NHL needs to send message to referees to stop Connor Garland's game breaking strategy against Oilers
In the final seconds of the Oilers last game against the Vancouver Canucks, forward Connor Garland employed a new game-breaking strategy to just mob Connor McDavid.
Garland jumped on the Oilers best player and essentially dared the referees to call a penalty.
It's a seemingly game-breaking strategy to eliminate the Oilers best player, but Edmonton now would have a response.
Elliotte Friedman explains Oilers new strategy response to Connor Garland's game breaking strategy to mob McDavid
According to Elliotte Friedman on the most recent edition of 32 Thoughts, the Oilers could now plan to shoot the puck at the Canucks if the referees call a penalty, which would stop play and initiate a powerplay.
- Elliotte Friedman
Of course, that entire strategy is contingent on the referees actually doing their jobs, and properly calling the penalty.
Without that call at a critical juncture in the game, the Oilers have absolutely no response, and their best player is taken out of the game.
The reassuring factor is that the NHL should take note of this aggressive strategy to neutralize a star player and put the message out to referees to not allow it. Garland's play is completely against the skill brand of hockey the NHL wants, and how the game should be called.
NHL needs referee response to Garland's ridiculous mobbing of McDavid
When New York Rangers forward Sean Avery engaged in some similarly ridiculous behaviour to great effect, the NHL quickly made a rule change that called it as a penalty.
What Connor Garland did was actually still a penalty, but in a unique situation that would still affect the Oilers. Going back to Friedman's comments, the Oilers shouldn't have to give possession to the Canucks here, the referees should stop play immediately and call a penalty.
Connor McDavid himself may have even responded with an over the top cross check due to a slew of missed calls and targeted plays against him last week.
He may not have been suspended if the referees actually just call penalties - this season, McDavid is pacing to draw a career low in penalties by far.
Hopefully there's some changes coming to the calls surrounding McDavid this year, and hopefully there's NHL is prepared to deal with another player trying Garland's strategy.
More details and analysis to come.
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