Devils bewildered by waved-off goal in loss to Islanders

ELMONT, N.Y. — It was the moment that could have changed the game for the Devils, but instead became the turning point for the Islanders.

Tomas Tatar’s third-period goal with 11:08 left in the game would have tied things at two, but the refs almost immediately waved it off for a kicking motion. Tatar was charging to the net after Dougie Hamilton’s initial shot from the point was stopped by Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin, but the rebound was propelled into the net by Tatar’s skate.

A short review confirmed the call for the refs, but the call left a bad taste in the mouths of the Devils in the 5-1 loss.

“I feel like players don’t know what the kicking rule is,” Erik Haula said after the game. “And they made the call, I don’t know they looked at it for 10 seconds and we don’t see. I see him stopping at the net. I don’t even know if he knows where the puck is. So to say that it’s kicking motion, it’s interesting. It’s just one of those things where the ref makes the call and there’s nothing you can do about it, but it’s just interesting that whole kicking rule.”

The NHL has been somewhat inconsistent in its implementation of the kicking rule and the players have seemed to be more and more open about the lack of clarity. Ironically, the Islanders benefited this season from a call by the officials for the second time in the last three weeks.

Hudson Fasching was the beneficiary of an overturned call by the refs in a win over the Buffalo Sabres on March 7. The play had originally been called a no-goal, bu the refs ruled there was no kicking motion after a review and led to a crucial Islanders’ win.

The call set off plenty of debate online and the play on Monday that went against the Devils is sure to reignite some of that.

“Honestly it’s a flip coin every time,” Tatar said about plays reviewed for a kicking motion. “I have no clue what the right call every time is. So when we are taking a challenge I never know if it’s gonna be a goal or not a goal. It’s always like that.”

Devils head coach Lindy Ruff wasn’t focused on the particular play when he spoke with reporters and responded “I have a lot of other things I gotta worry about” when asked if he felt the rule needed clarity.

The loss was a big one for the Devils, who are only four points ahead of the New York Rangers for second in the Metropolitan Division.