Bruce Cassidy isn’t happy with the Vegas Golden Knights through two games against the Edmonton Oilers. But he also was not pleased with the officials in Game 2.
Cassidy ripped the officials for a missed tripping call against top defenseman Brayden McNabb mere seconds before Leon Draisaitl’s game-winning goal in overtime boosted the Oilers to a 5-4 win and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference second round.
McNabb left the game after he went face-first into the glass after he was tripped by Oilers forward Viktor Arvidsson. Cassidy called out referee Gord Dwyer, who kept his arm down despite looking directly at the play.
“Gord’s looking right at it,” Cassidy of McNabb said after the game. “He blew it. He missed the call. I don’t know what else to say.
“It’s a can-opener trip. It’s a dangerous play. It’s all those things, but it didn’t get called so you gotta keep playing.”
Less than 20 seconds later, Draisaitl beat Vegas goalie Adin Hill — after receiving a fabulous feed from Connor McDavid — to clinch Edmonton’s second straight win.
“They made a play and capitalized on it,” Cassidy said. “It stings to lose that way.”
Cassidy didn’t have an update of McNabb’s status for Game 3 during his press availability Friday.
Not The Only Miss
The Golden Knights’ power play was 2 for 4, with Victor Olofsson striking for his first two career Stanley Cup playoff goals on the power play. Cassidy lamented the non-call, whereas Golden Knights fans were frustrated by two missed calls against Edmonton.
Aside from the McNabb trip, which took out the Golden Knights’ No. 2 ice-time producer in Game 2, the Oilers also got off the hook for a missed high-sticking penalty against defenseman Brett Kulak with about 10 minutes left in the third period.
Vegas trailed 4-3 at the time Kulak clipped Golden Knights center Jack Eichel at the top of the Edmonton crease. Though the Golden Knights ultimately tied the game, on Alex Pietrangelo’s goal less than two minutes later, they could have, potentially, won the game in regulation.
But Vegas was down two players when Draisaitl scored, since Nic Roy was dealt a major penalty and game misconduct for cross checking Trent Frederic at 5:37 of overtime.
The Golden Knights killed that off, which pleased Cassidy, even though Roy is likely to be suspended after the NHL announced he would receive a hearing from the Department of Player Safety on Friday.
“You do build momentum from that kill,” he said. “It was great to see the guys dig in.”
Players react
Cassidy called McNabb “one of the most popular players” on the Golden Knights, so unsurprisingly his teammates were also frustrated by the missed call.
“It’s awful to see,” Olofsson said. “It’s a pretty clear trip and a dangerous play going full speed maybe 10 feet away from the boards. Pretty clear trip, and I think that was an obvious call that they didn’t make.”
“Pretty clear it’s a penalty,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said. “[Arvidsson’s] stick is between McNabb’s legs. He sends him head-first into the boards. It’s a pretty clear-cut penalty in my eyes — I think everybody’s eyes. But that’s hockey. You don’t always get the calls.
“It’s unfortunate we may be down a D-man.”
Golden Knights Coach Blasts Refs Over Missed Penalty In Overtime