Refs with brutal missed call on dangerous play by Caps forward on Leafs defenseman
In the second period of the Leafs/Capitals game, Leafs defenseman Justin Holl was taken down awkwardly while retrieving the puck in his own zone by Capitals forward Anthony Mantha. Surprisingly, there was no call on the dangerous play.
Although it is shocking that there was no call on the play, perhaps it was a result viewers should have expected. In the game, there were only eight penalty minutes combined between the two teams in a rather physical game where the Capitals outhit the Leafs 37-17.
Still, for a dangerous play like this, you'd expect a call to be made in favour of the Leafs, since it was a clear rule violation. It was evident throughout the entire game that the refs were letting the two teams play. Furthermore, both teams were engaged in scrums after the whistle in a game with a lopsided score, which is usually a recipe for some additional penalties.
This play, in particular, is one that reflects poorly on the NHL officials and Player Safety. Holl has his back to the play and is trying to slow down to make a play, but Mantha had no intention of slowing down his momentum, ultimately laying the body on the sixth-year defenseman. From the replay, Mantha clearly uses his hands to increase the aggressiveness of the hit from behind, pushing Holl's face into the boards.
Holl was slow to get up, expecting a call to be made, but eventually would be okay to finish the game with 19:04 TOI. Although there were no penalties on the play, this was a clear missed call on Mantha.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 18 | 209 ANSWERS Refs with brutal missed call on dangerous play by Caps forward on Leafs defenseman Do you think this hit from Mantha on Holl should have resulted in a power play for the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 194 | 92.8 % |
| No | 15 | 7.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
