First Star, Worst Star: November 1, 2015

I’m going to go out on a limb here and I say I was not alone in spending most of my day on the couch, overeating leftover chocolate bars and promising myself I’ll never drink again (No Booze November?). I hope you all had fun last night, because it’s time to get back to business with another First Star, Worst Star.

If there’s one thing we know for sure about the top tier European leagues is that they’re filled with guys named Linus whose sole purpose is to go out there and score cool goals for us to watch on Youtube. 

Linus Klasen is no stranger to highlight reel goals. Here he is back in 2013 doing typical Swedish shootout things. 

Linus Klasen Innovative Shootout Goal vs Czech… by HockeyWebCast

And more recently, here he is playing in the Swiss A league, looking like a Swedish Connor McDavid, literally deking out an entire team and potting one to tie the game at one in the first period. 

If you watch to the end of the video you can see him go to the dressing room after scoring, which I can only assume is because the Swiss league has a rule where you must provide your opponents with new jock straps after their own are sent into the stratosphere due to irresponsible deking.  

You move Linus Omark. Your move. 

I personally think the coaches challenge was a long time coming in the NHL. How many times have we seen a call or non-call change the outcome of a game, with a team or a coach having no recourse to change things? But obviously the entire system still needs some tweaking. 

I don’t want to pour salt into a fresh wound here but I still have NO IDEA how Pouliot’s goal was called back due to goalie interference last night. 

I still don’t see any real contact there and to me it doesn’t even fit the definition of goalie interference in that Ramo wasn’t impeded and unable to make the save. AND YET, the war room in Toronto once again pulled the rug out from under the Oilers and took back a clear goal. 

And here’s an even MORE egregious example! 

This Leaf’s goal was called back because…. Joffery Lupul was in the general vicinity of Henrik Lundqvist? I mean, I’m sure no one among us could ever say no to Henrik Lundqvist in any capacity, but this is insane. If these are going to be considering goalie interference then they might as well bring back the crease rule from the late 90’s. For a league that constantly bangs the drum of wanting to increase goal scoring this is clearly counter productive. Again it’s still a work in progress, a new system that everyone has to get used to, and I’m sure they’ll eventually start to get these calls right, but that’s no solace to a group of angry Oiler fans who had to drown their sorrows in peanut butter cups and vodka last night. Now if you’ll excuse me there’s a bag of Nibs calling my name.