Kitchener is haunted by another goal review at opener in London
Knights awarded marker after net dislodged, strike first in OHL Western Conference semifinal
It was a terrible way to decide the game.
At least, from the Kitchener Rangers’ standpoint.
The Blueshirts were playing the London Knights tough and locked in a 2-2 tie in the third period in Game 1 of their Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semifinal Thursday night.
And that’s when things went off the rails. Or, off the pegs.
London’s Max McCue attempted a wraparound about a minute and a half into the final frame, but the puck sailed through the crease.
Kitchener goalie Jackson Parsons pushed off the post to go east-west and dislodged the net in the process.
Knights forward Denver Barkey then fired the loose puck on target, but never actually shot it in the net, since the cage was sliding backwards toward the dasher boards.
Officials blew the whistle, reviewed the play at length and then pointed to centre ice to indicate that the goal — which was a deciding factor in London’s 5-3 Game 1 victory — was good.
“In the playoffs, games are decided in weird ways all the time,” said London assistant coach Rick Stead- man. “It’s one of those things where that’s the way it went. Yeah, you’d likely be frustrated when it’s against you, but that’s going to happen. That’s the way the rules are written, and you just have to follow it.”
OHL officiating manager Greg Devorski, who was at the game, said the on-ice officials decided the tra- jectory of the puck was inside the post and would have gone in had the net remained on its moorings. League rule 63.7 goes further. “In the event that the goalpost is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goalline between the normal position of the goalposts, the referee may award a goal,” it reads.
“In order to award a goal in this situation, the goalpost must have been displaced by the actions of a defending player, the attacking player must have an imminent scoring opportunity prior to the goalpost being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goalposts.”
The goal, Barkey’s third of the post-season, made it 3-2 London, and the Knights essentially won the game by one score since the final marker was an empty-netter.
“That’s a tough goal,” said Rangers coach Jussi Ahokas, whose club trails the best-of-seven series 1-0. “I don’t know. It (Barkey’s shot) could have been saved or hit the post.” The Rangers will never know. Just add it to the list of odd occurrences at Budweiser Gardens.
Two years back, the Rangers felt robbed in a playoff loss against the Knights after a goal from Michael Petizian was called back after officials reviewed the sequence and ruled it was kicked in.
“It’s clear as day on video,” Kitchener general manager Mike McKenzie, who also served as coach in 2022, said at the time. “We’ve watched it 20 times over again. There is no contact with the puck made with his skate.”
The Rangers went on to win that series in seven games. They’ll have to rally in this one. It was tit-for-tat for most of Thursday’s affair.
Kitchener defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz potted his first of the playoffs 29 seconds after Barkey’s contentious marker for a 3-3 tie.
Oliver Bonk regained the lead for London on the power play before Max McCue scored into an empty net. Brzustewicz added two helpers while Luke Ellinas and Eduard Sale also scored for the visitors.
London rookie Sam O’Reilly was tossed from the tilt in the third period after receiving a major penalty for boarding on Kitchener rearguard Olivier Savard. O’Reilly could face a suspension. Savard was shaken up and did not return.
“The series just started,” said Ahokas.
“I didn’t really like our game and still it was so close. We weren’t even close to where we can be.”
Game 2 runs Saturday, back at the Bud, at 4 p.m.