You’d be hard-pressed to find a team going through it more than the Buffalo Sabres right now.
The latest gut punch came less than three minutes into the first period against Toronto as Sabres forward Jason Zucker worked the puck into the zone, setting up a nice passing play that resulted in an Alex Tuch goal and a 1-1 tie.
However, the goal was disallowed by officials because Zucker high-sticked Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev just seconds before Tuch found the back of the net.
The penalty was recognized by a linesperson, who informed the referees of the high-stick once the play ended and blood was seen.
According to Rule 32.4 of the NHL Rulebook, “Should a linesperson witness an infraction committed by an attacking player (undetected by the referees) prior to the attacking team scoring a goal, the linesperson shall report what he witnessed to the referees, the goal shall be disallowed and the appropriate penalty assessed.”
The rule goes on to explain that a linesperson should only stop play in a high-stick situation “when it is apparent that an injury has resulted from a high-stick that has gone undetected by the referees and requires the assessment of a double-minor penalty.”
So, while Zucker was assessed a four-minute double-minor for high-sticking, the lack of apparent injury to Tanev meant that the linesperson had to allow the play to finish.
The Maple Leafs were capitalize on their four-minute man-advantage, with Auston Matthews scoring a power-play goal for a 2-0 lead.