Flames' Darryl Sutter Wins 2021-22 Jack Adams Award Over Gallant, Brunette
Jun 3, 2022
CALGARY, AB - NOVEMBER 04: Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter listens to a question during a media interview after an NHL game where the Calgary Flames lost to the Dallas Stars 4-3 in overtime on November 4, 2021, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter has won the 2021-22 Jack Adams Award as the coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success," it was announced Thursday.
He beat out New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant and Florida Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette for the honor.
Sutter accepted the award from his brother, Brian Sutter, who won the honor in 1991 as head coach of the St. Louis Blues.
The Jack Adams Award is given to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success in the regular season.
Darryl Sutter got the chance to accept the award from his brother Brian, a former Jack Adams Award winner himself. #NHLAwardspic.twitter.com/UWcZBLLFrs
Sutter was also up for the award during his first stint coaching the Flames in 2003-04. This is his first time winning the award.
The 2021-22 season was Sutter's first full season back behind an NHL bench since the 2016-17 campaign when he was head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. The 63-year-old replaced Geoff Ward as head coach of the Flames during the 2020-21 season.
Sutter guided the Flames to a 50-21-11 record this season, good for first place in the Pacific Division. It was a significant improvement from the 2020-21 campaign, in which Calgary missed the postseason after finishing 26-27-3.
The Flames also improved from 2.77 goals per game during the 2020-21 season to 3.55 goals per game during the 2021-22 campaign. They also allowed just 2.51 goals-against per game, a drop from the 2.86 per game they allowed the season prior.
Sutter is just the second Flames head coach to win the Jack Adams Award, joining Bob Hartley, who won in 2014-15.
Rangers' Kid Line Pierces Andrei Vasilevskiy's Invincibility in Game 1 Win
Jun 2, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers celebrates after scoring a goal on Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers' third line has affectionately been nicknamed the "kid line" with the age of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko averaging out to just a little older than 20. So while we're in the business of giving out nicknames, let's attempt one for Chytil.
"Fearless Filip" seems appropriate given the way he's able to get to the middle of the ice and make teams pay for it. He continued his breakout Stanley Cup Playoff campaign on Wednesday night, scoring two goals in the Rangers' decisive 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
In what was billed as a goaltending duel with the two best in the game opposing one another on the Madison Square Garden ice, the Blueshirts had no problem getting through against the best in the world, Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning netminder was coming off a dominant performance in the Bolts' previous series against the Panthers, surrendering just three goals in four games.
In Game 1, the youngsters, led by Chytil, made the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner look human.
Chytil has been on quite a heater since the playoffs began a month ago, with seven goals in 15 games after only scoring eight in the regular season. That third line has been extremely influential in getting the Rangers to the Conference Final and will be needed moving forward.
"We're young guys so we're not thinking too much about anything else," Chytil said. "We're just out there playing hard and working for a team. We want to help the team to win a game and always happy when we can."
Rangers fans were offering Chytil up in fantasy trade packages for J.T. Miller at the deadline. He was a healthy scratch late in the season, prompting coach Gerard Gallant to have a talk with him. The 22-year-old Czech center asked the coach what was needed from him, and Gallant said he needed another player in the Mika Zibanejad mold.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning gives up a goal to Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers (not pictured) as Kaapo Kakko #24 of the New York Rangers reacts during the second period in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Whatever he said sure worked. Chytil has shown more confidence and poise with every game in the postseason. Only four skaters in Rangers history have recorded more postseason goals before age 23 than Chytil: Alex Kovalev (13), Ron Duguay (11), Don Maloney (eight) and Don Murdoch (eight).
"He's growing up to be a man," Gallant said. "He's 22 years old, he's confident with his game and he feels good about his game, and he always has, but now he's really stepping it up and every time you go out there and watch him play, he's more confident, he's strong on every puck, he's strong in the faceoff circle. He's just growing up."
And Chytil is doing all that along with his linemates, Lafreniere and Kakko. Chytil's first goal was assisted by both of his wingers, and the trio continues to provide a spark every time they touch the ice. Whether they're coming of age or just feeding off playoff adrenaline, there's no question the kids have significantly deepened what used to be an exceptionally top-heavy roster.
The Rangers received contributions from the usual suspects—Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin, and Frank Vatrano had a stellar game—but the back-to-back goals by Chytil and the play of goalie Igor Shesterkin were the main factors in the win.
