MONTREAL — Cole Caufield questioned the late slashing penalty that preceded the Montreal Canadiens’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild, saying officials should perhaps have to explain what they saw when making disputed calls.

Speaking after practice Wednesday, the Canadiens forward said the decision was a difficult way to finish what he considered a strong game, according to The Canadian Press in a report published by Sportsnet.

Caufield was penalized with 56 seconds left in the third period Tuesday. Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov scored the winning power-play goal 21 seconds into overtime.

“I think those calls gotta be 100 per cent sure, especially with the time and that,” Caufield said.

The Canadian Press reported that replays appeared to show Wild defenceman Quinn Hughes’s stick breaking easily, possibly as Hughes tried to lift Caufield’s stick, rather than from a clear slash. That interpretation does not establish definitively how the stick broke.

Referee Justin Kea made the call from farther away in the neutral zone. Veteran official Kelly Sutherland, who appeared to have his back to the play in the opposite corner of Minnesota’s zone, did not signal a penalty.

Caufield suggested the Wild bench and a player raising his hands had helped draw attention to the play. He also acknowledged the speed of the game and the difficulty of officiating.

“They take their job really seriously and we respect them for what they do. It’s not an easy job,” he said.

Still, Caufield said officials should perhaps answer questions and explain their view of a disputed play.

He also questioned whether the referees were aligned earlier in the third period. Sutherland appeared to explain that Josh Anderson had not hooked Minnesota forward Maxim Shabanov while Kea had his arm raised for a penalty, the report said.

The comments came after NHL general managers discussed officiating Tuesday in Toronto. According to The Canadian Press, the league appears to be examining whether tools such as rapid replay assistance could help officials make calls more consistently.

Sources