NHL exposes own hypocrisy by washing out Ovi goal

75756A5E-120A-4932-810C-2FD980DB785E

Related

Officiating came center stage during the Capitals' Game 6 loss to the Hurricanes Monday night, as Alex Ovechkin had a goal washed out due to "goaltender interference."

But as Alan May points out, there's very little consistency on such rulings. 

"We've seen how hypocritical that ruling goes from game to game. There's no consistency," May told The Sports Junkies Tuesday. "The number one thing that's consistent in the NHL is the inconsistency of the Department of Player Safety and their rules on non-goal calls, or whatever you want to call it. We'll see that completely go the other way the next time it happens."

"It happens ever year. It's one of those things that we continue to see happening," May continued. "I don't know if it's too fast for the guys, or maybe they need more former players as officials. But right now, I'm not a big fan of what's going on."

May also hammered the officials for an embellishment call on Dmitry Orlov in the second period as he was held by Carolina's Jordan Martinook.

Dmitry Orlov went to the penalty box for this? pic.twitter.com/Rr5dSrWIFe

— Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) April 23, 2019

"The Orlov thing was absolutely disgusting, and I couldn't believe the guy called it," May said. "It happened in front of me. When you get twisted around like that, that's not embellishment [when> his skates get separated the way they did."

"Just a bad call, kind of a chicken crap call by the referee to call that one. That was a safe play. That was an absolute hook, 100 percent, there should have been no embellishment. It should be one or the other, not both."

"To me, it's a ref that doesn't have confidence in himself making the right decision and taking the easy way out. There's no way that should have been made, and I won't change my opinion on that now or 10 years from now. It was absolutely a one-way penalty, not a two-way."

May not only wants to see the Caps play their best hockey in Game 7, but expects better from the referees, too.

"I expect a lot better result if they do get power plays, depending on who the referees are gonna be in Game 7," May told the Junkies. "And we know how atrocious NHL officiating is in a Game 7."

"It'll be interesting to see who they stick the Caps with — hopefully it's not Dan O'Halloran — and hopefully they call penalties that are penalties for both teams."

Follow Josh Luckenbaugh and 106.7 The Fan on Twitter.