Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman and Derek Lalonde give their thoughts on Oilers’ no-challenge on potential goalie interference

Sportsnet panelists discussed whether the Edmonton Oilers should have challenged a goal during Game 4 against the LA Kings on Sunday.

In the second period, Warren Foegele scored for the Kings at the 1:31 mark, giving them a 2-0 lead. Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard believed he was interfered with by the Kings player before the goal, but the Oilers did not challenge, and the goal stood.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Kevin Bieksa, and Derek Lalonde shared their opinions on the decision. Bieksa noted that the Kings have a higher success rate in similar situations, suggesting a lower chance of overturning the call.

He agreed that the play involved a stabbing motion and felt the Oilers should have challenged. However, Bieksa speculated they might have avoided the challenge to steer clear of a potential shorthanded situation if failed.

(1:51 onwards)

“That’s different for the LA Kings, who have a 13% rule. So there’s a 13% chance. I kind of agree with you. I think that was a stabbing motion,” Bieksa said.

“I thought they should have challenged, but maybe the reason they didn’t was a little bit of karma, because they don’t challenge, so they don’t go down short handed if they lose it. But a 1:28 of clock time after they draw a penalty, and then they score in the power play. So ended up working out in a roundabout way for the Oilers.” he added.

Eliotte Friedman felt the stabbing motion in Foegele’s play warranted a challenge, despite his intent to score. Derek Lalonde, however, supported the Edmonton Oilers’ decision not to challenge. He believed the Oilers opted not to challenge due to the low likelihood of success.

Edmonton Oilers defeat LA Kings in Game 4

Trevor Moore opened the scoring for the LA Kings after putting them ahead 1-0 at 10:35 into the first period. This was the lone goal scored in that period. Entering the second period, Warren Foegele increased the Kings’ lead to 2-0 at 1:31.

Just over three minutes later, Corey Perry cut the deficit to 3-1 after scoring for the Oilers on the power play at 4:11. Kevin Fiala restored LA’s lead to 3-1 at 7:32. The Oilers bounced back in the final period after Evan Bouchard’s pair of goals made it 3-3 for the Oilers, forcing overtime.

Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning goal on the power play at 18:12 in overtime, tying the series 2-2 for the Oilers.

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Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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