NHL Ref Has Awkward 'Oscars Moments,' Reverses Goal Call Due To 'Mistake In Communication'

I love a good awkward moment. I don't like being involved in it, but I like watching from afar. With Curb Your Enthusiasm wrapping up this weekend I need some new cringe material and the NHL provided some last night during the Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers game.

Montreal isn't going to be making the playoffs this season, but they are in a position to make things difficult for teams that will, and that includes the Panthers. 

The Cats have fallen behind in the Presidents' Trophy (which, if you know your NHL history, isn't necessarily a bad thing) and have been struggling a bit.

The Habs have been playing pretty well of late, and in the second period, they appeared to have knotted the game at 2-2 thanks to a Brendan Gallagher goal that came off of a flurry in front of the net.

It was close though and the officials took a look at whether Florida netminder Anthony Stolarz had managed to keep the puck from getting across the goal line.

They ruled he hadn't and Montreal celebrated… then all of a sudden the refs made a second announcement.

A "mistake in communication?" I'm surprised we didn't see the officials drawing straws to decide who would have to tell the Bell Centre crowd they'd goofed. Unfortunately for veteran ref Eric Furlatt, he was the guy

Have we not learned anything from the time someone handed Warren Beaty the wrong envelope at the Oscars?

Or the time Steve Harvey had a 50/50 chance of naming the correct Miss Universe winner and messed it up?

If you have to announce in front of a crowd, make sure you have it right before you crack that mic.

Sure, a tying goal for a late-season NHL game isn't the Oscars… it's more important.

The Habs managed to get that goal back and then some which probably made that goof easier to digest. They ended up winning this game 5-3 as the Panther's late-season struggles continued.