The hockey world is buzzing after a controversial name in Sunday night time’s matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. Throughout the first interval, Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj squared up with Flyers’ Sean Couturier following a excessive hit on Canadiens ahead Kirby Dach. Simply as Xhekaj and Couturier ready to drop the gloves, Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler charged in, throwing an surprising punch at Xhekaj. What ought to have been a one-on-one struggle shortly was a two-on-one state of affairs.
The strangest half about all the sequence is that the officers known as Xhekaj with the unsportsmanlike penalty and didn’t penalize Seeler in any respect.
The Flyers wound up with an influence play which ignited important backlash and theories that the officers have been out to ship a message to Xhekaj. Many followers argued that Seeler’s interference ought to have warranted an offsetting penalty, if not an influence play for the Canadiens.
The decision sparked heated reactions on-line, with NHL broadcaster PJ Inventory tweeting, “NHL is totally fallacious on the decision within the Canadiens Flyers sport. Horrible name. Two Flyers drop their gloves. 1 Canadien. 1 penalty to Montreal.” Inventory advised the league must step in and proper a fallacious. “That is the place NY has to leap in. It’s hockey in October. Superb. Think about this occurred in April.”
Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan additionally weighed in, criticizing the decision: “So #Habs Arber Xhekaj is the second participant to drop the gloves after Couturier drops his after which will get jumped by a 3rd man and Xhekaj’s the one one who will get a penalty? NHL officiating…”
Did the Officers Get the Xhekaj Name Appropriate?
Followers in Montreal have been outraged as Xhekaj adopted protocol by ready till Couturier was prepared, solely to face a penalty for an incident through which he was blindsided by a 3rd participant. It was a wierd name contemplating one might argue that few have ever seen something like that decision. It might have simply been a 5-on-3 for Montreal when the sequence was over.
if NHL officers are going to be making these sorts of calls, this may very well be an extended season.
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