Russ Cohen: Cam Ward, Obstructed View or Cheater?

That's nothing new. There's a YouTube clip of Ward doing that two years ago against the Penguins.

It's an inconsistency thing with the officiating. Petr Mrazek took a puck to the mask and it popped a strap loose so he shook the helmet off to get a whistle while NJ put in the rebound for the goal. It's one of those judgement calls the officials always seem to get wrong.

Here is my view on the blown goal. Derick Brassard did make some minor contact with Cam Ward's helmet. Because of that, it's almost impossible for the official to not make the call when Ward takes his helmet off. Yes, it clearly was fishy and likely that the goal should have counted but that incidental contact gives Ward some plausible deniability. Once the replay booth saw that, there is no way they can clearly state Ward just took off his helmet to stop play, as much as well think and believe that was the case

dwayne roloson used to pull this trick. there would be some contact, the play would continue, and when things got dicey, he would shake his head like Regan from the Exorcist until his mask would come off.

Is talbot playing tonight? Need to know for my fantasy team

Forget the no goal but he put himself in more danger by taking his mask off and not knowing where the puck is, that could have been very ugly

i didn't see the play, so i can't comment on that specifically, but when a strap comes loose, it's dangerous to play with the mask on like that. the goalie is not going to take his glove or blocker off and try to fix it during the play unless it goes the other way and has plenty of time. the only way to deal with it is to shake it loose off your head so you can get a stoppage and fix it.

as an active goalie myself, having played for 35 years, i can tell you this has happened to me on numerous occasions. if the play goes the other way and i have time to fix it, i will. if not, shaking it off or playing with it loose is the only option until there's a whistle. i'm more interested in protecting my face/head than having the game continue. that's just me.

i didn't see the play, so i can't comment on that specifically, but when a strap comes loose, it's dangerous to play with the mask on like that. the goalie is not going to take his glove or blocker off and try to fix it during the play unless it goes the other way and has plenty of time. the only way to deal with it is to shake it loose off your head so you can get a stoppage and fix it.

as an active goalie myself, having played for 35 years, i can tell you this has happened to me on numerous occasions. if the play goes the other way and i have time to fix it, i will. if not, shaking it off or playing with it loose is the only option until there's a whistle. i'm more interested in protecting my face/head than having the game continue. that's just me.
- hammarby31

The crazy thing about last night was Ward threw off his mask as the shot from the point was coming right at him.

The crazy thing about last night was Ward threw off his mask as the shot from the point was coming right at him.
- TPC

He's (frank)ing manly if anything.

If the puck was in his sights, I bet you anything he continues to play and stay in position to make a save. He was clearly screened out of the play completely by Brassard and his own player and had no clue where the puck was. I think thats the real reason he threw off his helmet. Yes he had a loose strap, but he would've kept playing if he was still tracking the puck. So in a sense, I agree with the bushleague move. He knew he lost the puck, and a scoring chance was high, so he stopped play.