There is a karmic rule which states that, if there is a video review of an important goal and the Buffalo Sabres are involved, it will not go their way. It is known.
This rule was borne out in all its hideous glory last night when the New York Rangers won 2-1 to tie the 2nd round series at two games apiece. Daniel Briere appeared to score in the final seconds of the game, but it was waved off because the video review was "inconclusive." If you want to know what I think, I think that the Sabres should have a free pass on this one. I think that the league owes them, and in fact, every video review call that they are involved with for the next twenty years should automatically go their way. Just because.
I refer, of course, to the famous No Goal travesty of 1999 (BTW, how much do I love that someone Wiki'ed "No Goal"?). IN CASE there is anyone who is not familiar with it (why aren't you? haven't you been watching hockey in the last ten years? where do you come from?), this was when Brett Hull "scored" in triple overtime of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the goal that clinched the Dallas Stars' victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The Stars won the Cup on that goal. Only problem was, it wasn't a goal. But the Stars had already jumped off the bench and thrown their equipment all over the ice, and the NHL decided it was too late to bother to review it. It CLEARLY was not a goal, by the current rules at the time, because Hull's skate was in the crease. Later, instead of admitting their mistake in this PR nightmare, the NHL made up a bogus explanation that no one had ever heard of before, and then quietly changed the rule the next season. It was a time of deep bitterness for many fans. This call has since been ranked by ESPN as the 5th worst call in sports history.
Do I think Daniel Briere's goal last night with 13 seconds left was legit? Yes. Lundqvist was way out of position, and he had to make the save by sticking his pad INTO the goal. That in itself should tell you it was questionable. The camera they use is located slightly behind the net, so as not to have its view obscured by the top post. Therefore, just because you can't "see a sliver of white" on the camera indicating the puck entirely crossed the red line doesn't mean it wasn't a goal. Hello, geometry. I am also not the only one who thinks so. Just looking at Lundqvist's reaction, you knew he escaped with a lucky one there. What he was doing screwing off behind the net with under a minute to play and the Sabres with the man advantage is beyond me. His ass was saved by this call.
That said. The Sabres took the first two periods off. And now their series is tied 2-2 heading back to Buffalo. They better have their shit straight on Friday.
Deep breath.
