Scott Wedgewood injured in pain on the ice. Refs don't blow the whistle. Buffalo scores

[ToDavid]

Should the play have been blown dead? Not according to the rules but probably. However, to prevent the inevitable amount of diving that would ensue once goalies realize that if they flop around like they're in pain the whistle will blow and the pressure will stop... there should also be a rule that if play is stopped because of a perceived injury, the injured player (at any position, not just goalie) is not allowed to return to the game for five minutes on the game clock (at least, ten maybe?).

If the player truly is injured enough to warrant the stoppage in play, chances are he's not coming back that night anyway (or will be out for a while getting repairs) so the new rule wouldn't impact them. But it would stop the vast majority of those thinking about performance art to stop the game, and that's not a bad thing.

The problem is the goalie has no control over when the ref decides they are “injured enough”. What if a goalie takes a stinger that they just need a minute to shake off and the ref blows the whistle? They have to come out of the net?

What about skaters? Guys go down all the time after blocking shots and it can look pretty bad initially. What if the ref decides the blow the whistle and you’re down your best player for 5, 10 minutes?

 

[tucker3434]

This is the second time I can recall the Avs being scored on while the goalie was incapacitated in some way. Maybe the last time was an equipment issue?

I get why they don't want guys just flopping under pressure. It's the same reason it's a penalty for the goalie to push the net off intentionally. But it seems there should be a common sense middle ground. Or they should at least be quicker on the whistles when it's fairly clear that a guy isn't just trying to disrupt the play. But, whatever. That goal gave the Avs a spark, that's for sure.

 

[Buff15Sabres]

Should've been a tripping/interference call on Kelly (wiped out by the goal).

And an instigator on COL for chasing Benson after the goal was scored. Benson would've been Pierre Turgeon'd without a teammate intervening and we're blaming him for a routine celebration lol

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Refs stop play for far lesser potential injuries. And to a goalie... NHL's best.

The goal celebration deserved a beating - scoring on an empty net after you eliminate the goalie following with the excessive celebration? Proper response Colorado. At least some teams still defend their own.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Lmao I hadn’t gone back and watched the celly. That’s what everyone is upset about?

People whining about the celebration are just looking for something to complain about because they know the refs called it right.

Wedgewood was laying in the net screaming in pain. This guy has come in and brought a whole new dynamic to the Avs dressing room. The guys absolutely love him. Benson scores on the empty net (as he should have with no whistle) but then drops down and does a celly while Wedgewood is still crying in pain and hasn’t moved and you think it’s strange how the Avs reacted to that?

Nah man that’s a team dynamic. I want my team to react like that every single time for their guy. I mean they rallied behind that moment and won the freaking game.

I know it might be unfamiliar to see teammates react like that since you’d never see that in Toronto, but this is how players with winning attitudes respond to situations like that. Regardless of how crazy or tame that celebration is, your brother is crying in the net and this benson bozo goes knee drop celly after shooting the puck past him? That’s exactly how your respond.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I echo the others that it has to be this way or else a goalie is "hurt" on every contact they have with another player and stopping cycles in their zone.

If this is the league's stance, that's fine if they're consistent. But they're not.

First you've got goalies shaking their masks off to get plays blown dead. Second you've got players injured that can't get off the ice and plays blown dead.

The only problem is the inconsistency, because sometimes players injured doesn't stop play but always a goalie mask coming off does.

 

[tucker3434]

Should've been a tripping/interference call on Kelly (wiped out by the goal).

And an instigator on COL for chasing Benson after the goal was scored. Benson would've been Pierre Turgeon'd without a teammate intervening and we're blaming him for a routine celebration lol

Dude made a U turn and ran right into a guy. That's not interference on Colorado. If anything, it goes the other way. Interference is getting called on the guy that changes direction, not the guy who moves in a straight line.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

All Colorado had to do was touch the puck...

And everyone can thank Mike Smith and his embarrassing antics for this

 

[Ncit3]

Should've been a tripping/interference call on Kelly (wiped out by the goal).

And an instigator on COL for chasing Benson after the goal was scored. Benson would've been Pierre Turgeon'd without a teammate intervening and we're blaming him for a routine celebration lol

Not often do the Sabres get to celebrate. Gotta get em in somehow.

