The Montreal Canadiens lost a 11-goal thriller to the Edmonton Oilers, after controversial penalty calls by the referees on two separate occassions. Juraj Slafkovsky was called for boarding -- the Oilers scored in the ensuing powerplay.
After the goal, Josh Anderson seemingly shot the puck away in frustration, and was therefore called for an unsportsmanlike conduct, which put the Oilers back into the powerplay. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in the following powerplay to tie the game at 5-5.
With 1:09 left, Vasily Podkolzhin scored the game winner, and Craig Button, who was calling the game on the Canadiens broadcast, and was fuming at the officiating in the game, and the calls made against the Habs.
"If Montreal loses this game, there was a big robbery at the Louvre this past week, I'd say the Montreal Canadiens have been robbed of this one," stated Button.
Accoring a BBC report, jewellery worth $102,000,000 USD (76,000,000 euros) were stolen during the Lourve robbery, which took place at the iconic art museum on the 19th Oct., 2025.
Soon after Nugent-Hopkins scored the 5-5 equalizer, an incensed Craig Button unloaded a scathing attack on the game's officiating.
"The offiiciating has been subpar. If you're giving Josh Anderson a penalty for shooting the puck out of frustration - you gotta be (more) thicker skinned than that. I think Montreal has every reason to feel that this game has turned based on poor officiaiting. A team that wasn't deserving, the Edmonton Oilers, in any way, shape or form, gets oppportunities on the powerplay. I just don't feel the officiating has been upto the standards that's expected in this league," said Button.
What did Canadiens head coach Marty St. Louis say about controversial officiating in Habs' loss to Oilers
After feeling robbed of a win, due controversial penalty calls, Canadiens head coach Marty St. Louis directly took a shot at referees Garrett Rank and Chris Schlenker.
“The referee had the choice to give two (minutes) or 10 minutes. He gave two, and that gave them the game. That's the only reason they came back," said St. Louis.
St. Louis went on to claimed that his team wasn't losing, despite trailing by two goals, early in the second period.
“Even when they were leading 3-1, they led, but they weren't beating us,” added St. Louis.
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