Bettman Defends Ducks' OT Goal Ruling in Game 4 Win

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the on-ice ruling that allowed Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Poehling's overtime goal to stand in a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Bettman addressed the decision during a meeting Tuesday with Associated Press Sports Editors at NHL headquarters in New York City. "It wasn't a controversy, it was absolutely the right call," he said. "Because of the technology that we currently use and the cameras that we have inside the net, you could see it, knew for certain that it would be in and over the line."

The goal came 2:29 into overtime, giving the Ducks a 3-1 series lead as the matchup shifts to Edmonton for Game 5 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. MT. Poehling's sharp-angle shot deflected off an Oilers player's skate and trickled under goaltender Tristan Jarry's legs. On-ice officials did not immediately signal a goal, conferring at center ice before announcing it as good. Video review in Toronto confirmed the call, with replay showing no white ice visible between the puck and the goal line, as Jarry's skate blade obscured the top portion of the rubber.