs. Colorado game at 17:26 of the third period that resulted in an incorrect decision of no goal:

“St. Louis requested a Coach’s Challenge to determine whether Sven Andrighetto of Colorado was off-side prior to the Avalanche goal. The video review decision determined the play was off-side but that determination was based on a play prior to the puck clearing the zone.

Although there was an off-side, it occurred prior to the puck clearing the zone which nullifies any goal review related to that off-side. The entry in to the zone immediately prior to the goal was on-side, therefore the goal should have counted.”

Don’t put the blame on the officials for the erroneous challenge call.  Linesmen Pierre Racicot and Vaughan Rody correctly reviewed the play.  The NHL’s Situation Room cued up the wrong zone entry for the officials to evaluate.

One other point of interest. The challenge that overturned Rantanen’s goal was Mike Yeo’s second of the game.  He unsuccessfully challenged a Colorado goal earlier in the game, costing St. Louis their timeout.  With the NHL no longer requiring a timeout for an offside challenge — teams receive a minor penalty for a failed offside challenge — Yeo was free to contest the play.