Goalie interference reviews will be big problem in Stanley Cup playoffs

In this instance, it did not make a difference in the outcome of the game because the Avalanche were still able to hold on for the win. The problem here is nobody seems to have any real agreement on what the call should have been and what the standard for goalie interference is.

TNT analysts Brian Boucher and Ed Olczyk argued about the call.

NHL referee expert Dave Jackson said it was the right call, and pointed out on social media that Kings defenseman Drew Doughty did nothing wrong in making contact with Drury, and that the contact with the goalie was Drury's fault for trying to occupy a narrowing piece of ice between the goalie and the defender. 

Fans generally seemed confused. Players, coaches and NHL executives have been confused by the standard all season.

And this is going to be the problem when it comes to the playoffs. There is no real black-and-white ruling for what constitutes goalie interference, and a lot of it is open to interpretation and judgement calls from the NHL offices making the final call. Any time you make judgement calls and plays open to interpretation reviewable, you are creating an environment where is going to be nearly difficult to maintain consistency.

This is not a case of something black and white, like the puck completely crossing the goal line, a wide receiver getting two feet down in bounds or a baseball landing fair or foul. It is a group of people trying to decide if contact with a goalie prevented the goalie from playing his position. It is an impossible standard to maintain from call-to-call and from game-to-game. The NHL itself has admitted that the people making the final calls do not always unanimously agree on the final decision.

That should never happen in the case of replay review. It is also why the NHL should consider just simply scrapping the idea of making it a reviewable play. Make the call on the ice in real time and live with it.

The process now is leaving potentially game-altering and potentially season-altering decisions in the hands of people whom nobody trusts and now have to make a judgement call on it. It is a recipe for disaster. It may not have directly impacted a game on Sunday, but it is only a matter of time until it does.