Elliotte Friedman believes Vancouver Canucks' playoff jersey selection could have cost them goal against Edmonton Oilers

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified May 15, 2024 05:35 GMT

In Game 3 of the Western Conference second-round series between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers, Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs emerged as a standout performer, making a career-high 42 saves, including 21 in the third period. His performance on Sunday night played a crucial role in securing a 4-3 victory at Rogers Place.

However, a contentious moment arose when a goal was disputed by the Oilers, prompting a review. Sportsnet delved into the intricacies of the incident, questioning whether the color of Silovs' glove webbing could have influenced the decision of the no-goal review.

Elliotte Friedman weighed in on the matter, raising an intriguing point regarding the uniform choice of the Canucks. Friedman suggested that the color combination of the Vancouver Canucks' playoff jersey, featuring black webbing on the goalie's glove, might have affected the outcome.

"So there was the disputed goal tonight, and I think that was the right call. I don't know if you guys agree or disagree with that. I don't think that was in, at least they couldn't prove it anyway," Friedman said.

He continued, drawing parallels to a previous incident involving Leon Draisaitl and David Rittich and emphasizing the significance of contrasting glove webbing colors in determining the legitimacy of a goal.

Friedman's analysis pivoted to the uniform worn by Silovs during the game, highlighting a crucial detail:

"These are the uniforms the Canucks are wearing tonight," Friedman said. "That's from the regular season with this uniform. He's got black webbing on his glove."

This observation led the NHL analyst to speculate on the potential outcome had the Canucks opted for a different uniform, specifically referencing the black skate jersey favored by some fans.

He suggested that had Silovs sported white webbing on his glove, as seen in a previous game with a different uniform, the decision might have gone in favor of the Oilers.

"Inconclusive, not 100% sure it was in any way," Friedman said. "So Canucks fans who wanted the black skate jersey for the playoffs, thank goodness you didn't get your way, or else you might have given up another goal here."

Vancouver Canucks win 4-3, led by Arturs Silovs' 42 saves

Edmonton got goals from Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl, but Vancouver held on to take a 2-1 series lead ahead of Game 4 on Tuesday.

Silovs stood firm against Edmonton's late push, earning praise from coach Rick Tocchet for his composure.

“The kid has given us game, it’s a big stage and he’s not blinking. He’s coming in every day and he’s working hard,” Tocchet said.

Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller contributed two assists each for the Canucks, with Elias Lindholm and Brock Boeser scoring twice.