With the game tied 2-2 in the second period, Kakko set up Chytil from behind the net. With Vasilevskiy keyed in on Kakko, Chytil was able to beat him high from the slot to break a 2-2 tie at 10:09 in the second.
He scored again a few minutes later. There was a period of 4:35 without any stoppages in play where the Rangers put some serious offensive pressure on the Lightning. Tampa Bay was trying to deploy its top line but only managed to get Steven Stamkos over the boards, so the rest of the second line was hemmed into the defensive zone for nearly 90 seconds. They were gassed.
K'Andre Miller, another member of the Rangers' young core, slid a cross-ice feed to Chytil in the right circle, and he hammered it past Vasilevskiy.
"They're a joy to watch," Panarin said through a translator. "To be honest, they're a huge part of the team and I can't wait for them to keep going."
The kids have allowed Gallant to effectively roll four lines. And according to him, we may not have even seen peak kid line just yet.
"It was close to their best, but it wasn't their best, for sure," Gallant said. "They got inside, they scored some nice goals and made some nice plays. They're a confident bunch of kids right now and we need that to continue."
The view from the other side
This was an uncharacteristic performance from a team that has become known for dominance in the postseason. Tampa Bay was missing a certain scoring element without forward Brayden Point, but on paper the Bolts were still the better team: They had more shot attempts in all situations and created more scoring chances.
However, the fancy stats and on-ice numbers take a backseat to results in the postseason. And after a nine-day layoff, the result was that the Tampa Bay skaters tired easily. Cooper didn't use that as an excuse, but it was mentioned by a handful of players.
That long shift in the second period wasn't the only time the Lightning were unable to get out of their own end, and they were clearly worn down by those extended outings.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal on Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Vasilevskiy allowed six goals, double than what he allowed in the entire last round against the Florida Panthers. Coach Jon Cooper didn't fault the 2021 Conn Smythe winner as much as he faulted the effort in front of him.
"This isn't on him at all," Cooper said. "Just the East-West, the quality scoring chances we gave up—you could have put both goalies in the net and they were still probably going in."
The Lightning will have to find a way to neutralize the Rangers' elite forward talent as this series continues, and try to find some way to contain Chytil.
"The Rangers have some dynamic players, and if you give them an inch they'll take a mile," Cooper said. "They did that tonight."
Filip Chytil's Playoff Dominance Praised as Rangers Beat Lightning in Game 1
Jun 2, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers celebrates after scoring a goal on Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The New York Rangers survived the Carolina Hurricanes to reach the Eastern Conference Final, and then they prevented the Tampa Bay Lightning from striking in Game 1 of the series at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, posting a 6-2 win.
It was a dominant performance from the Rangers, who never trailed thanks to goals from Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano, Filip Chytil, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. In addition, New York received solid goaltending from Igor Shesterkin, who stopped 37 of 39 shots.
That said, Chytil drew the most attention after scoring the go-ahead goal in the second period to put the Blueshirts up 3-2 before adding another insurance tally entering the third period.
It's Filip Chytil's world and we're all just living in it. Chytil has two goals in the second period and five goals in his last three games.
Only four skaters in Rangers history have recorded more postseason goals before age 23 than Filip Chytil (7): Alex Kovalev (13), Ron Duguay (11), Don Maloney (8) and Don Murdoch (8).
Chytil scored just eight goals in 67 regular-season games and now has seven goals in 15 Stanley Cup playoff matchups. His presence alongside Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko has been huge for the Rangers.
While the Rangers dominated Game 1, it's hard to imagine the Lightning having a similarly depressing performance in Game 2. That said, Chytil will need to keep up the good work if the Blueshirts want to win this series.
Game 2 between the Rangers and Lightning is set for Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Resilient Rangers Forging Their Identity with Another Game 7 Win
May 31, 2022
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 30: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers reacts following his third period goal in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on May 30, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Somehow, the New York Rangers managed to get to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final without facing a starting goaltender.
They went through Casey DeSmith, Louis Domingue and Tristan Jarry in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh in the second round in Game 7 on Monday night with a 6-2 win, facing Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov.
What could have been in this series if Carolina had its best player, Frederik Andersen? The Rangers will have a much more difficult test in the next round against Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning, but after winning two Game 7s, you can't count them out.
"We don’t go away," forward Chris Kreider said. "Regardless of the score."