 

[Beerz]

Dude made a U turn and ran right into a guy. That's not interference on Colorado. If anything, it goes the other way. Interference is getting called on the guy that changes direction, not the guy who moves in a straight line.

Of course he made a u turn.. otherwise he interferes with the goalie... and you are completely ignoring Kelly lifting his knee in air to the back of Bensons leg to lift it and dump Benson

 

[HockeyVirus]

If this is the league's stance, that's fine if they're consistent. But they're not.

First you've got goalies shaking their masks off to get plays blown dead. Second you've got players injured that can't get off the ice and plays blown dead.

The only problem is the inconsistency, because sometimes players injured doesn't stop play but always a goalie mask coming off does.

Well pulling a muscle is different from being cut by a skate for example. It is a judgement call. In this case, between the Avs player making the injury happen by shoving, and the degree of the injury, I think it was fair to let play continue.

But if they were able to clear the zone I think the ref intended to blow it dead.

 

[Beerz]

Wedgewood was laying in the net screaming in pain. This guy has come in and brought a whole new dynamic to the Avs dressing room. The guys absolutely love him. Benson scores on the empty net (as he should have with no whistle) but then drops down and does a celly while Wedgewood is still crying in pain and hasn’t moved and you think it’s strange how the Avs reacted to that?

Nah man that’s a team dynamic. I want my team to react like that every single time for their guy. I mean they rallied behind that moment and won the freaking game.

I know it might be unfamiliar to see teammates react like that since you’d never see that in Toronto, but this is how players with winning attitudes respond to situations like that. Regardless of how crazy or tame that celebration is, your brother is crying in the net and this benson bozo goes knee drop celly after shooting the puck past him? That’s exactly how your respond.

I certainly don't have a problem with Girard or anyone other Av going after Benson .. you are right ..its what you're suppose to do.. Just like I don't mind when players go after someone on a clean hit.

What I do have a problem with is fans acting like anything Zach Benson did was wrong or uncalled for... Everything he did was kosher.

Just chalk it up to a crazy play that sparked a team to victory.

 

[BlueOil]

This is the second time I can recall the Avs being scored on while the goalie was incapacitated in some way. Maybe the last time was an equipment issue?

I get why they don't want guys just flopping under pressure. It's the same reason it's a penalty for the goalie to push the net off intentionally. But it seems there should be a common sense middle ground. Or they should at least be quicker on the whistles when it's fairly clear that a guy isn't just trying to disrupt the play. But, whatever. That goal gave the Avs a spark, that's for sure.

the common sense middle ground exists. gain possession of the puck and play will stop for minor injuries. avs fans miscasting foot/leg pain as a life-threatening injury that needs to stop play at all costs is where we're lacking any common sense.

teams should not have a risk-free way to stop play like you're suggesting. if the goalie gets hurt, you'd better get that puck immediately or you're going to get scored on.

this one happened in an elimination game during the playoffs

 

[John Mandalorian]

Refs stop play for far lesser potential injuries. And to a goalie... NHL's best.

The goal celebration deserved a beating - scoring on an empty net after you eliminate the goalie following with the excessive celebration? Proper response Colorado. At least some teams still defend their own.

The beating eventually came...on the scoreboard. Benson wrote a check his team couldn’t cash. At last he’s feisty though...even if it blows up in his face.

 

[AvalancheRy]

Should've been a tripping/interference call on Kelly (wiped out by the goal).

And an instigator on COL for chasing Benson after the goal was scored. Benson would've been Pierre Turgeon'd without a teammate intervening and we're blaming him for a routine celebration lol

Benson gets to celebrate scoring a goal on an injured goalie. The Avs get to celebrate winning the game for an injured goalie. The teams are not the same.

 

[Albatros]

Good. Not soft like the IIHF.

 

[ToDavid]

Wedgewood was laying in the net screaming in pain. This guy has come in and brought a whole new dynamic to the Avs dressing room. The guys absolutely love him. Benson scores on the empty net (as he should have with no whistle) but then drops down and does a celly while Wedgewood is still crying in pain and hasn’t moved and you think it’s strange how the Avs reacted to that?

Benson must have forgot to watch his biopic before the game. He must not have understood how Wedgwood had saved the Avs season through the power of friendship while he was celebrating his goal.

