Report: How Knoblauch and Oilers successfully challenge offsides nullifying apparent Panthers goal…
Kris Knoblauch continues to demonstrate his strategic prowess as the Edmonton Oilers progress towards the Stanley Cup Final.
During a pivotal moment in Game 6 of the final, the coach, who took over in November, successfully challenged a goal by the Florida Panthers. The offside ruling nullified a goal by Aleksander Barkov, which came just 10 seconds after Adam Henrique’s goal had given the Oilers a 2-0 lead.
Officials, after consulting with the NHL’s situation room in Toronto, determined that Sam Reinhart had entered the zone a fraction of a second before Barkov carried the puck in. The crowd of over 18,000 erupted in cheers when Chris Rooney announced the offside call and disallowed the goal.
Throughout the playoffs, Knoblauch has made decisive moves, including a key goaltending change in the second round and various lineup adjustments. If the challenge had failed, Edmonton would have received a two-minute minor penalty, giving Florida a power play opportunity to tie the game.
The Oilers had a dismal start to the season, losing 10 of their first 13 games, which led to Jay Woodcroft’s firing and Knoblauch’s hiring. Knoblauch had previously coached Connor McDavid in junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters a decade ago.
Leave a Reply