The NHL announced it made the wrong call in disallowing what would have been the Buffalo Sabres’ tying goal in the final minute of a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers.
In a statement released by the league on Saturday, senior executive VP Colin Campbell said Victor Olofsson’s goal scored with 57 seconds remaining Friday night should have stood because video replays could not “definitively determine” whether the Sabres were offside entering the zone.
The goal was disallowed after a replay showed Buffalo defenceman Rasmus Dahlin crossed the Rangers blue-line before the puck entered the zone. What review officials failed to take into account was whether Olofsson touched the puck before Dahlin tagged up by getting his skate on the blue-line.
Because replays were inconclusive, Campbell said officials should have followed league policy in staying with the original call of a goal being scored.
Without disputing the ruling following the game, Sabres head coach Don Granato said he asked officials if they could further review whether Dahlin had tagged up. He was informed the NHL had made its decision.
“I can’t have emotion in it. I can’t think about it,” Granato said. “There’s certain things that are out of your control and you just play. You just trust that the league knows what they’re doing and you move on.”
The loss extended Buffalo’s skid to 0-5-1, and the team is 3-14-2 in its past 19 in preparing to host the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
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