Why the apparent tying goal didn’t count for Detroit

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E.J. McGuire, supervisor of the Ducks-Red Wings playoff series and a spokesman for the officials who were on the ice Tuesday night for the Ducks’ 2-1 victory over Detroit at the Honda Center, explained why referee Brad Watson waved off an apparent goal by Marian Hossa that would have tied the game.

Thanks go to Dave Dye of the Detroit News, who was appointed the pool reporter and talked to McGuire (which spared McGuire having to answer the same questions dozens of times).

‘First off, as any of us watch on a replay, it’s easy to make the correct call.

‘In the case tonight, the official was down along the goal line. He was moving forward toward the net to try to get a look at where the puck was. When he couldn’t see the puck, all referees’ instructions are to blow the whistle and blow the play dead.

‘A combination of the black puck and [goaltender Jonas Hiller’s] black pants may have been a factor. But when he didn’t see the puck, he blew the whistle.’

QUESTION: ‘In retrospect, was a mistake made?’

ANSWER: ‘He didn’t make a mistake. In hindsight, if he had a slow-motion camera to review it, he may not have [blown the whistle]. He did what all officials are instructed to do: blow the whistle when they don’t see the puck. And he didn’t see the puck.

‘He said he talked to the players on the ice. It’s an emotional game. He wanted to explain to the players on the ice, as he saw it, the puck was out of sight and he blew the whistle. The assumption was that the puck was covered.’

-- Helene Elliott