Mike Babcock on coach’s challenge, following ‘wrong’ call vs. Capitals
The Detroit Red Wings have been on both ends of blown calls involving goals recently.
“Last year we scored a goal in here against L.A., it was wrong,” recalled Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock.
That’s of course a reference to the Red Wings’ goal scored off the netting and behind Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, which the referees missed. It tied the game at 19:33 of the third period; Detroit won in the shootout.
The skate was on the other foot against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. Drew Miller appeared to score for the Detroit Red Wings in the first period, but the goal was waved off due to goalie interference by Luke Glendening.
Only it wasn’t interference: Holtby fell backwards scrambling back to his crease. It was a blown call.
“In the end (the ref) got it wrong,” Babcock told the Wings’ website. “When you’re done complaining and whining about it, by the time that’s all done, they can have it right. It takes two seconds to get it right. The referee never wants to get it wrong. He doesn’t want to watch the replay for three weeks of him getting it wrong either. He’d rather have it right.”
The Wings ended up winning, 4-2, which dampened their ire about the call on Thursday. But they clearly believe it would have been called differently had there been a mechanism in place to review the penalty.
“I guess the biggest word is consistent, right? If you have the video of a challenge you can look at it in slo-motion and see did he actually impede the goalie or did the goalie flop,” said defenseman Brendan Smith.
Octopus Thrower things it’s time, too, after last night’s debacle:
In an age when the audience at home is able to identify the right call and the crew on the ice get it wrong, there is no excuse for not having some sort of review process in place.
The NFL decided last off-season that they would review every scoring play, while that might not be possible and would probably not be a good idea for the NHL, something needs to change.
It is time for the NHL and the Competition Committee to get a coach’s challenge implemented or make every goal that is waved off due to incidental contact or goaltender interference review-able by Toronto or the crew inside the arena.
Babcock has, of course, seen his share of goalie interference controversies over the years – remember all the reputation penalties on Tomas Holmstrom?
While he didn’t outright say he was in favor of a coach’s challenge, Babcock said he wanted some check and balance in place.
“[In] the time we got all this screwing around with we could have got it right,” said Babcock. “I think the league wants to get it right. I’m not in charge of this stuff and I don’t know how to do it, but I’m sure the league wants to get it right.”
