Was It a Goal? Depends on Whom You Ask

Edmonton Coach Ron Low was willing to accept Sunday’s loss. Grudgingly. Sort of. Maybe.

OK, only because he had to.

There were a few things, though, Low was ready to question about the Ducks’ 6-4 victory in the Pond. Three five-on-three situations the Oilers couldn’t overcome for starters. But also heavy on his mind was the goal that wasn’t a goal.

Edmonton was leading, 3-2, less than a minute into the second period when the Oilers’ Ryan Smyth whipped a shot that goalie Guy Hebert managed to deflect off the post. What happened next was anybody’s guess. Either the puck went in, or it didn’t.

“I couldn’t see it,” Low said. “Did anybody see it? It wouldn’t be the first thing they didn’t see.”

The goal judge thought he saw it and fired up the red light. Referee Rob Shick thought he saw it and raced in flapping his arms to wave it off. Smyth thought he did, calling it a goal. Hebert thought he did, saying it wasn’t.

The only one who wasn’t sure was video goal judge Tom Wardell, who said the replays were inconclusive. So Shick’s no-goal call stood.

“I got the knob of my stick on it and it went off the post,” Hebert said. “Even if it was a goal, these things balance out over the course of the season. . . . but it wasn’t. I’m sure it wasn’t.”

Travis Green’s goal tied the score, 3-3, a minute later for the Ducks.

“I saw the shot hit the post, then hit the net and then come back out,” Smyth said. “I can’t understand why we pay a goal judge, two linesmen, two referees and a review judge.”

Budget concerns aside, it was a moment that helped change the standings. The victory moved the Ducks three points ahead of the Oilers, instead of falling one point behind.

“Smyth did a good job getting the shot and the red light goes on,” Low said, shaking his head.

That was enough to live with. But there were those five-on-three situations as well. The Ducks had three such opportunities Sunday and scored on all of them.

“I think they need to get some high boards in here for all the diving [the Ducks] do,” Low said.

Particularly annoying to Low was the obstruction hooking penalty defenseman Tom Poti took when the Ducks’ Steve Rucchin hit the ice at 7:15 of the second period. It was sandwiched between two Oiler penalties, giving the Ducks two five-on-three chances. Teemu Selanne scored twice within a minute and the Ducks led, 5-3.

“I didn’t dive,” Rucchin said. “It was an ugly win, definitely. We’ll take it right now.”