Robbery

Bad calls. Most of the time they result in an undeserved power play, sometimes they result in goals that should have never been. But this time the bad call was a game-changer. It doesn't happen often, but when it does...



Well, that's hockey. But this will be the moment EVERYONE will remember if things don't go the Wings' way in this series. Here's Michael Rosenberg, writing in the Detroit Free Press:

I hate to tell the NHL how to do business, but here’s a crazy little rule change for you: How about if the puck goes in the net, you call it a goal?

That sure would have helped the Red Wings on Tuesday night (or Wednesday morning, for those of us watching it at home). With 64 seconds left, Marian Hossa knocked a loose puck into the net. Let me repeat, slowly, in case you haven’t had your coffee yet: A … LOOSE … PUCK. This is part of a highly effective hockey strategy known as “scoring.”
Inexplicably, a whistle blew right about the same time. I say “a whistle blew,” because clearly the whistle had a mind of its own. Perhaps supernatural powers were at work. But no NHL referee could possibly stop play there … right? Heck, if you know how to put on skates, you know this goal should have counted. It would have tied the game at 2.

Referee Brad Watson apparently lost sight of the puck. Hey, I lose sight of the puck sometimes, too. I’ve never used that as an excuse to rob a team of a playoff goal. The fact is that the puck never stopped moving and the play should never, ever have been whistled dead.

Did the blown call keep the Red Wings from winning? We’ll never know. It kept them from a well-earned overtime, though. And now they are down 2-1 in this series.

Being down 2-1 doesn't mean all is lost... far from it. But it sure as HELL hurts.