In a season full of a few highs and many lows, the Colorado Avalanche’s home season ended on Thursday in a fashion reflective of that trend as a rookie recorded his first ever NHL goal, and a potential last-minute, game-tying goal was called off after a questionable call. The Avs dropped their home closer to the Minnesota Wild, 4-3.
Tyson Jost, who made his NHL debut just a week before Thursday’s game at the Pepsi Center after finishing his freshman season at the University of North Dakota, got on the board for the first time in a pro uniform when he shot the puck over the shoulder of Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk and into the back of the net to break a 2-0 disadvantage early in the second period. That was the Avalanche’s dose of elation for the night.
Fast forward to the end of the third period, when with just over a minute left in regulation, Sven Andrighetto scored the potential game-tying goal to force the third home overtime in a row. The play was reviewed twice. The goal was upheld after the first. It was reviewed again after Wild coach Bruce Boudreau challenged for goaltender interference. The referees determined that Nathan MacKinnon ran into the Wild’s Jonas Brodin, who in turn, knocked over his own goalie Devan Dubnyk. As such, the goal was called off.
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog disagreed with the official’s decision. Postgame he said he believed the goal would have–and should have–counted.
“I think it’s a good hockey goal,” Landeskog said. “I think it’s a good hockey goal any way you look at it. It’s a battle in front of the next. It’s a loose puck. Nate’s hacking and whacking away, and Dubnyk falls on his back because he’s trying to cover the puck; but it’s not covered and Andrighetto puts it in. I think it’s a good hockey goal any way you cut it.”
But the refs somehow saw the play differently, calling what could only be described as goalie interference through osmosis.
“I don’t know how it works, but I’m assuming two different people were reviewing it because I don’t know how they review it then disallow it in a different review,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “So, it’s got to be different people looking at it, which, if that’s the case, it’s strange. I don’t know if that’s the right way to do it. Obviously, it doesn’t really matter for us in the standings, but it’s just frustrating. We want to win.”
With the home season behind them and their season to forget winding down to its last few games, the Avs dropped to 22-55-3 on the season as they head next to Dallas on Saturday, April 8. Puck drop is at 6 p.m MT.
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