(Castlegar leads series 2-1)
Well if that doesn't provide some water cooler discussion, I don't know what will.
Stuart Walton scored a controversial goal with 1:28 remaining to lift the Rebels past the Fernie Ghostriders 5-3 in the most even game of the series so far.
Walton, cutting down the right wing, took a high wrist shot that his older brother Andrew Walton appeared to catch with his blocker before it snuck in under the bar. Referee Mike Page signaled a goal, and despite protests from just about everyone on the 'Riders bench (and on the ice), and a lengthy discussion among striped mates, the goal stood. For the record, Stuart was adamant the puck went in during his post-game interview, I'll post the audio once it's aired on Mountain FM tomorrow morning.
Again, the Rebels were struck by a slow start, as Fernie defenceman Jeff Zmurchyk snuck home a point shot 1:59 into the opening frame. Anthony DeLong and Luke Richardson traded pretty goals to make the score 2-1 Fernie through 20 minutes.
After Connor McLaughlin gave the visitors a 3-1 edge, Castlegar got late second period goals from Jesse Knowler and Ryan Aynsley (the latter coming with only 18 seconds remaining in the frame) to even the score at 3-3 after two periods.
That set up the stage for Walton's winner, which as you can see below, is inconclusive, even when broken down frame-by-frame.
A huge win for the Rebels, but time will tell if Fernie will use the injustice as motivation for Game 4. All things settled, it should be a terrific tilt Saturday night at the Complex.
Up Next: As mentioned above, Game Four will be Saturday night at the Complex, a 7:30 Pacific time start.
Out of Town: The Okanagan final is all square at 2 games apiece after Revelstoke beat Osoyoos 2-1 in overtime tonight.
Satellite Debris: I had it mentioned to me that the webcast was malfunctioning tonight. After taking a look it appears as though my machine was having trouble re-connecting with our broadcast server. Unlike an issue earlier this year, it doesn't appear to have been an internet issue on our end. I apologize for any difficulties endured by viewers tonight, I'm sure everything will be resolved in advance of Game Four.
4 comments:
It’s hard to say if it was a goal or not. At first it looked like I saw the net move, but then I noticed it was the butt of Walton’s stick not the net moving. Then I noticed the puck was in front of Walton’s left pad on the ice. How did the puck get there in front of him on his left side if it was behind him in the net on his right side? Of course all Rebels will say it went in, including Stuart.
Anyways we are on to game 4 and we will put this behind us. Karma is a bitch, just ask Creston. This is all Fernie needed to get turned on, and this type of thing will make Fernie focus and give 60 minutes of effort from hear out!
Fernie will be super red hot tonight, so the Rebels better have rockets on their skates and bring their A game, or its going to be a high scoring game for Fernie!
Great series so far! It’s just what we expected.
Fernie better stop shi@#$% the bed in the dying seconds of the periods of its going to haunt them. We have seen it all season, blowing half a dozen shut outs in the last minute of play in a game. As well during the playoffs in the second period with less than 20 seconds left at least 4 times in the last 2 series.
Good luck to both teams. Great entertainment!
Castlegar Rebels Stuart Walton said this:
“I drove the net hard, I saw it hit the post, and I think it was in,” the younger Walton said after the game.
Did you close your eyes after it hit the post? Or did you not pay any attention to the deflection? You did not even look back to see if it was in the net. You skated away as if you knew it was not in! You did not react as it was a goal until seconds later when the ref pointed from the blue line. Great ref last night!!!!!!!!
This comment was to be placed on this comment section, not the one below this. Thanks!
If you watch the review video, you may say "oh maybe it was a goal" at first. But review it over 100 times and pause the video in dozens of different frames, and you will see there is no way that puck had gone in. It hit Walton and it is clearly in front of him the whole time. You can see it on the ice IN FRONT of his left pad.
Then how did it go in? Are some telling me it went through his body, and then back through his body, and then down onto the ice in front of his left pad; becasue that is the only way it could be a goal if it is in front of his left pad. While some people say it went in over his right shoulder. Come on that is impossible! Look where the puck is the whole time, it's at his left side on the ice.
What looks like the net moving, is clearly Walton’s Butt end of his stick, as he moves his blocker arm in a natural reaction, even if it did not hit his blocker.
Watch Stuart Walton's reaction after the shot. He knows he did not beat his brother! He skates away disappointed until he lets the ref say it was a goal, and then he lifts his arms seconds later after the shot; when you can see the puck in front of Walton. He would have exploded jumping if that went in.
Stuart is going to say it went in, but he knows he can believe in something if he convinces himself that maybe it did go in.
I watched the reply over 200 times using pause in all different frames over and over and over and at no point that puck goes in. If you view it quickly, you may say, "oh you see that black dot, that’s the puck". But review it over and over and that black dot is the sign on the boards changing clarity, because of using a poor camera to video the game. That black dot is visible before the shot is taken by Stuart.
The ref is so far behind the play, he is at the blue line calling it a goal. That is terrible! There is not way in the world the ref saw the puck go in from there at that angle! We can all agree to that! This is just a plain mistake by the ref!
The ref last night made bad calls all night on both teams, we all know this as well! No ref is perfect, but he screwed up bad last night!!
Game 4 will be great from the Riders. They respond to bogus goals very well in the following games.
Look at the angle the puck was shot from. If the puck went off the post and in, which is what Stuart claims, then we all know that puck would be in behind Walton, not 4 or more feet in front of the goal line and in front of the goal tenders left pad.
Add it all up... from the players reactions from both teams, the angle which the puck was shot from and where it should end up if it rang off the post, the puck location .01 seconds after the shot, the refs location when he made the call, Stuart Walton’s comment, Stuart Walton’s celebration delay, Stuart Walton could not conclude if it was a goal or not so why did he not look back to conclude. It stinks for every one of these few reasons. I could go on with more evidence, but it will do nothing now. We just want some closure as fans.
It’s been a great series, and it’s going to get even better! No team is to blame; it’s just frustrating that the ref's predict the game with bad calls all night. Let the players win the games, not the refs.
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