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 30: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers celebrates with his team following a first period goal in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on May 30, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Rangers have proved to be an especially tough out, winning their last five games when facing elimination. They excelled in the early rounds of the playoffs by using the same formula they used all season—special teams and goaltending—but the emergence of the "Kid Line" of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko and the Blueshirts' young prospects, including defensemen K'Andre Miller and Braden Schneider, put the team over the top.
The Rangers' best players played like it, which sounds cliche but is actually crucial in the postseason. Mika Zibanejad is in the Conn Smythe conversation with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 14 games. Adam Fox, who opened the scoring Monday, is right behind him with 18. And Chris Kreider leads the team with eight goals.
The top line of Kreider, Zibanejad and Frank Vatrano and the second line of Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp have put up gaudy numbers. But dig a little deeper, and you'll see that a lot of it has been special teams production.
The narrative around the Rangers during the regular season was that they were relying too heavily on goalie Igor Shesterkin and couldn't contain teams at five-on-five. That changed after the trade deadline when acquisitions Copp, Vatrano and, to a lesser extent, Tyler Motte and Justin Braun helped control play more than the Rangers had.
RALEIGH, NC - MAY 30: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers scores a goal and celebrates with teammates in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 30, 2022 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
But in the postseason, the Rangers have controlled the shot share less than 50 percent of the time, according to Natural Stat Trick. They have allowed more scoring chances at five-on-five (428) than they have created (309). Their expected goal share is roughly 40 percent.
Still, the power play is especially dangerous. Panarin and Strome team up with Kreider, Zibanejad and quarterback Fox on the top unit. Copp and the Kid Line are with Jacob Trouba on the second unit. The No. 2 squad doesn't get much ice time, but it's worth it, whether by scoring or creating momentum.
The power play is clicking at a rate of 32.5 percent, which is the second-best mark in the playoffs behind that of the Colorado Avalanche (34.5), who will play in the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. The Rangers scored two power-play goals Monday, marking the fourth time in club history the team has converted with the man advantage more than once in the seventh game of a series.
The kids and veterans seem to be peaking at the same time, and it just so happens to be the right time, which is what the team envisioned for this group all along.
Four years ago, the club issued the infamous "letter" to fans, explaining the intention to rebuild. The Rangers needed to get younger and faster, and rebuilds are almost impossible to avoid in the salary-cap era.
They quickly assembled an impressive group of prospects. General manager Chris Drury and his predecessor, Jeff Gorton, now the Montreal Canadiens' executive vice president of hockey operations, are known for their keen scouting eyes, but it also took a little luck. The lottery bounced their way in 2019 and 2020, and the Rangers selected Kakko at No. 2 and Lafreniere at No. 1.
The two did not take to the NHL right away, and there were questions about the club's development process, but those have been answered.
The 22-year-old Miller is playing against tough lines with Trouba. Schneider looks much older than 20.
Lafreniere, 20, and Kakko, 21, are becoming the impact forwards the Rangers envisioned, and Chytil, 22, is breaking out with five goals.
"I don't think the moment is too big for any of these young guys," Kreider said. "I think every single one of them, they're here for a reason. Not only are they really good people, but they were brought in because they're winners."
That much was evident when they shut the door on Carolina in the third period. Vincent Trocheck ended Shesterkin's shutout bid at 8:11 to make the score 4-1. The Canes had hope, but then Kakko capitalized on a turnover and sent the puck down to the other end. He won a puck battle on the side boards, and Chytil was left all alone in front of the net to snap one past Kochetkov.
"It's amazing. We're a resilient group in there," Fox said. "We've said it all year. Backs against the wall five times now, and we’ve come through all five. We definitely want to keep this momentum going into the next round. We do have bigger goals."
If the Rangers can take down the back-to-back reigning champs, they may reach those bigger goals.
Wednesday will mark the first conference final game at the Garden since Game 7 in 2015 against, of course, the Lightning. And star-studded lineups aside, the matchup will be billed as Shesterkin vs. Vasilevskiy.
"He’s the best goalie in the world right now," Shesterkin said. "I think it will be a good battle."
Chris Kreider's Goal Draws Wayne Gretzky Comparison in Rangers' Game 7 Win
May 31, 2022
New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) celebrates his goal with center Mika Zibanejad (93) during the first period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, May 30, 2022, in Raleigh, N.C. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (22)looks on. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
It took eight minutes for the New York Rangers to take the air out of PNC Arena on Monday night en route to a 6-2 Game 7 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The first period hadn't even hit the halfway mark when power-play goals by Adam Fox and Chris Kreider put the Rangers up 2-0.
