Interference rule must be clear
PHILADELPHIA — The change in the works regarding rule 78.7 (ii) for goaltender-interference reviews, shifting final say from the on-ice officials who made the call to the NHL’s hockey operations department in Toronto as recommended this week by the league’s general managers and approved by the NHLPA, is at least a step in the right direction. It theoretically increases the likelihood of consistency on calls that have confounded many since challenges on goaltender-interference plays were implemented before the 2015-16 season.
But until the actual rule regarding goaltender interference is amended to have a clearer interpretation, players, coaches and executives will inevitably still be left exasperated after certain decisions. The Rangers, who lost 4-3 Thursday to the Flyers, certainly have been at times.
One major issue is there must be clarification regarding when, exactly, a goaltender is considered inside or outside his crease. Currently rule 69.1 states a goal should be disallowed if “an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal.” It also says, “Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.”
Last March, Elias Lindholm incidentally bumped then-Ranger Antti Raanta preventing him from stopping a goal. The goal was upheld upon review, after which Alain Vigneault was furious.
Raanta’s skates were clearly in the blue paint. His upper-body, where the point of contact was, leaned over the crease line. The NHL backed the officials’ decision that contact occurred outside of the crease.
But if Raanta’s skates were in the crease, was he actually allowed to move freely within his crease and defend his goal? If the interpretation is incidental contact with any body part of a goaltender outside the crease is not considered interference, that should be strictly stated in the rule.
The Rangers came out on the wrong side of a similar call in November when Rick Nash made incidental contact with Florida goalie James Reimer. It appeared contact occurred outside the crease, but a Kevin Hayes goal was waved off on the ice and that decision was upheld upon review.
“My opinion is it’s hard to figure out what is a goal and what is not a goal,” Vigneault said Thursday. “I think there was, in my opinion, some confusion there, and the general managers and the league tried to limit the confusion and make it a little clearer for everybody. So hopefully the changes that they’re bringing forward will help that.”
What is or isn’t a goal? Nobody should have to ask that question.
LINDGREN SIGNS: The Rangers on Thursday signed 20-year-old Ryan Lindgren to a three-year entry-level contract, which will kick in next season. Lindgren, whose rights were obtained from Boston in the Nash trade, is leaving University of Minnesota after his sophomore season and reporting to AHL Hartford. … Henrik Lundqvist is feeling better but still has neck issues, Vigneault said, after being wiped out during Tuesday’s game. Ondrej Pavelec returned from an MCL sprain to back up Alexandar Georgiev Thursday. USA TODAY SPORTS