To be clear, I don't think it's strange how the Avs players reacted. Players are players, they'll react to anything. I'm more talking about people in this thread acting like Benson was breakdancing on Wedgewood's grave.

 

[banks]

It's a real shame, but the refs did the right thing according to the rules. But the rules allowing for this is pretty stupid. The goalie is hurt, the whistle should blow. That's what would be best. But then how do you stop fake out injuries?

I could argue against myself all day. It's a problem without a solution.

 

[Muffin]

Problem I have with this is it wasn't even an immediate scoring chance. The puck was in the corner when Wedgewood went down. If Buffalo was banging away in the crease and Wedgewood got hurt then sure whatever but the puck was IN THE CORNER and no one would've bat an eye if they just blew the whistle.

Buffalo scored BECUASE OF THE INJURY, it wasn't a scoring chance if not for the injury. Refs blow the whistle in the corner and this is a nothing play. You think Buffalo would've been upset that they blew the whistle while they had the puck in the corner?

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

It's a real shame, but the refs did the right thing according to the rules. But the rules allowing for this is pretty stupid. The goalie is hurt, the whistle should blow. That's what would be best. But then how do you stop fake out injuries?

I could argue against myself all day. It's a problem without a solution.

According to what rules? If a player is or coiuld be seriously hurt they are supposed to stop play. Goaltenders should not be the same as position players. Any serious injury play should be stopped. For position players only if they are hit in the face or seriously cut.

 

[Muffin]

Clifton saved a possible repeat of Hunter hitting Turgeon.

Unfortunate play, but I don't see an issue with the no whistle. Hopefully, Wedgewood is ok.

Calm down here Girard was obviously going to grab him

 

[tucker3434]

Of course he made a u turn.. otherwise he interferes with the goalie... and you are completely ignoring Kelly lifting his knee in air to the back of Bensons leg to lift it and dump Benson

No, he was skating towards the front of the net looking for the pass/deflection, then the puck got passed around behind the net, and he circles to go chase, but he basically runs right into the guy that's tailing him. Kelly wasn't expecting it either. Neither guy really wanted to play the body there. It's incidental contact, but it was initiated by Benson. No call would be correct there.

the common sense middle ground exists. gain possession of the puck and play will stop for minor injuries. avs fans miscasting foot/leg pain as a life-threatening injury that needs to stop play at all costs is where we're lacking any common sense.

teams should not have a risk-free way to stop play like you're suggesting. if the goalie gets hurt, you'd better get that puck immediately or you're going to get scored on.

this one happened in an elimination game during the playoffs

It is within the rulebook as it is written now. It's left to ref discretion. These are hockey players. They may occasionally flop, but they don't fake injuries. It seems dumb to me that a guy can shake his helmet off and get a stoppage, but an actual injury is play on.

 

[ToDavid]

You didn’t watch the video posted a few posts up did you?
Bednar clearly states that under different circumstances (ie the puck is already at the front of the net and sabres are hacking at it, it’s a good goal).

Bednar seems to be misunderstanding the rule. An imminent scoring chance is only relevant when it's one of your own players injured. The refs will blow the whistle if the injured team has possession but not if there's an imminent scoring chance. If it's a player on the opposing team that's injured, play will continue as long as you maintain possession, scoring chance or no.

 

[Muffin]

Bednar seems to be misunderstanding the rule. An imminent scoring chance is only relevant when it's one of your own players injured. The refs will blow the whistle if the injured team has possession but not if there's an imminent scoring chance. If it's a player on the opposing team that's injured, play will continue as long as you maintain possession, scoring chance or no.

If you actually watched the presser you'd know he literally said he knows what the rule is but the refs never call it that way.

 

[Beerz]

No, he was skating towards the front of the net looking for the pass/deflection, then the puck got passed around behind the net, and he circles to go chase, but he basically runs right into the guy that's tailing him. Kelly wasn't expecting it either. Neither guy really wanted to play the body there. It's incidental contact, but it was initiated by Benson

Say I concede to everything you say there? ... What difference does it make? .. Does not change the fact that Kelly lifted his knee up against the back of Bensons leg while simultaneously pushing him up top which causes Benson to be dumped onto Wedgewood.