Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Sports fans love to convince themselves the refs have a vendetta against their team whenever things don’t go their way. That belief usually doesn’t have any basis in reality, but it would be hard to blame Avalanche fans for thinking that was the case after Kelly Sutherland inadvertently gifted the Maple Leafs a shorthanded goal on Wednesday night.
There are a few sports where the officials tasked with overseeing games frequently end up at the center of the action, and the refs who keep order during football and hockey games need to keep their heads on a swivel to avoid interfering with the proceedings as they unfold.
During the most recent college football season, Maryland got an assist from an official who was accidentally responsible for a block that helped the Terrapins score a 75-yard touchdown against Indiana. That didn’t turn out to be a huge factor in the game, but the same can’t be said about what transpired when the Maples Leafs faced off against the Avalanche on Wednesday.
The two teams were tied 1-1 heading into the third period when Colorado got the chance to take advantage of the power play after Toronto was called for too many men on the ice less than two minutes into the final frame.
The Avalanche were still looking to capitalize halfway through the two-minute penalty and headed into the attacking zone before Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit got his stick on the puck to make what should have been a pretty routine clear.
However, things took a very unexpected turn courtesy of referee Kelly Sutherland, who tripped while attempting to avoid the puck that ended up striking him as he fell down near center ice.
Toronto’s Steven Lorentz quickly scooped in to grab the biscuit before surging toward the goal and firing a wrister at Mackenzie Blackwood, who probably should have made the save but was unable to prevent the goal that gave the Maples Leafs the 2-1 lead.
A goal can only be called off if the puck strikes an official immediately before going into the net, as the NHL rulebook states play simply continues in all other circumstances.
There was subsequently nothing the Avalanche could do after falling victim to some of the worst puck luck you’ll ever see, and they were unable to answer in a game where the 2-1 score stood until the final whistle.
Brutal.