Putting away another in the 3rd frame, Kreider has moved into sole possession of 6th in career #StanleyCup Playoff points with the #NYR franchise (50). He also has joined Derick Brassard (9 in 2015) as the only Rangers players since 1998 to post 8+ goals in a single playoff year https://t.co/bivE5eKHXC
The 31-year-old spearheaded an efficient attack. New York quickly took the crowd out of the game, and it wasted little time erasing any momentum Carolina built.
While it would have been unlikely, a comeback still looked possible when Vincent Trocheck netted the Hurricanes' first goal at the 8:11 mark of the third period to make it 4-1. But only 40 seconds later, Filip Chytil answered.
The two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning await the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.
Tampa Bay needed seven games to take out the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round but then swept the Florida Panthers, who collected a league-high 122 points in the regular season.
In that series, the Panthers put just three goals past 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Rangers will undoubtedly need Monday's version of Kreider in the next round.
Hurricanes Mocked for 'Incomprehensible' Road Woes After Game 6 Loss vs. Rangers
May 29, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 28: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers celebrates a second period goal against the Carolina Hurricanes with teammates in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 28, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour called his team's inability to win road games a "non-issue" entering Saturday's Game 6 against the New York Rangers. But after Carolina's 5-2 loss at Madison Square Garden in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was all anyone could talk about.
The Hurricanes have yet to win a road game in this year's playoffs, having gone 0-3 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in the first round before going 0-3 against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in their current series.
Of course, the Hurricanes have a solid chance to close out the Rangers at their home rink in Game 7 on Monday, just like they did the Bruins in the first round, but the team's play on the road has drawn heavy criticism from hockey fans.
The team's road playoff record is even more concerning because Carolina was tied for the most road wins in the NHL during the regular season. As one fan put it, the team going 0-6 on the road is "incomprehensible."
The Hurricanes were tied for the most road wins (25) and were T2 in for points percentage (.659). The fact they’re staring at 0-6 in the playoffs is incomprehensible
The Rangers and Hurricanes will meet again at PNC Arena on Monday, with the Blueshirts looking to become the first team this postseason to get a win in Raleigh, North Carolina, in Game 7.
That said, if the Hurricanes manage to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, they won't face an easy task in holding off the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning at home.
The Bolts have impressed this postseason with wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. They'll be out for blood no matter who they face in the ECF as they aim to win their third straight title.
Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider Called out by Fans in Rangers' Game 5 Loss to Canes
May 27, 2022
New York Rangers' Artemi Panarin (10) waits for a face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 on Thursday at PNC Arena in Game 5 of their second-round playoff matchup to take a 3-2 series lead and put the Blueshirts on the brink of elimination.
It was a quiet game offensively for the Rangers, whose only goal came from Mika Zibanejad on the power play. Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider, two of New York's best players, also combined for zero shots on goal in the loss, which is a major problem.
Fans ripped both Panarin and Kreider for their play in Thursday's game, mentioning that both players need to step up if the Rangers hope to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
Kreider and Panarin continue to be absolutely and totally non-existent. Credit to Carolina, but the top talent on NYR has done little to nothing on the road all playoffs.
The duo have effectively disappeared in this series against Carolina. Panarin has just two assists through five games, while Kreider has one goal in that span.
It's an upsetting performance from both players given their regular-season success. Kreider tallied 52 goals and 25 assists for 77 points in 81 games, while Panarin notched 22 goals and 74 assists for 96 points in 75 games.
If the Blueshirts are going to extend this series, they'll need Panarin and Kreider to step up when the series shifts back to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 on Saturday. That said, the Rangers have a solid chance at forcing a Game 7 as Carolina has yet to win a road playoff game this year.
Why It's So Hard for the NHL to Establish Clarity Around Goalie Interference
May 25, 2022
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: The puck goes in but Boston Bruins winger Nick Foligno (17) is called for interference on Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen (31) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes on February 10, 2022 at TD garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Rule 69.1 in the official NHL rulebook, "Interference on the Goalkeeper," is one of the most difficult rules to understand and one of the most difficult to determine as an official.
It's 381 words, and that doesn't even include rules 69.2-69.8, which are supposed to provide clarity and context for every situation involving goalie's interference.
No wonder it seems like no one knows what the rule actually entails.
Each year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs cast a shadow on the officials who are tasked with determining what is and is not goalie interference. And it's not just the officials on the ice—fans might love to yell, "Ref, you suck!" but often times, it's the league officials in the situation room in Toronto making the final calls when a challenge is initiated for goalie interference.
