Columbus Blue Jackets Screwed by New Goaltender Interference Review

The Columbus Blue Jackets lost a chance to clinch a playoff spot last night because of the new NHL goaltender interference protocol.

It was a glorious night for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Their comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings all but secured them a spot in the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

But the opportunity to mathematically guarantee that spot was taken away by the new NHL goaltender interference review process. 1100 miles to the south, the Florida Panthers held a 2-1 lead over the Nashville Predators late in the third period.

The Predators pulled the goalie and brought on a sixth skater. With less than a second on the clock it appeared as though Filip Forsberg potted the game tying goal to send the game to overtime.

The Predators, Panthers, announcers, fans and viewers all thought it was a good goal and that the game was heading to overtime. You can watch for yourself below.

The play was obviously reviewed, but most thought it was looked at to make sure the puck crossed the line before the buzzer or if the net came dislodged.

But the NHL command center in Toronto ruled that Viktor Arvidsson had “interfered” with Roberto Luongo and prevented him from making a save. This was their official statement.

"The Situation Room determined the deliberate actions of Arvidsson’s stick caused Luongo to spin and cause the covered puck to come loose prior to the goal. Rule 78.7 states in part: “The standard for overturning the call in the event of a “GOAL” call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room (which shall include a former referee in the Officiating Department in the decision-making process), after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the Referee who made the original call, determines that the goal should have been disallowed due to “Interference on the Goalkeeper,” as described in Rules 69.1, 69.3 and 69.4.”Rule 69.1 (2) states that goals should be disallowed if “an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal."

Watching the play and reading the explanation, most fans are wondering what in the world Toronto is seeing. There was physical play in front of the net but there was a loose puck. Also there is a reasonable argument to be made that Kieth Yandle’s play in front of the net forced Arvidsson into that situation in front of Luongo.

Either way, what was clearly an exciting and incredible game tying goal was taken away for mysterious reasons that sent the hockey world into a frenzy.

Ripple Effect on Playoff Race

The goal should have clearly counted and sent the game to overtime. No one knows what could have happened in overtime but if the Panthers lost it would have been huge for a half dozen teams in the NHL.

First off, the Nashville Predators would have clinched their division, which is no small feat for a team that was the last team into the playoffs last year. A Panther loss in overtime also would mean the Columbus Blue Jackets would have secured a playoff spot on the same night they completed a crazy comeback over the Detroit Red Wings.

Related Story: CBJ Complete Crazy Comeback over Detroit

The Panther win now puts Philadelphia in a tougher spot as the Flyers lost yesterday to the Islanders. Now the Panthers sit just four points behind the Flyers with a game in hand. The regulation win also means that the Panthers are tied with the Flyers in the ROW tiebreak column.

Again, this isn’t to say that the Panthers wouldn’t have won in overtime but the fact that a clear good goal was taken off the board is despicable. It hurts other teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, in the most important time of the regular season.

The NHL moved the goaltender interference authority to Toronto just over a week ago and it already has blown a huge call. The race for the playoffs has been significantly altered by the result. Every NHL team, including the Panthers, should be worried about the future of reviews from Toronto.

Next: Ranking Possible CBJ Playoff Opponents

The inconsistency and confusion has already screwed the Columbus Blue Jackets once. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.