Jared Bednar knows his bank account is going to take a hit in the coming days and, in his words, he does not care.
Bednar went off after Colorado’s incredible 6-5 comeback win Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres at Ball Arena. His ire was directed at a Buffalo goal that was allowed despite Avs goalie Scott Wedgewood writhing in pain inside his net as it was scored early in the third period.
Sabres forward Zach Benson was pushed into the Colorado net, and Wedgewood fell backward onto him. As Wedgewood was laying on the ice, Benson eventually got the puck and scored on a wraparound goal to give the Sabres a 4-2 lead.
“The referee said (the whistle) wasn’t blown because we put their guy into Scott,” Bednar said. “I said, ‘I don’t give a (expletive). He’s hurt. They’re standing there. He’s sitting there. He’s hurt. Blow this whistle.’
“If the puck is in the net front still and they’re hacking away at it and it goes in, I’d say fine. But as soon as the puck squirts to the corner, they got to blow it dead. They do it all the time for regular players because of player safety. The rule would state that we have to touch it, but they never follow that rule.”
Bednar said he wasn’t specifically mad at officials TJ Luxmore and Corey Syvret, but the inconsistency of when the guys in stripes do or do not blow plays dead for injuries. He pointed out that this game was stopped when Mikko Rantanen and Rasmus Dahlin collided in the neutral zone and the Buffalo captain stayed down on the ice.
He also noted a play two games ago when Cale Makar was about to line up a shot, but an opposing player was on the ice in the slot so play was stopped.
“If he’s hurt and he’s not getting up and they’re standing there looking at it, the whistle should go. It’s just that simple,” Bednar said. “For them to just let it go and then allow the goal is insanity to me. It’s a player safety thing. If they would have loaded up (Rasmus) Dahlin for a one-timer, for a 105-mile an hour slap shot, they are just going to let it (expletive) happen with our goalie down in the net? Can’t do it. Got to blow it dead.”
Avs defenseman Devon Toews, who scored the game-winning goal in the first minute of overtime, also mentioned player safety as the main reason why the play should have been stopped before the goal was scored.
There was a long delay after the goal while Wedgewood was attended to on the ice. He was not able to put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off to the dressing room. Bednar said Wedgewood needs to be evaluated, but he will miss some time.
When the officials were ready to resume play, Bednar challenged the play for goaltender interference … even though he knew it wasn’t.
“Yeah, it gives them another chance to do the right thing,” Bednar said when asked if that was done in protest. “The goal shouldn’t have counted. Yeah, I was mad so … we just did it.”
When asked if there was any recourse for the Avalanche after the fact, Bednar acknowledged that he will likely be fined by the NHL for his postgame rant.
“We’ll call the league,” Bednar said. “After this presser, I’m sure I’ll get a call from the league. I don’t care. That wasn’t a difficult call. Again, I’m not picking on the guys who were out there tonight. Any one of the four guys could be looking at it and just blow the whistle.
“It’s not just that it went in. How long are you going to let it go? They talk about player safety, player safety. If they pass it to the slot and someone hammers a one-timer off his head, then what? … Just make the call. They blown it down on plays like that when guys go down like that in the neutral zone but then they’re not going to do it with your goalie? It makes no sense.”
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