A stupid technicality burned the Avs in Game 7, but the better team (barely) still won

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Yeah, they got screwed by a stupid rule. A really stupid rule that had absolutely zero to do with the play/goal it nullified. It was like having a home run disallowed because the hitter didn’t touch first base.

But we know, deep down, the Avalanche didn’t deserve that Game 7 tonight. The team that played the better game won it.

But yeah, the Avs got screwed on that disallowed goal. The NHL has gotten a lot of things right when it comes to officiating the game and the video review of contentious goals. The right call on goals is almost always made, and it didn’t used to be that way. But the one thing the league screwed up was the ridiculous offside rules, of the kind that disallowed Colin Wilson’s tying goal. Gabe Landeskog was trying to get off the ice for his line change , and was nowhere/no way/no how involved in the play that was developing on the other side of the ice.

But because he still had a foot on the ice and hadn’t gotten one or both of his skates off the ice and over the boards, it was deemed he was still an active skater at the time of the puck crossing the blue line and, so, no goal. He hadn’t “tagged up” yet. It’s a really technical rule and it ruined a tie game in a Game 7, which is exactly what you want, right Commissioner Bettman?

You have to feel a bit sick for Landeskog. He battled his ass off all year, had a career year, and the thing that will be shown on the replays a lot nationwide tonight and tomorrow was his taking too long to leave the ice after his shift. His back was turned toward a puck that had just gone out of the Sharks’ zone, so he probably thought he could take his time getting off the ice on the change. But the puck came right back in on the turnover, and by the time the Avs had full possession of it, Landeskog was still standing there by the door of the bench. He hadn’t technically cleared the zone yet. Linesemen and referees typically have a “five-foot rule” in which players are considered “off the ice” five feet from the boards as they are headed for a change. If they didn’t do that, there could be an offside or too-many-men violation on most every line change.

But Landeskog didn’t get off quick enough. Sharks video coach Dan Darrow immediately noticed this and radioed down to the coaches on the bench and the goal was quickly challenged. Keep in mind: if the Sharks’ challenge had been struck down, not only would the goal have counted, but a two-minute penalty would have been assessed on the Sharks too. It was a gamble that paid off for Darrow, whom I expect will get a nice playoff bonus this year.

Here is a clarification the NHL sent out on the whole thing:

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1126334485317001217

The Avs dressing room was as quiet as you’d think it would have been, after a 3-2 Game 7 loss. Landeskog, as he always does, faced the media music afterward, on the disallowed call and anything else we asked.

“It’s obviously a mistake,” Landeskog said of himself. “I mean, get off the ice. I wish, first of all, I didn’t turn the puck over inside the blue line. Then again, I’m glad I turned it over where Nate had a chance to get to it and get it over to Willy. If I had to do it over again, I would have gotten over the boards a lot quicker.”

Still, it’s the kind of dumb rule the NHL  has to figure out so it can’t cost teams in a Game 7. I mean, it’s like the old “toe in the blue paint” rules of the mid-90s that overturned so many otherwise perfectly good goals. This is the same kind of thing really. It had nothing to do with the play, but a technicality prevented an otherwise exciting goal that tied a Game 7.

Otherwise, I can’t have too much spittle coming out of my mouth in righteous rage on behalf of all of you for too long here, though. As I said, the team that played the poorer game lost it. And with that, the Avalanche season of 2018-19 is over.

Jared Bednar said as much, in fact.

“The best team won every game of the series,” Bednar said. “We came up a little bit short. They were the better team for too big a portion of tonight’s game. They won it, they deserved it. We had some chances to tie it and guys worked real hard to the end. We’re proud of our guys and the way we played down the stretch. We took a step forward.”

Indeed, it was a heck of a fun spring to this point, and this Avalanche team deserves multiple hosannas for all the joy it brought us. The future looks bright. This team has the fourth pick in the draft and a bunch of money to spend under the salary cap. Probably not a whole lot is needed to get to another level – and keep in mind this team took another step up the ladder with that first-round win over No. 1 Calgary.

Here’s what I think would do the trick:

• More size. I’m not saying go out and get a bunch of goon behemoths. First off, you can’t be a goon anymore in this league. You have to skate. But the Avs need to get a bit bigger up front. San Jose’s forwards showed that in this series. They are a bigger team, a bit harder to handle in the corners and in front of the net. A lot of the Sharks’ goals were from rebounds in front or tips in front or just after a lot of cycling down low.
• Go out and get another proven goal-scorer. This could have come had the Avs gotten either the first or second pick with that one they had from Ottawa, but the ping-pong balls bounced the wrong way again and now it’s No. 4. They’ll still get a hell of a player most likely, but it’s probably not the guarantee for next year it might have been with a Jack Hughes or a Kaapo Kakko.
• So, this might have to come via trade or free agency. Some pretty nice goal scorers figure to be out there, such as Artemi Panarin or Jeff Skinner or, gulp, a Matt Duchene (no, I don’t think there will be a reunion with him, but stranger things have happened probably). Whoever it is, the Avs need another good stick. After the top line of MacKinnon, Landeskog and Rantanen, it was still a bit too hard for the Avs to score goals – although I really like the way guys like J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost showed in those final two games of this series.
• Make it easier on yourselves in the regular season. That means, no more having to win the last game of the year just to get in (I know that wasn’t the case, but it was close) and get a higher seed than the second Wild Card spot. The Avs team that lost the 2000 Western finals in a Game 7 at Dallas made it a vow on the flight home that night to have every potential Game 7 at home the next season, and they did. And, that came in mighty handy in Game 7 wins against Los Angeles and, for the Cup, New Jersey. This Avs team has to make it a vow to at least finish higher than eighth next season and get more of that home cookin.’ We all saw what a difference a roaring crowd makes, in this series.
• I’m not sure the solution on this one, but it probably goes to the job Bednar has to keep doing with this group: I just think this team needs a bit more mental toughness, more of a killer attitude. Again, in this one, the Avs came out soft. To me, that was the whole key tonight: the start. I thought if the Avs could take a lead and, more important, sustain it for a while, they would win. But it was 2-0 after the first 12 minutes. When MacKinnon hurt himself going into the boards at 4:56 of the first, his teammates kind of wilted for a while from it. San Jose scored twice while MacKinnon was still in the dressing room, getting a pain injection (yes, that’s hockey tough for ya).
• The problem of relaxing a bit after some success – be it a big win or a big goal or two in a game – is still there somewhat. This team has to play like the game is 0-0. Yeah, that’s hard to do and human nature is what it is. But championship teams play like that. Someone needs to drill that mindset into the players.
• They need to win more faceoffs. The percentage tonight: 38 percent. Not good enough.

Hey, I want to thank everyone on behalf of BSN Denver for reading, subscribing and for keeping this a lively, growing site. We can’t do it without you.

Keep your chins up, people, better days will come. Promise.