Did it cross the line? We may never know \u2014\u00a0but what is certain is that the Oilers season is now on the brink.<\/p>\n
The Ducks\u2019 Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime after his sharp-angle shot hit an Edmonton skate in front and reluctantly trickled under goalie Tristan Jarry for a 4-3 Anaheim victory.<\/p>\n
The refs officials made no call on the ice before huddling and ruling it a goal. An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry\u2019s skate.<\/p>\n
The puck was partially blocked out on the overhead angle by the goaltender\u2019s skate, making it impossible to tell if it had fully crossed the line.<\/p>\n
The puck is behind Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry and ruled a goal by officials. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Poehling celebrated immediately, even though he wasn\u2019t totally sure the game was over.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I saw some white (between the puck and the goal line) when I was behind the net,\u201d Poehling said. \u201cThen everyone was celebrating. Did it go in? I\u2019m like, \u2018I think so?\u2019 But yeah, I thought so right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not all would agree with the Poehiling.<\/p>\n
Longtime NHL player Ryan Whitney fumed in a video on X about the controversy.<\/p>\n
Warning: Graphic Language<\/p>\n
\u201cBulls\u2014t. This is bulls\u2014t,\u201d Whitney, who hosts the Spittin\u2019 Chiclets podcast on Barstool. \u201cThis is a scam, you do not see the puck across the line\u2026 I don\u2019t know how it was called a goal on the ice. Nobody can see anything and the replay doesn\u2019t show the puck go over the line all the way. <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019m taking crazy pills\u2026 This is a disgrace to the National Hockey League. This is the worst call I\u2019ve ever seen in an NHL playoff game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oiler coach Kris Knoblauch felt similarly, even if it didn\u2019t quite use as strong as language as Whitney. <\/p>\n
The Ducks react after Ryan Poehling scored what was eventually ruled the game-winning goal. AP<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t see it going in,\u201d Knoblauch said. \u201cI can\u2019t see the line. \u2026 The (initial) goal call on the ice was probably about 60 to 90 seconds after (the shot), maybe even more. They huddled when they got to center ice, and then they made the (initial) call that it was a good goal. I don\u2019t know. Wasn\u2019t very definitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ducks now lead the first-round series 3-1 with Game 5 back in Edmonton on Tuesday night. <\/p>\n
Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.<\/p>\n
The Ducks completed their NHL-best 10th multi-goal comeback of the season when Poehling\u2019s sharp-angled shot hit an Edmonton skate in front and reluctantly trickled under goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. <\/p>\n
Tristan Jarry\u2019s skate blocks the overhead view. TSN\/X<\/p>\n
Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals in the second period for the Ducks, who have scored 20 goals in four games to begin their team\u2019s first Stanley Cup playoff series in eight years. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots and made a pair of spectacular saves on Connor McDavid in the final minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just playing so connected right now, and we\u2019re doing a good job of doing the right things,\u201d said Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who leads the NHL in postseason scoring with eight points after recording two assists in Game 4. \u201cWe\u2019re all just feeling great, and I think we\u2019re all competing to the best of our ability, and it\u2019s just paying off right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evan Bouchard scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jarry made 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored first-period goals.<\/p>\n
“The issue I have with this is I don’t understand how you can say that puck is completely crossing the goal line. There’s no official behind the net there.” <\/p>\n
The Hockey Central Panel discusses the Game 4 OT winner in Anaheim pic.twitter.com\/SDWUZ9GlVL<\/a><\/p>\n