New York Rangers: New video review rules adopted by NHL, thank goodness

The New York Rangers will be able to take advantage of expanded use of video review with new rules adopted by the NHL for next season.

Considering the comedy of errors in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, the New York Rangers should almost be grateful that they didn’t make the post-season.  The league moved quickly to expand video review rules after a series of embarrassing missed calls.

One more coaches challenge

In the biggest change, coaches were given a third option for challenging a goal.  In addition to goalie interference and off-side violations, coaches will now be  able to challenge a goal scored after play should have been stopped.

The instances cited were when a puck is touched with a high stick, is passed by hand or goes out of play (into the bench or netting).

There were two glaring instances in the playoffs when goals were scored after the whistle should have blown play dead.  The first was an Artemi Panarin goal scored after the puck hit the netting and ricocheted to him in the offensive zone. The second was a goal scored by Erik Karlsson in overtime for the Sharks, after his teammate Timo Meier blatantly directed the puck with his hand to Gustav Nyquist to passed to Karlsson who scored.   Karlsson was so sure the play would not count, he didn’t even celebrate.

Luckily for the NHL, both teams that benefited from the missed calls ended up losing their series.  The league also took steps to rectify a missed call that ended up costing the Vegas Golden Knights their series with the Sharks.

That was the play when Cody Eakin was given a five minute major for cross checking Joe Pavelski.  The Sharks were trailing 3-0 with 11 minutes left in the third period of game seven of their series. San Jose scored four goals in a while sequence.  Vegas tied the score in the last minute and lost in overtime.

Reviewing major and match penalties

Now, referees will review their own work on non-fighting major penalties, match penalties and high sticking double minors.  For the major and match penalties, the referee who made the call will have to review the play and can let the penalty stand or reduce it to a minor.  He cannot reverse the call completely, all he can do is reduce it. Major penalties for fighting are not review-able.

In the playoffs there were four double minors called incorrectly when a player was high sticked by a teammate.  Now, the referee making the call can review it on video and if there was an error in determining whose stick caused the damage, the call can be rescinded.

Unlimited coaches challenges

In a major change, coaches will now have no limit on the number of challenges that they can make in any of the three circumstances.  If the challenge fails, the team will be assessed a two minute delay of game penalty.  If a coach challenges more than once, any additional failed challenges will result in double minors for delay of game.

One aspect of the coaches challenge should be reconsidered.  Now, a coach can challenge a goal so long as the puck doesn’t leave the offensive zone at any time before the goal is scored.  Having no time limit on the time a coach can challenge is ridiculous.  A team can hold the puck in the offensive zone for any amount of time and finally score and have it called back for a high-stick that might have happened a minute earlier. Change of possession should be the criteria.

There were some other minor changes, involving helmets and faceoffs.