The Washington Capitals failed to close out their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina scored three goals in the third to break a 2-2 tie to pull away for a 5-2 win. Now the series shifts back to Capital One Arena in DC for a decisive Game 7 Wednesday night.
The Hurricanes’ will did not come without a controversy. As Carolina nursed a 3-2 lead in the third period, it appeared the Capitals got a game-tying goal as Alex Ovechkin appeared to tip-in the rebound off a shot from Evgeny Kuznetsov.
However, the referee on the ice immediately waived off the goal as he ruled Ovechkin interfered with the play as he made contact with Carolina goaltender Petr Mrazek.
Capitals head coach Todd Reirden challenged the call on the ice. However, after review the call on the ice was upheld, waiving off the game-tying goal.
Ovechkin was none too pleased.
The NHL shared an explanation after the decision, saying Ovechkin made contact with Mrazek’s pad, freeing the puck to go past the goal line.
Instead of a 3-3 tied game with about 9 1/2 minutes remaining, Carolina retained their one-goal lead.
Moments after the waived goal, former Capital Justin Williams scored to extend Carolina’s lead to 4-2. The Hurricanes added an empty-netter to seal the win and force the decisive Game 7.
The no-call is up for debate. And how it affected the outcome of the game is even more debatable. The Capitals are sure to argue that the puck was loose around Mrazek. Nonetheless, the outcome of the game isn’t going to change, and Washington now faces a do-or-die looking to avoid being eliminated in the first round a season after winning the Stanley Cup.
