Hockey Talk

Unlucky 14

The New Jersey Devils winning game streak ended last night at 13 with a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The same Leafs that they beat just six days ago in Toronto. 

The Devils matched a franchise win streak with 13 games. The kicker with last nights game was that New Jersey had three goals called back. 

The first came roughly eight minutes into the first period when Siegenthaler took a shot from the point. The call was immediately ruled goaltender interference because the skate blade go goalie Matt Murray and forward Nate Bastian touched. I personally think it was not as Murray was already down in the save position. He very well could have effectively made the save. His skate sliding into Bastian's did not effect the fact that the puck was already through his legs. There was even a second of separation between the two blades. This would have gave the Devils a 1-0 lead. 

The Devils had another goal disallowed at 4:52 of the second when Murray was bumped off his skates by Tomas Tatar after playing the puck at the post. 

Tavares scored 4 minutes later giving the Leafs a 1-0 lead. two minutes after that Holmberg extends the lead to 2-0.  Both goals were in close proximity and were 5 whole goals. 

The third goal call back occurred 9 minutes into the second it was a beautifully executed shorthanded goal by New Jersey. Haula and Bastian executed a two on one. Haula kicked it across the paint and it was deflected in by a Toronto player. It was ruled as a kick of the puck into the goal. 

With 5 minutes to go Dougie Hamilton deflected it in front to make it 2-1 Toronto. 

The Devils had a slow start but with three goals called back its hard to keep momentum. They did though and they fought until the very last second. Their record is now 16-4-0. They sit with 32 points, first in the metro division, second in the eastern conference and third in the league behind Boston with 34 points and Vegas with 33.