Stop us if you’ve heard this one: Matt Duchene was offside.
This time around, a Coyotes Coach’s Challenge wiped out the Nashville Predators go-ahead goal in their Stanley Cup Playoff Qualifiers series.
Early in the third period, with score tied 1-1, Nashville was pressing. Defenseman Roman Josi carried the puck into the zone, dropping it to Kyle Turris, who blasted a shot over the left shoulder of Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
The Coyotes challenged the play. Linesmen Ryan Gibbons and Mark Shewchyk header over to assist with the review.
Moments later, referee Brad Meier delivered the ruling: no goal.
“It’s a detail we can’t have,” Predators coach John Hynes said off the offside. “It takes away a goal [that would have] allowed us to be up.”
Arizona went a perfect 3-for-3 in offside challenges during the regular season. Had they been wrong., not only would the goal have counted, but the Coyotes would’ve been penalized for delay of game.
“I didn’t think it affected our team in the sense there was a sag or anything,” Hynes added. “I thought we continued to push and play, so that was a good sign.”
In fact, the Preds went on the power play minutes later, thanks to a Phil Kessel slash, but were unable to convert.
The Coyotes struck next, with Conor Garland putting Arizona ahead for good at with 12:52 remaining in the third.
Predators captain Roman Josi discussed the offside after the game.
“You have to let go of things no matter what happens,” said Josi. “There’s 20 offside a game. We scored on that one. It happens all the time.”
For the record, there were five whistles for offside in Wednesday’s game.
Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson downplayed the impact of the overturned goal.
“It’s an offside,” said Arvidsson. “You have to put your head down and keep working. Nothing to it.”
Duchene was not available for post-game comments.
From the NHL:
Video review determined that Matt Duchene was off-side prior to the puck entering the Arizona net.
According to Rule 38.9, “The standard for overturning the call in the event of a “GOAL” call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room, after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the On-Ice Official(s), determines that one or more Players on the attacking team preceded the puck into the attacking zone prior to the goal being scored and that, as a result, the play should have been stopped for an “Off-Side” infraction; where this standard is met, the goal will be disallowed.”
Clock is reset to show 18:50 (1:10 elapsed time), when the off-side infraction occurred.
Of course, this isn’t Matt Duchene’s first offside controversy. It was the goal he scored back in 2013 against the Predators that many believe prompted the league to consider adding video reviews for offside plays.
On Wednesday, that challenge took a Preds goal away.
