Todd Cordell: Schneider, Hall lead Devils past Canucks in overtime

Here's to the 13th overall pick!

I 1000% agree about how awful the off-sides challenges are.

Something that gets lost in modern sports is that at the end of the day sports are an entertainment product. I think people get so bogged down in rules and everything always being as completely fair as possible that the pure "fun" factor of sports suffers.

Especially in the playoffs when a huge goal is taken away for being an inch off-side, not only does it suck the fun out of the moment but it's also so not the point of the off-sides rule. We get it, Matt Duchene was a mile off-side that one time...every other time a goal has been taken away it's been nonsense.

It blows my mind that in a league that's consistently complaining about there not being enough goal scoring, they're taking away goals like this, not to mention slowing the game down to have the review in the first place.

The coach's challenge is the worst thing to happen in the NHL in a long time.

Todd Cordell: Schneider, Hall lead Devils past Canucks in overtime
- Todd.Cordell

Zacha just needs to keep firing at the net

I 1000% agree about how awful the off-sides challenges are.

Something that gets lost in modern sports is that at the end of the day sports are an entertainment product. I think people get so bogged down in rules and everything always being as completely fair as possible that the pure "fun" factor of sports suffers.

Especially in the playoffs when a huge goal is taken away for being an inch off-side, not only does it suck the fun out of the moment but it's also so not the point of the off-sides rule. We get it, Matt Duchene was a mile off-side that one time...every other time a goal has been taken away it's been nonsense.

It blows my mind that in a league that's consistently complaining about there not being enough goal scoring, they're taking away goals like this, not to mention slowing the game down to have the review in the first place.

The coach's challenge is the worst thing to happen in the NHL in a long time.
- MannySilvers

Are you arguing about the offside being called because he was indeed offside OR the coaches challenge on the offside resulting in no goal? or both?

Are you arguing about the offside being called because he was indeed offside OR the coaches challenge on the offside resulting in no goal? or both?
- Codes1087

I'm arguing that regardless of it being "technically the right call" if a player is so barely off-sides that you need to watch a slowed down HD feed multiple times to be able to tell, a goal scored shouldn't be taken away and the game shouldn't be slowed to a halt for 2 minutes to take that goal away. Hockey is an imperfect sport that's fast paced and exciting, and I do not believe that the "virtue" of "getting every call 100% right" is worth the excitement and fun you take away from the game in situations like this.

And just to be clear, this isn't so much about last night's call, this has annoyed me most when watching playoff games last year (none of which involved the Devils of course) when a big goal is taken away because a player was an inch off-sides 15 seconds before the goal was scored.

Reality is the point of the off-sides rule is so guys can't cherry pick and to create a clear zone to set-up offense. If a guy is so barely off-sides that a trained official can't tell in real time, it shouldn't be an issue. Sure occasionally mistakes may be made but again, it's an imperfect sport and I believe the fun and excitement are more important than trying to get every single call 100% perfect (which will never happen).

Here's to the 13th overall pick!
- shvingter88

Hisher

I'm arguing that regardless of it being "technically the right call" if a player is so barely off-sides that you need to watch a slowed down HD feed multiple times to be able to tell, a goal scored shouldn't be taken away and the game shouldn't be slowed to a halt for 2 minutes to take that goal away. Hockey is an imperfect sport that's fast paced and exciting, and I do not believe that the "virtue" of "getting every call 100% right" is worth the excitement and fun you take away from the game in situations like this.

And just to be clear, this isn't so much about last night's call, this has annoyed me most when watching playoff games last year (none of which involved the Devils of course) when a big goal is taken away because a player was an inch off-sides 15 seconds before the goal was scored.

Reality is the point of the off-sides rule is so guys can't cherry pick and to create a clear zone to set-up offense. If a guy is so barely off-sides that a trained official can't tell in real time, it shouldn't be an issue. Sure occasionally mistakes may be made but again, it's an imperfect sport and I believe the fun and excitement are more important than trying to get every single call 100% perfect (which will never happen).
- MannySilvers

I am afraid you are in for more disappointment then my friend. The league is getting more and more tech savy every year. Have you noticed the tablets that each coach has behind the bench to review plays? Or the ear pieces assistant coaches have that keep them in touch with people who advise on challenges? They have rotating cameras on the benches now. I agree its getting a little ridiculous, but it is what it is.

I'm arguing that regardless of it being "technically the right call" if a player is so barely off-sides that you need to watch a slowed down HD feed multiple times to be able to tell, a goal scored shouldn't be taken away and the game shouldn't be slowed to a halt for 2 minutes to take that goal away. Hockey is an imperfect sport that's fast paced and exciting, and I do not believe that the "virtue" of "getting every call 100% right" is worth the excitement and fun you take away from the game in situations like this.

