Why controversial Sabres Game 7 third period no-goal call was correct
A rare NHL rule came into play during Game 7 of the Sabres-Canadiens series on a controversial call.
The Buffalo Sabres came so close to taking a third period lead in Monday's Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens , but a quick whistle from the referees took the chance away. After being down in a 2-0 hole to the Canadiens early, the Sabres battled back to tie the game in the third period to keep their playoff hopes alive. Buffalo was swarming Montreal for the final half of regulation, and the Sabres almost capitalized on a golden chance halfway through the third period.
Defenseman Bowen Byram took a shot from the point on Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeลก, which was stopped. The Sabres then jabbed at the puck under Dobeลก, which squeaked out and ended up crossing the goal line, but the officials waved the goal off immediately. It might seem like the Sabres were robbed of a goal, but a referee actually blew their whistle before the puck crossed the goal line, officially blowing the play dead.
The whistle was quite audible on ESPN's broadcast and it's very clear that it sounds before the puck crosses the goal line. We have NO GOAL on this play as the whistle was blown before the goal โโโ pic. twitter.
com/QX2xGOtjat โ B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 19, 2026 It's a quick whistle by the referee there, for sure, which definitely is infuriating for the Sabres. However, the call is technically correct due to the NHL rulebook allowing for a "human factor" to game supervision. From the NHL rulebook , here's Rule 31.