No lead is safe in the NHL. The officials buckle under the enormous pressure and make bad calls.
Especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Just ask the Buffalo Sabres. Brett Hull was obviously in the crease when he scored the Stanley Cup clinching goal against Dominik Hasek in 1999.
Losing sucks. It sucks even more when the officials make a brutal call that messes with the integrity of a classic NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game.
On Cinco De Mayo, The Edmonton Oilers thought they had an unbreakable death grip on Game 5 in Anaheim.
The Oilers had built a 3-0 lead and seemingly were cruising to the finish line. Goals by Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Drake Caggiula put the Oilers in the drivers seat.
Then, hell broke loose and the Ducks attacked the Oilers in legendary fashion.
The final 3.5 minutes of regulation. lt was the most surreal sequence of NHL hockey that I have witnessed in over 20 years.
Trailing 3-0, but not dead yet, captain Ryan Getzlaf led his team from out of their shallow grave to a tie.
Getzlaf, who has been a Hell's Angel in this series, ignited his team's passion when he scored on a lucky shot that kissed in off an Oilers player’s backside.
Just 30 seconds later, Cam Fowler then trademark wristed a puck from the point.
Then Ricky Rakell tied the game during a demolition derby of a goal mouth scramble with 15 seconds left in the period.
As you can plainly see above, the Oilers were pissed off that Ducks agitator Ryan Kessler interfered with Cam Talbot as he tried to make the save on Rakell. The game-tying goal was reviewed to confirm if there was goalie interference on the Talbot. And there was.
For some unknown reason to the hockey world, the officials allowed the Rakell goal to stand and ruled it a good goal.
Everyone associated with the Oilers lost their minds, and rightly so, as a result of the verdict. Oilers management, coaching staff, players and fans all felt that they had been screwed royally by the referees.
Peter Chiarelli’s reaction to the Ducks’ tying goal was amazing pic.twitter.com/1SnRWUlppn
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 6, 2017
Oilers legend and multi-time Stanley Cup winner Grant Fuhr didn't sugar coat his disdain for the garbage officiating in Oilers-Ducks Game 5:
Greatgame by both teams but a shame the officials were involved in the result again ducks deserve full marks for perseverance But Oil Robbed
— Grant Fuhr (@grantfuhr) May 6, 2017
"I don't know what interference is anymore," McLellan said in disgust after the game. "Obviously Kesler was pushed in, there's no doubt about that. But we have a strong belief that he had wrapped his arm around Talbs' leg."
"It was a mad scramble, so obviously guys are going to end up at the net," McDavid added. "But I felt that Talbs didn't really have a chance to make the save. Ultimately, it's a tough call for the ref to make. He's ultimately deciding the game."
The game ultimately went to double overtime and the Ducks got the OT game-winner from Corey Perry, his first goal of the playoffs.
With their 4-3 victory over the Oilers, the Ducks now have a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.
I absolutely love Connor McDavid's post game attitude:
You will see us here in Wednesday night!! That's when Game 7 is played in Anaheim.
But first, the Oilers have to detox and cleanse their souls of the bitterness and disgust of the Gane 5 loss.
Game 6 is Sunday night in Edmonton.
I clicked off my TV at 2:45 am after Perry scored the OT G DUB.
I'm exhausted.