And just to be clear, this isn't so much about last night's call, this has annoyed me most when watching playoff games last year (none of which involved the Devils of course) when a big goal is taken away because a player was an inch off-sides 15 seconds before the goal was scored.

Reality is the point of the off-sides rule is so guys can't cherry pick and to create a clear zone to set-up offense. If a guy is so barely off-sides that a trained official can't tell in real time, it shouldn't be an issue. Sure occasionally mistakes may be made but again, it's an imperfect sport and I believe the fun and excitement are more important than trying to get every single call 100% perfect (which will never happen).

All of this seems to make complete sense, except when it really matters and you're on the losing side.

Imagine a game 7 Stanley cup final and you're team is the one that gets scored on with an offside. They let the goal stand because, to paraphrase you, "entertainment and flow of game is more important than always getting the right call". Your team loses the game and the opposition is in their massive huddle cheering while hoisting up the cup. This is when you might decide "getting the call right" might have some merit after all.

Hisher
- K-dizzle

Klim kostin is good as ours

All of this seems to make complete sense, except when it really matters and you're on the losing side.

Imagine a game 7 Stanley cup final and you're team is the one that gets scored on with an offside. They let the goal stand because, to paraphrase you, "entertainment and flow of game is more important than always getting the right call". Your team loses the game and the opposition is in their massive huddle cheering while hoisting up the cup. This is when you might decide "getting the call right" might have some merit after all.
- Thecakeisalie

The league could have different rules for the playoffs. The issue with the Hall offsides is he had the puck and it's not like looking if another player went In the zone first. It was really irrelevant to the play/goal. It's like reviewing for to see if there was any minute goalie contact to rule goalie interference. It might happen on any play but if the officials don't call it it's gone. The replay was put in to correct the rare major error but has turned into this sideshow.

This isn't to reduce the importance of getting the right call but to bring some reasonability to the rule. To me it seems more relevant that the infraction affected the outcome then using the rule to eliminate a good goal in an irrelevant technicality.

I'm arguing that regardless of it being "technically the right call" if a player is so barely off-sides that you need to watch a slowed down HD feed multiple times to be able to tell, a goal scored shouldn't be taken away and the game shouldn't be slowed to a halt for 2 minutes to take that goal away. Hockey is an imperfect sport that's fast paced and exciting, and I do not believe that the "virtue" of "getting every call 100% right" is worth the excitement and fun you take away from the game in situations like this.

And just to be clear, this isn't so much about last night's call, this has annoyed me most when watching playoff games last year (none of which involved the Devils of course) when a big goal is taken away because a player was an inch off-sides 15 seconds before the goal was scored.

Reality is the point of the off-sides rule is so guys can't cherry pick and to create a clear zone to set-up offense. If a guy is so barely off-sides that a trained official can't tell in real time, it shouldn't be an issue. Sure occasionally mistakes may be made but again, it's an imperfect sport and I believe the fun and excitement are more important than trying to get every single call 100% perfect (which will never happen).
- MannySilvers

The Buffalo Sabres fan base probably don't agree with you.

All of this seems to make complete sense, except when it really matters and you're on the losing side.

Imagine a game 7 Stanley cup final and you're team is the one that gets scored on with an offside. They let the goal stand because, to paraphrase you, "entertainment and flow of game is more important than always getting the right call". Your team loses the game and the opposition is in their massive huddle cheering while hoisting up the cup. This is when you might decide "getting the call right" might have some merit after all.
- Thecakeisalie

Yep I totally understand this and I'm pretty much saying I personally am OKAY with occasional fan outrage for an overall better/more entertaining product.

Not to mention that controversial goals/plays tend to make for better sports conversation and coverage.

I am afraid you are in for more disappointment then my friend. The league is getting more and more tech savy every year. Have you noticed the tablets that each coach has behind the bench to review plays? Or the ear pieces assistant coaches have that keep them in touch with people who advise on challenges? They have rotating cameras on the benches now. I agree its getting a little ridiculous, but it is what it is.
- Codes1087

In a world where technology evolved to the point where a play an inch off-sides is caught immediately (by a sensor or something) and blown dead, I'd be fine with that. My issue isn't so much with plays being called off-side for being an inch off, it's goals retroactively being taken away and the game slowed to a halt for 2 minutes to figure that out. If all the barely off-sides plays were somehow called live, I'd have no issue.