The Edmonton Oilers lost to the Vancouver Canucks last night by a 3–2 score, but the major storyline of the game was not the score.
It was the sequence at the end of the game in the Canucks’ zone, as the Oilers tried to score the tying goal with their net empty at the other end of the ice.
Chaos against the Canucks
Connor McDavid was running the play, trying to set up his teammates for potential scoring chances, as he does. He’s difficult to contain at the best of times, and that’s why he had been one of the league leaders in drawn penalties the past number of seasons.
McDavid cut to the middle of the ice, and Canucks forward Conor Garland plays the body. Both him and McDavid fell to the ice, and not subtly at all, Garland wrapped his leg around McDavid’s to hold McDavid to the ice.
No call on the play.
Connor McDavid is trying desperately to get up and continue the offensive push, but literally can’t do it because of Garland’s sumo wrestling move holding him against the ice. After several seconds of struggling, McDavid finally gets up off the ice and tries to skate to the slot, but Garland grabs McDavid and tries to throw him to the ice again, puts him in what is essentially a headlock, and McDavid is immobilized again.
Finally, he breaks free, and at this point, the game is all but over. Out of pure frustration, McDavid crosschecked Garland in the head.
This play was the talk of the town as it spurned another dangerous crosscheck by Tyler Myers on Evan Bouchard seconds later.
Let’s get this out of the way right away: McDavid’s play was dangerous and suspendable. It was a bad play and one the NHL should penalize.
However, the fact that it got to that point is a gross misstep from the NHL referees on duty, and it’s embarrassing that the NHL continues to disrespect its star players.
Why can’t McDavid draw a call?
Historically, McDavid has been among the league leaders in drawn penalties. Last year, he was fifth in the NHL. He was first in both of the previous years.
This year? He’s sitting in 48th place. That’s a stark difference and one Oilers fans have noticed.
It was apparent last night when he was pinned to the ice and put in a headlock for almost 12 full seconds.
I don’t think anyone is asking for the NHL to treat its stars like the NFL does. Nobody wants a situation where Patrick Mahomes can draw three infractions for flimsy reasons in an NFL playoff game. What we want is for the book to be called. What Garland did was a clear interference violation, maybe even a roughing violation, but no matter how you look at it Garland committed a penalty. He should have been penalized and he wasn’t.
Time to change the standard or at least set one
It’s ridiculous for McDavid to be treated that way, or any player for that matter, and get to the point of frustration that he did. It’s time for the NHL to look in the mirror and admit that it’s the referees who run the show and the ones who have the power to decide who wins or loses. It’s a shame and it needs to change.
The NHL’s credibility is already damaged after years of shoddy penalty calling in the season’s most pivotal moments. It’s time for a change.
If the NHL wants to suspend McD he should sit out the 4 nations cup. How will having 3 players go to the 4 nations help the oilers be ready for the playoffs? If the NHL can’t call a simple holding penalty why should oilers risk losing 3 players to injury in meaningless games to promote the league?
I see you mention them falling, but McDavid was on top of Garland, not pinned to the ice, and you also left out where McDavid punched Garland when he broke free?
And as far as I was aware, they don’t blow the whistle for a penalty while the team receiving the powerplay has the puck? Which Edmonton did the entire time.