The Montreal Canadiens had a third-period lead but still lost Game 4 to the Washington Capitals — and it wasn’t without controversy. Once again, the officials were at the center of attention, and after the game, several Canadiens players accused them of being biased in favor of the Capitals, saying the rules “don’t apply to everyone in this league.”
The Canadiens were looking to tie the first-round series against the Capitals, and with just over 40 minutes of Game 4 played, things were looking positive. But then, everything changed.
Capitals forward Tom Wilson delivered a stunning hit on Alexandre Carrier that sent him hard into the boards. While Carrier was still down on the ice, the Capitals quickly moved the puck from their own zone to the Canadiens’ end, scoring the game-tying goal. After that, Washington added three more goals before the end of regulation, taking a 3–1 series lead.
Montreal Canadiens furious
It wasn’t the first time Carrier had gone down in pain. Earlier in the game, he headed to the locker room after Alex Ovechkin missed a hit and their legs collided. Goalie Jakub Dobes felt the officials should have taken action after the Wilson hit, even accusing them of bias.
“I felt like there was going to be a whistle because they were in their defensive zone and far away… I guess I don’t really know the rules,” Dobes told reporters after the game.
“I felt like it should have been a whistle. It was a scary hit, but I guess the rules don’t apply to everyone in this league. I have no idea.”
Ovechkin was also involved in another controversial moment when he made contact with Canadiens center Jake Evans‘ head. He was assessed only a two-minute minor penalty. After the game, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis made his thoughts clear.
“I’ll be careful with my words, but it’s hard to watch some of these calls,” St. Louis said. “Tonight, the mandate was about embellishing. Kent [Hughes, Montreal’s general manager] talks with the supervisor each game day. We’re told about the things they want to clean up. Embellishment was one of them.”
Dobes, who also said that Ovechkin deserves a suspension for his hit on Evans, made it clear he doesn’t want the same officials for Game 5.
“I don’t want to point fingers,” Dobes said. “I never, ever do that. As a hockey player, I’ve never done it. I don’t want to be specific about who could be better. I just hope we don’t get these referees in Washington, that’s it. I’m not going to point fingers.”
READ MORE: Tom Wilson praised for ”most brutal hit” former Capital has seen
