Where does the Hiller goalie interference challenge rank in terms of monumentally bad coaching decisions that decided a series?

[The Panther]

Bodes well for Edmonton. This is a throwback to the first round in 1990 when Winnipeg — which, prior to the series had a 1-18 record vs. the Oilers — had a 3 games to 1 lead over Edmonton, and a 3-1 lead in game five, with 25 minutes left. All they had to do was protect a multiple-goal lead for 25 minutes, and they were through to the second round. They blew it. Edmonton won that game, won game six in Winnipeg, and won game seven at home. Then won the Cup.

It's been 35 years! Bring it on home, Oil!

 

[Osprey]

I think it's less a disrespect than it is a lack of awareness for the conditions of the game. Limiting the Oilers PP opportunities is top priority and the goal was only a game tying goal. It's 4-4 center ice face off with only 6:00 left. Basically next score is probably going to win. The worst case scenario happened, lose the challenge and now the Oilers get a PP at home late in the game with the game tied and the face off in your own end. Maybe the Kings kill it off, but obviously they didn't and it's a 2-goal swing in a relatively short amount of time. Hard to regroup at that point. I think the challenge is less offensive if you're already down. Not risking as much at that point.

If anything, I think that disrespect was shown towards his own team because it suggested that he didn't have faith that they'd be able to stop the Oilers' momentum and score again. He was afraid that their best chance to win the game was to undo that game-tying goal at all cost and then turtle the rest of the period and hope to get an empty netter. It's the kind of decision that you make when you coach not to lose instead of coaching to win.

 

[kingsholygrail]

If anything, I think that disrespect was shown towards his own team because it suggested that he didn't have faith that they'd be able to stop the Oilers' momentum and score again. He was afraid that their best chance to win the game was to undo that game-tying goal at all cost and then turtle the rest of the period and hope to get an empty netter. It's the kind of decision that you make when you coach not to lose instead of coaching to win.

Yeah, basically. Also a disrespect to his own team not spreading the minutes out. Just a lot of bad calls.

 

[John Mandalorian]

It’s only monumental in the sense that the Kings like giving statues to players like Dustin Brown.

...so if something is bigger than Dustin Brown, yeah, you might have a monument coming.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Hiller tried to blitz the Oilers and win in four by keeping the bench short early. He exhausted his players and there was no recovery after that.

Agree, the term blitz seems apt.

The Kings tried to knock the rusty Oilers out before they had time to shake the rust off and find their game.

Kind of reminiscent of WW2 in a way, since it didn't work out in the end.

 

[Danarqhy]

The LA Kings made some of the most dumbfounding mistakes I can recall against the Oilers but none bigger than their own coach who basically sabotaged his own team.

With a bit over 6 minutes left to play in game 3, Jim Hiller challenged what most people thought was a perfectly good goal. The Kings then lost the game on the ensuing power play to an Evan Bouchard goal. What was Jim Hiller thinking in game 3 when he challenged an obviously good goal, I will never understand. But the series flipped at that moment and the Oilers ended up winning out. Series felt like a potential sweep and it all turned around on a dime.

This has to be the most impactful series-defining coach's challenge FAIL of all time.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

This one play could result in McDavid being an Oiler for the rest of his career.

 

[SirKillalot]

Makes sense to challenge. If won you up 4-3.
There is an argument for goalie not being allowed to move to save it, though a thin one.
I don't see why you wouldn't gamble on it.

 

[Z-Diddy]

fireable offense by Hiller, unfortunately for him will be a black eye on the resume for the remainder of his career, I'd like to have some empathy for what was more than likely a group decision by the coaching staff, but coaches have been released for blunders far less dramatic and impactful, respect to the Oilers to take the ball and run

 

[sbhnur]

You can't challenge reality, Mr. Hiller!

 

[Faterson]

Only the first 11 letters of your thread title were needed.

He needs to be fired on the spot, even if that coach's challenge never happened. He seriously wanted to contend for the Stanley Cup with 3 lines and 4-5 defensemen, as if this was 1925 and not 2025.

 

[Toby91ca]

Tough one really.....but he had to be looking at the team being up by a goal and 6 min away from going up 3-0 in the series if he wins the challenge and if he loses, he takes his chances with the PK. Looks bad in retrospect, but at the time it didn't seem that crazy.

