the offense, so I can see how a cross-check resulting in injury is deemed sufficiently severe contact to be a major under Rule 59. That Stastny assisted in the injury doesn’t cut off Eakin’s liability—the injury was a direct consequence and foreseeable result of the cross-check. I think the referees were well within their discretionary powers to call this a major.

As I’ve said previously, I wish that the cross-checking rule allowed for double minors, because I believe that would have been the compromise call here, but I don’t have a problem with the refs calling the major.

I also don’t have a problem with the refs not making an immediate call—calls after a conference of the refs happen all the time in every sport. I suspect the line judge was a large part of this being called a major, but seeking the insight of the line judges after a stoppage for major penalty calls is part of the process under Rule 32.

I don’t have a dog in this fight as I dislike SJ and VGK equally. I just don’t think this call is as bad as people are making it out to be. Also, it bothers me that this call is distracting from what I consider the bigger story—that VGK gave up 4 goals in one major penalty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team get more than 2 in single major, let alone 4. And in a game 7 after having given up a 3-1 series lead! And why didn’t the coach call a timeout after the first goal when it was obvious the momentum had shifted is completely beyond me.

The bottom line is bad calls happen all the time, every hockey fan on this board can name a handful that directly impacted their team losing or winning a playoff series. But how a team reacts to bad calls is just as important as the call itself. Last year’s VGK wouldn’t have messed their trousers on this PK the way this year’s team did.