Controversial goalie interference call has both Seattle Kraken and Dallas Stars left confused

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Matt Garland
May 10, 2023 (10:33)

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Officiating has become a hot topic in this years' playoffs for all the wrong reasons. It was the case again after the Seattle Kraken and Dallas Stars battled in Game 4. The Stars tied up the series with a 6-3 victory.

The goal that gave the Stars a 3-0 lead is the one that has the Kraken fired up.

Dallas forward Jamie Benn was backing into the crease when he makes contact with Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer pushes Benn's arm with his glove, bouncing off him off balance.

Grubauer slid across the crease and attempted to set up, but he wasn't in ideal position for Max Domi's eventual shot. Benn got a bump from Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy and wound up screening Grubauer to some degree. His movements from there could be translated as due diligence, in an effort to avoid further contact as he turned around, throwing his hips backward away from Grubauer.

Grubauer threw his hands up in objection as soon as the puck went in.

Kraken coach was backing his goalie post game on the missed goalie interference:

"I felt like Grubi got blown out of the crease,» Hakstol said, «Regardless of the amount of time in between, to be able to reset was impossible. He got blown too far out of the crease on that play."

«In my opinion there's really something wrong there, and that's how I evaluate it. I don't look for something that's close, or (go) splitting hairs on it. Grubi did not have a chance to do his job on that play. And if I look at it, he never really got reset.»

Kraken forward Jared McCann is frustrated by the league's lack of consistency in the calls:

"I have no idea what the hell goalie interference is anymore. I really don't,» Kraken winger Jared McCann, who returned to the lineup after a six-game absence due to injury, said, «I don't think anybody does in this league."

«We thought it was guaranteed goalie interference. He made contact with (Philipp Grubauer) and the puck went in. It was pretty obvious. I don't know what else to say.»

Directly from the 2022-23 NHL rule book: «Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper's ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.»

Stars coach Pete DeBoer saw things differently:

"It looked to me like there was a little bit of a bump. I thought he reset,» he said, «And then I thought, (from) my perspective, there was a second bump, but he got pushed in on the second one, and it was outside the paint. So I thought it was the right call.»

Game 5 is on Thursday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

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Do you think the Stars 3rd goal should have counted?
Yes, Grubauer tried to sell it too hard	95	54.3 %
No, Stars player clearly made contact	80	45.7 %
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