Washington Capitals comeback stalled by phantom high-sticking penalty

With 1:52 remaining in Game 4, T.J. Oshie was penalized for a high-stick that cost the Capitals a chance to come back from their deficit. The costly, and controversial, penalty could go down on the long list of Washington Capitals heartbreaking moments.

Just moments after the Washington Capitals pulled Braden Holtby for the extra attacker, T.J. Oshie and Nick Bonino raced after a loose puck. Oshie’s stick came up high on Bonino, and the Capitals chances of tying the game hit a tailspin.

After looking at the replay, it became evident that Oshie’s stick came up only as far as Bonino’s shoulder pad. It never made contact with Bonino’s face or helmet. Even NBCSN broadcasters Mike “Doc” Emrick and Eddie Olczyk pointed out that Bonino embellished the play to draw a penalty.

Oshie, to his credit, immediately realized his reckless stick play and wasted no time skating to the penalty box. Just moments after the Capitals pulled Holtby to go 6 on 5, their bid was cut short. According to the National Post, referees called Game 4 much tighter after the Niskanen – Crosby incident.

"“Tough time to get a penalty. That’s kind of an amateur play by me there.” – T.J. Oshie, in an interview after Game 4"

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It became obvious after the game that Bonino sold the high-sticking penalty. Bonino threw his head back and put his gloves over his face area, which was enough to convince the referees to cut the Capitals comeback bid short. It was an absolutely brutal break for the Capitals, who are now on the brink of elimination.

Washington needs to quickly forget their mishaps if they want any chance of making a miraculous comeback. T.J. Oshie was not the reason the Capitals came up short in Game 4 and he shouldn’t shoulder the blame. The Capitals overall play in Game 4 cost them. This series has featured countless non-calls and controversial moments. All of these moments should be in the Capitals rear-view mirror.

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This series is not over by any means. The Capitals have a chance to jump-start their comeback bid in Game 5 in Washington. The Capitals have mustered such comebacks twice in their history. They defeated the Flyers in 1988 and the Rangers in 2009 after going down 3-1 in the series. If the Capitals want to accomplish such a feat for the third time in their history, they will need a herculean effort and a short memory

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