The Crease is Lava!

Scouting The Refs Podcast #RefsPodcast

On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• St. Louis Blues’ Zach Bolduc gets fined for a cross-check on Nashville Predators’ Nick Blankenburg, but avoids a penalty for a hit on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
• Boston Bruins’ Michael Callahan misses his assignment, gets beat on a goal, and cross-checks Anaheim Ducks’ Jansen Harkins in the neck, earning a penalty and a fine.
• Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola fires a buzzer-beater from the defensive end, barely missing Montreal Canadiens’ David Savard and getting 2 + 10 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• St. Louis also makes like the Harlem Globetrotters, with three consecutive mid0air plays on the puck before scoring – legally.
• Buzzkill in LA as the refs keep us from a goalie fight between Jeremy Swayman and Darcy Kuemper.
• The New York Islanders are once again frustrated with goaltender interference reviews as Kyle Palmieri enters the blue paint and sees his goal disallowed.
• More disallowed goals at Calgary Flames vs. Dallas Stars, after the Flames’ have a Connor Zary goal wiped out for a kicking motion and a Joel Farabee marker wiped out for interference.
• One more crease collision - though a bit more accidental, and outside the blue paint - as Stars’ Mikko Rantanen steamrolls the Edmonton Oilers’ Stuart Skinner with no penalty called.

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Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.