Perhaps "official in the situation room in Toronto, you suck!" is too wordy of a chant. Fair enough.
We know that the NHL has been in the midst of an officiating crisis for a few years now, but this one set of standards, in particular, can have more of a direct effect on the outcome of games than maybe something like a missed crosscheck or an errant hook.
The New York Rangers might have won the first game of their opening-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in regulation had a goal not been disallowed. Instead, they played a triple-overtime thriller, and backup goalie Louis Domingue stole the game for Pittsburgh.
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour would have "bet [his] life" on Jake DeBrusk's goal in Game 4 of the series against the Boston Bruins being overturned, but the NHL said the incidental contact was allowable.
In Game 1 of the Lightning-Panthers series, Anthony Cirelli clipped Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky in the head, but the goal was upheld after review.
Cirelli made contact with Bobrovsky's head in the blue paint. Panthers challenged for goalie interference, but it was still ruled a good goal. pic.twitter.com/kVL3ILjZCL
Let's take a deeper look at the rule and the process in which goalie interference is determined to see if we can figure out why it's so difficult to properly assess.
What Is Goaltender Interference?
The rule was introduced for the 1991-92 season with a pretty simple philosophy: A penalty is issued when an attacking skater makes contact with the goaltender, impeding, limiting or altogether eliminating his ability to protect the net and stop the puck.
The rule has evolved as technology has evolved, and in 2015-16, coaches were allowed to challenge for goaltender interference. In 2018, the NHL announced that the situation room would have the final say in an attempt to have more consistent rulings.
Here is how the most crucial part of the rule reads this season:
Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.
If you're having trouble following, it's a way to keep things fair for the goalies, who have more limited movement in their pads and are restricted to certain areas where they can and cannot play the puck. The onus is on the skater to prevent contact that would keep a goalie from being unable to protect the net.
Meanwhile, the challenge mechanism is in place to allow coaches to get a final ruling on the play by league using all available video feeds.
How Is Goalie Interference Determined?
Let's use the aforementioned disallowed goal from Game 1 of that Rangers-Penguins series as an example. The Penguins turned the puck over in the neutral zone, and Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko took it down to the offensive zone, coming down the wing and curling in front of the crease with speed.
With Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin on the backcheck, there was a collision in front of the net that knocked goalie Casey DeSmith out of it completely. The play was kept alive, and Kakko flicked the puck to Filip Chytil, who shot the puck into an open net.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan challenged for goalie interference and won, stating after the game that the Penguins had been a perfect 8-for-8 in those challenge calls on the season.
New York fans were livid, saying the officials were biased toward the Penguins. After all, Dumoulin clearly leaned into Kakko right before the collision.
But Sullivan's video team saw that Kakko failed to make an effort to avoid crashing into DeSmith, so the contact by Dumoulin was immaterial.
The success rate of the Pittsburgh video personnel shows that they are adept at quickly determining whether or not their goalies were interfered with.
The decision-making process, which has to work at lightning speed, often starts with the video replay teams. Video coordinators have less than a minute to issue a recommendation to the bench, and there has to be "indisputable evidence" to overturn a call.
The replay teams have a set of criteria they have to be able to quickly identify:
Was the contact inside or outside of the crease?
Was it initiated by the goalie's own defenseman, or was it by an attacking skater?
Was that contact avoidable, and did the skater make an effort to avoid the contact?
Did the goalie have enough time to get back into position before the goal was scored?
Did the contact have a material impact on the goalie's ability to make a save?
There are other variables that go into these decisions as well, like where the puck was, the score in the game, how much time is left on the clock and whether or not the goalie fought for his ice or just remained on the ground when he was able to regain his position (i.e., did he flop).
There are times when even goaltenders don't immediately realize they have been interfered with, which is why teams rely on replay personnel. They issue a recommendation to the coach on whether or not to challenge.
Then, the officials put on the headset and dial up the Situation Room, where the feeds are analyzed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otk7FZGrKDY
It's important to note that the officials in Toronto have more available angles than the teams. They have more overhead angles and net camera feeds, which is often why it takes them longer than the 15-30 seconds it takes the video coordinators.
Why Is It So Hard to Determine?
There is a lot of gray area, and it leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
At the end of the day, it's a judgment call, and those are never 100 percent correct. Getting calls wrong can be embarrassing for the officials on the ice.
