Kris Knoblauch was furious against the referees after the costing penalty call they made
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is typically calm and collected but during their game against the St. Louis Blues, an unusual penalty call pushed him to show his frustration to the referees.
The Oilers have been vocal about officiating inconsistencies since following Connor McDavid's suspension and the questionable calls surrounding it.
Kris Knoblauch's reaction tonight showed that the team isn't backing down from their stance and during the game, Blues forward was skating to receive a pass when Mattias Ekholm delivered a big hit, but a clean one.
There was no head contact, and the player had possession of the puck, but Ekholm was still called for interference.
Knoblauch immediately called them over to argue the call and while he remained composed, lip-reading suggested he strongly questioned how the hit was an interference.
Adding insult to injury, the Blues scored on this particular power play which tied the game.
Bad penalty calls often disrupt a team's momentum and is forcing the penalty killers into tough situations and some players will even play more because of the multiple penalty called against his team.
Despite the controversial call, Edmonton scored in overtime to secure the victory and again, they were fueled by another epic performance from Connor McDavid.
With playoffs approaching, questionable officiating will likely continue, but Knoblauch has shown he is willing to stand up for his team when necessary.
If the Oilers can maintain their discipline, they'll be ready for whatever challenges come their way.
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