The Montreal Canadiens are reeling after a chaotic 6-5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, a game marred by controversial officiating that has sparked outrage within the team and its fanbase. The Canadiens held a 5-3 lead early in the third period, but a series of penalties, which they viewed as questionable, swung the momentum in Edmonton's favor.
The turning point appeared to be a boarding call against Montreal's Juraj Slafkovsky, which many Canadiens fans and players felt was unwarranted. Shortly after, a tripping penalty was called on Connor McDavid, which Canadiens players described as a "soft" call. Edmonton capitalized on the ensuing power play, with Leon Draisaitl scoring to narrow the gap.
The most contentious call of the night came when Josh Anderson received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after firing the puck away in frustration following Draisaitl's goal. This gave the Oilers another power play, which they converted into a goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to tie the game. Vasily Podkolzin then scored the game-winner late in the third period, completing the Oilers' comeback.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis didn't hold back his criticism of the officiating after the game. "The referee had the choice to give two or ten minutes," St. Louis said, referring to Anderson's penalty. "He gave two, and that gave them the game". St. Louis also subtly called out the NHL, suggesting the league should review the game like coaches do to improve.
Brendan Gallagher revealed that the officials admitted to him that the Slafkovsky penalty was a mistake. "They said it wasn't a penalty, they made a mistake," Gallagher stated. He further added that Anderson's penalty stemmed from the referee feeling "shown up" by Anderson, adding fuel to the fire. Gallagher emphasized the importance of officials understanding the game's temperature, especially in a close contest.
Cole Caufield also expressed his frustration, stating, "The refs kind of took over the game there and kudos to them for winning it". Despite the loss, St. Louis praised his team's overall performance, saying they played one of their most complete games of the season at 5-on-5.
The Athletic reported that the NHL is expected to review the game and the officiating decisions. While it's unlikely that any major action will be taken beyond potentially demoting the officials in the playoffs, the Canadiens' complaints will likely prompt the league to take notice. RDS reported that St. Louis has yet to receive an official explanation from the NHL regarding Anderson's penalty.
The Canadiens and Oilers are scheduled to play again on December 15 in Montreal. It remains to be seen whether the fallout from this game will have any lasting impact on how future games between these two teams are officiated, but the Canadiens have made it clear that they are not happy with the way this game was handled.
