NHL referees have been pretty generous in recent years when it comes to awarding penalty shots. Plays like this on Friday night in New York are a pretty nice example.
Should Cal Clutterbuck have been awarded a penalty shot?
Cal Clutterbuck received an early Christmas present from the referees.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
With the Rangers on a power play, defenseman Ryan McDonagh misplays the puck at the blue line and allows Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck to beat him to it. McDonagh then appears to recover with a nice defensive play to lift Clutterbuck's stick and knock the puck away.
The referee right in front of the play saw it as an opportunity to call a penalty shot. Clutterbuck would then beat Henrik Lundqvist for the games first goal. Here is the entire sequence, including Clutterbuck's goal.
Christmas came a few days early for Cal Clutterbuck.
Later in the period Michael Grabner would add another shorthanded goal for the Islanders (again after a turnover by McDonagh) to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead. The Rangers would score the next two goals to tie the game.
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