 

[banks]

Feels like the OP is an overreaction. But it's really not. The Oilers were just about dead in the water, and they got handed a lifesaver.

I really thought the Kings would win it this year over Edmonton. I'm a bit devastated for them.

 

[Shark Finn]

Yeah, that is the sole reason the Kings lost.

 

[DickSmehlik]

Yeah, that is the sole reason the Kings lost.

Agreed.

It would have been impossible for a team to recover from a poor coaching decision made in game 3. Once he made the challenge, the Kings rightfully forfeited in their minds "game 4, 5 and 6", as there was no way they could have decided to put it behind them and actually go out and win a game, not to mention, there was no way they could have just killed that penalty.

 

[tarheelhockey]

It’s utterly, profoundly idiotic to rest the outcome of a playoff series on a coach’s dilemma of whether to look at a replay.

The NHL has to do better than this.

 

[kingsholygrail]

It’s only monumental in the sense that the Kings like giving statues to players like Dustin Brown.

...so if something is bigger than Dustin Brown, yeah, you might have a monument coming.

Is that you, Paul?

 

[soothsayer]

The coach's challenge was less egregious than his lineup decisions. For instance, he had two young defensemen in Spence and Clarke who were important players for LA all season and helped LA win home ice advantage, and he played them for 2 or 3 bloody minutes in a crucial game of the series (game 5), and LA was gassed and got killed. Then, he gives those players regular minutes in the elimination game, and what do you know, they were key players in the game.

I've never seen worse coaching in my life, literally. I genuinely think a random HF poster could have done better. You can honestly make a legitimate argument that Hiller actively lost LA that series.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I think it was a colossal self-own amongst a series of them by Hiller. Tiring his bench out, and going full-turtle in multiple games and allowing the Oilers to just attack, attack, attack were all horrid decisions. But the momentum swing of that challenge is just insane. What a terrible call that totally changed the outlook of the series, IMO.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

it's a brutal decision, and the worm started to turn after that
if he doesn't challenge it, it still 4-4 and the way the Oilers were loose defensively...LA could have easily won in OT or late in the game

Oilers wouldn't have folded down 3-0 but it's virtually impossible to come back from that (see: 2024 SCF)

 

[winnipegger]

Not sure I can remember such an abrupt turn in a series. The oilers were dead and buried after 2 terrible games. They looked incredible. This must be so depressing for them they just aren't good enough.

 

[Grifter3511]

I'd put it JUST below Byfield's decision to try and carry the puck out at the end of game 4.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Pretty high up there IMO.

LA had some demons with Edmonton and I can imagine there is some mentally fragility there.

LA came in taking care of business … the question was could they win enough on the road to support their strong play at home?

It was a back and forth game and had it just been tied, LA probably my carried enough momentum to rally and win.

But that decision turned the momentum on the series right around. That gave Edmonton a bit boost and LA couldn’t match.

It was too risky of a gambit to think that the flakey goalie interference rules from the regular season would carry into the postseason.

And to give Edmonton a PP with minutes left for a winning goal? Wow.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Not nearly as high as him riding 9 forwards and 4 defensemen info the ground.

The guy killed his top players to get those two home wins and forgot that the series could be a long slog.

LA’s top dogs looked absolutely cooked in games 5 and 6 and the underlying numbers support that. You can’t have guys Kopitar and Doughty’s age playing 26 minutes a night in the playoffs and expect it to go well

 

[ChaoticOrange]

The coaches challenge was less egregious than his lineup decisions. For instance, he had two young defensemen in Spence and Clarke who were important players for LA all season and helped LA win home ice advantage, and he played them for 2 or 3 bloody minutes in a crucial game of the series (game 5), and LA was gassed on got killed. Then, he gives those players regular minutes in the elimination game, and what do you know, they were key players in the game.

I've never seen worse coaching in my life, literally. I genuinely think a random HF poster could have done better. You can honestly make a legitimate argument that Hiller actively lost LA that series.

The fact that Spence and Clarke both scored in game six really makes you wonder how this would have gone if Hiller had more faith in the bottom of his lineup. I didn’t think Helenius’ line played poorly either.