The league will issue explanations for the rulings but aren't allowed to be questioned. Many have suggested allowing a pool reporter from the media to ask for clarification, which is a common practice in the three other major North American professional sports leagues.
A direct line from the video booths to Toronto might help clarify things as well since the video coordinators from each team can relay the angles and time codes they are looking at.
Every other major North American pro sports league has a policy in place for a crew chief or representative of officials to be made available to reporters, except the NHL. https://t.co/EyvoVH6jWV
But while the inconsistent outcomes can be maddening, the priority is getting the call right, especially during the postseason. This can be extremely difficult given just how quickly goals are scored. The speed should not be understated. The game is fast out there.
What you see on Twitter might not be what they're seeing in Toronto. So the next time you're ready to get fired up thinking it was a blown call, ask yourself, do you really know what goalie interference is? Do any of us really know what it is?
Andrew Copp Praised as Rangers Take Game 4, Even Series with Hurricanes 2-2
May 25, 2022
RALEIGH, NC - MAY 18: New York Rangers Center Andrew Copp (18) warms up prior to game 1 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes on May 18, 2022 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.(Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Andrew Copp had himself a night at Madison Square Garden as the New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 to tie their second-round series 2-2 after falling behind 0-2 with two losses at PNC Arena.
Copp, who was acquired by the Rangers at the trade deadline, tallied one goal and two assists in Tuesday's game to help lift his team to victory. After Copp scored with 8:50 remaining in the third period to put New York up 4-1, fans were quick to praise his Game 4 performance.
Three-point night for Andrew Copp. He didn't have a point in this series entering tonight. #NYR
Andrew Copp collects his first career three-point playoff game (1G-2A). Since joining the Rangers, Copp has accumulated 28 points in 27 games (8G-10A in 16 RS GP & 5G-5A in 11 PS GP).
What a pickup Copp has been for the Rangers, huge goal to likely seal it. Question is now .. can they win in Raleigh where no one has so far this postseason #CARvsNYR#StanleyCup#HockeyTwitter
Copp, 27, spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons with the Winnipeg Jets before joining the Rangers at the trade deadline. His performance this postseason doesn't necessarily come as a surprise.
The Michigan native was a natural fit in New York's lineup since making his debut with the franchise in March. He tallied eight goals and 10 assists in 16 regular-season games with the Rangers and entered Tuesday's game with four goals and three assists in seven playoff games.
If Copp and the rest of New York's depth forwards can continue to produce at a high level, the Rangers have a solid chance at beating the Hurricanes and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 5 between the Rangers and Hurricanes is set for Thursday night at PNC Arena.
Rangers' Gerard Gallant Calls Out Hurricanes' 'Bulls--t' at End of Game 3
May 23, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 22: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the New York Rangers talks to referee Chris Rooney #5 following a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 22, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The New York Rangers got on the board in their second-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-1 victory in Sunday's Game 3, but New York head coach Gerard Gallant was not a fan of the Hurricanes' response after the final buzzer.
"I wasn't happy with the bulls--t at the end of the game that they initiated," Gallant told reporters after the game. "We didn't do that when the games were close. They put their guys out. That's fine. If they want to play like that, we've got the guys that can match them."
Hurricanes forward Max Domi initiated a scrum by cross-checking Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren at the end of the game. Lindgren eventually wrestled Domi down but not until after players from both teams came together on the ice.
"Domi took a cheap shot at our defenseman," Gallant continued. "You've got a long memory in this to think about things. It might be on the other foot someday."
The coach made his feelings felt before the postgame press conference and yelled at Carolina defenseman Tony DeAngelo as the players skated off the ice. DeAngelo was the target of constant booing and chanting from the New York fans during Sunday's game.
The Rangers previously bought out his contract following behavioral concerns.
As for the actual game, Mika Zibanejad put the Rangers ahead with a power-play goal in the first period before Chris Kreider extended the lead to 2-0 in the second period. Carolina climbed back into the game with a goal from Nino Niederreiter, but strong defense preserved the advantage before Tyler Motte provided the insurance goal in the game's final two minutes.
It was more of the same for the Hurricanes, who are 6-0 at home and 0-4 on the road in these playoffs.
If they are going to change that in Tuesday's Game 4, they will need to figure out New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He saved 43 of the 44 shots he faced Sunday and was brilliant against constant pressure as Carolina attempted to come back.
It likely won't take long to see if the tension from the end of Game 3 carries into Game 4, but Gallant made it clear he didn't think the Hurricanes sent an effective message with their actions.
