Situations with the appearance of extra players on the ice often cause fierce debate in the hockey environment. When evaluating such violations, referees take into account many nuances that not even every fan knows about, and therefore there is always a lot of space for discussion in such cases. The hotter they become if the episode with the violation ends with a goal.

This is exactly the scenario that played out in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. In overtime, the judges counted a dubious goal against Tampa, and the team was in a very difficult position.

After the sensational defeat, the Lightning coach had no face. Did the referee steal the victory from the team?

“My heart is breaking”

Tampa Bay got off to a bad start in their third straight Stanley Cup Final. In the first two matches, John Cooper’s team failed miserably. The situation improved a little after the home win: the Lightning perked up and seemed ready to equalize the score in the series… In the fourth match, the team kept their chances of winning until the last moment, but lost it at the last moment.

The game at the “Amali Arena” was held in an equal fight. It is not surprising that the clubs delayed the showdown until overtime. In the 13th minute of the extra period, Nazem Kadri scored the puck against Andrey Vasilevsky, who brought Colorado their third victory in the final series. This defeat upset the Tampa players and coaches, but even more disappointing was the circumstances in which the Avalanches hockey players scored the decisive goal.

Photo: © REUTERS / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The fact is that at the time of the goal on the ice, Avalanche had six hockey players. This was clearly visible on the replays. Surely this moment experts in video replays showed John Cooper. Even in the printed protocol of the match, which was in the hands of a specialist, it was clearly shown that there were six hockey players on the court in the situation with a goal.

At the press conference, the usually sociable coach only answered one question related to the overtime scandal. Cooper barely held back tears, and then completely left the hall. It seems that John does not recognize the defeat of the team:

You will understand what I mean when you see the winning goal. My heart breaks for the players because we could probably still play in this match,” said the Lightning coach.

Moment with a goal really turned out very strange. Qadri was on the ice long before Nathan McKinnon left the ice. The players spent almost four seconds to change – this is a lot. But the judges considered that the latter did not participate in the game episode, as he was with his back to the court. In addition, the workers of the ice arena, apparently, forgot to put the door of the guest bench in proper condition, which stuck at the most crucial moment.

It was a shame for Cooper that evening. But karma remembers everything. Almost exactly a year ago, when Tampa Bay played in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Islanders, the Lightning had as many as seven players on the ice in a similar situation, but the judges counted Tampa’s goal. And then the coach took this decision for granted.

NHL. Playoffs. The final. Fourth match

Tampa Bay Lightning (Tampa) – Colorado Avalanche (Denver) – 2:3 OT (1:0, 1:1, 0:1, 0:1)

Goals: Cirelli, 0:36. Hedman, 30:42. — McKinnon, 25:27 (bol.). Cogliano, 42:53. Qadri, 62:02.

Score in the series – 1:3