Jordan Martinook is absolutely dumbfounded after a referee makes one of the worst calls all season
Late in the third period of last night's game between the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes there was an unusual penalty called. Jordan Martinook was given a two-minute minor for playing with a broken stick. Once play was stopped and a penalty was called, Martinook was visibly upset.
Martinook went to the corner boards to backhand the puck out of his own end. As he tried to backhand the puck his stick broke. He continued to battle for the puck for a moment with Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad and then dropped his stick. From the referee's perspective, he apparently did not drop his stick soon enough and a penalty was called. The referee crew even got together to discuss the play and determined it was a penalty. Watch the replay below. Did you think that was a penalty?
This was a big penalty to call this late in the game. The Rangers had the lead 4-3 with just under three minutes to go. I understand you can't play the puck with a broken stick, but I thought this call was petty. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour was not pleased with the call either. Martinook was competing hard in the corner boards with Zibanejad. Given the circumstances, I thought the ref should have let this one play itself out particularly so late in the game. The Rangers did score on the penalty to make the game 5-3 and ended the Hurricanes win streak of eleven games.
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