In addition to having a goal waved off because of the always awful intent to blow the whistle rule, the Michigan hockey team had to attempt to kill off nine Minnesota Duluth power plays during Saturday's NCAA championship game (they allowed only one power-play goal). Although many of Michigan's penalties were legitimate and just plain boneheaded plays, others were very questionable, especially for this being such an important game.
While Minnesota Duluth had nine power plays during the game, Michigan only had four. Michigan head coach Red Berenson thought it was questionable for the discrepancy to be that large.
"Were they good penalties?" Berenson asked. "I can’t tell you what I really think. I mean, you can’t talk about refereeing and penalties, but when one team gets nine (power plays) and the other four, it doesn’t add up."
He wasn’t done.
"We’re not out there to take penalties," he said. "So every time a player falls down, it shouldn’t be a penalty, not in NCAA championship hockey."
As for the goal that was waved off, Michigan captain Carl Hagelin, who tipped the puck into the net, said that the referee informed him the whistle had been blown before Hagelin hit it in. Looking at numerous replays of the play clearly shows the puck was in before the sound of any whistle. It's close, but the puck crossed just before the whistle sounded.
Unfortunately, the sound of the whistle isn't relevant to this discussion anyway. The rule boils down to when a referee intends to blow his whistle, which is why the goal didn't count. It's a bogus rule both in college hockey and the NHL, and yet again it screwed over a team from Michigan.
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