Two goals are disallowed for Buffalo by the video replays.
By Chris Ryndak / Sabres.com
DALLAS – After the Buffalo Sabres’ 4-3 loss in Dallas on Thursday, coach Dan Bylsma was asked about a review that didn’t go the Sabres’ way.
“Which one?” Bylsma responded.
That’s the kind of night it was at American Airlines Center, in which two Buffalo goals were ruled to have not gone in after lengthy, lengthy reviews. The Sabres also lost an offside challenge that kept a Dallas goal on the board.
“The puck goes through Bogosian and into the net,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. “The view is not super clear, I guess, in terms of definitively saying where the puck ends up. It hits on his pad – or it sits on the side of his pants – and that is, at least on the view, it’s on the right side of the crossbar.
“I think the answer is they don’t definitively know that it crossed the whole goal line. I think we can all see it passed the crossbar. That’s the answer.”
Here’s the official explanation from the NHL:
At 19:49 of the third period in the Sabres/Stars game, the Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine a play at the Dallas net. Video review confirmed that the puck did not completely cross the Dallas goal line. No goal Buffalo.
“Through our cameras, I thought it looked in, but it’s still tough with the black pants, too and with the way it crossed in,” alternate captain Ryan O’Reilly said. “And on the last angle, it kind of looked 50-50. It’s tough to say, but what can you do? It’s out of our control.”
Now, let’s take a look at an earlier play, where Jack Eichel and the rest of the team was convinced that Sam Reinhart had scored.
“There’s no question the puck ends up in the net. That’s [irrefutable]. It’s in the net. Everyone can see that,” Bylsma said. “The question is, it goes into the goalie, he goes on his side and he falls into the net. And none of us – no one – can see the puck until he gets up. And that’s after the play. I took philosophy in college and I know it means the puck is in the net, but you can’t definitively see the puck in the net and I think that’s the call.”
Reinhart thought for sure that he had scored his 11th of the season and Jack Eichel was also adamant, signaling immediately that the officials should take a look at the play.
“I don’t know if it was tough to see on the video or what, but it was 100 percent over the line. It’s a tough one,” Reinhart said. “It’s a little frustrating, but if the reason is they couldn’t determine it or couldn’t see it, that’s probably pretty fair because the goalie was on top of it.”
Here’s the official explanation from the NHL:
At 11:06 of the third period of the Sabres/Stars game, video review was inconclusive in determining if Sam Reinhart’s shot completely crossed the Dallas goal line. Therefore the referee’s call on the ice stands – no goal Buffalo.
“It’s frustrating,” Bylsma said. “The way the game was played out, the first two periods clearly, we got outshot. They had the four power plays, which they took full advantage of, dictating the pace of the game.
“We find ourselves, with a goal at the end of the second, right in the game. And we throw everything we can at them in the third and you think you get – well, you feel like you know you got goals by the goalie and crossed the goal line, but you come up empty.”
Evander Kane had a three-point night for Buffalo with two goals and an assist.
He extended his point streak to three games (2+4) and has scored all 14 of his goals in his last 25 games. He now has the NHL lead with 13 even-strength goals in that span (from Dec. 3 to present).