“Rip his head off!” NHL referee Tim Peel brutally BLASTS Evgeny Kuznetsov’s slo-mo shot calling it ‘a mockery of our game’

Former NHL referee Tim Peel has now slammed the slow movement of forward Evgeny Kuznetsov in shooutouts and label it as a "mockery" to the sport.

“Rip his head off!” NHL referee Tim Peel brutally BLASTS Evgeny Kuznetsov’s slo-mo shot calling it ‘a mockery of our game’

Evgeny Kuznetsov (L) and Tim Peel (R) [Pic Credit: AP]

The National Hockey League (NHL) 2023-24 season now has another controversy. While the league was earlier getting criticized for their off-field actions, now they are under the heat for some of the actions on the ice. Former referee Tim Peel has now questioned the league’s rules during shootouts while blasting Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov.

The Russian forward became the controversial talk of the town during his side’s shootout win against the Calgary Flames. He scored the game-winning goal in the shootout. The issue that has been talked about is his slow move towards the goal before slamming his puck away. While this is allowed in the game, the slow pace can be unsettling for the goalie thus creating controversy.

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This is though not the first time Kuznetsov has done this. The 31-year-old has used this tactic on several occasions. Perhaps being fed off these antics from him, Peel decided to call him out. He would label this move as a “mockery” of the sport and urged Colin Campbell and the Department of Hockey Ops to take a close look at this and try to bring in some changes.

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Tim Peel unhappy with Evgeny Kuznetsov’s ‘slo-mo’ tactic

The games in the NHL can sometimes be rather intense ones. If the two teams are inseparable even after the overtime, shootouts are required. In these shootouts, players are required to skate towards the goal and try to beat the goalie in a 1-on-1 situation. Evgeny Kuznetsov has become a nightmare for goaltenders in this situation because of his slow move and sudden blast. There are some though who are not happy with this move including Tim Peel.

Taking to his official Twitter (now called X) account, the controversial former official would hit out at Kuznetsov. He would call this move a mockery of the game and suggest the goalies should charge and attack him.

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tim Peel
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tim Peel (Pic Credit: RMNB/NBC Sports]

“This was not the intention when the shootout was brought in. Plays like this make a mockery of our game. The next time he does this the goalie should charge and rip his head off!” he wrote. Check out that from the tweet shared below:

Even NHL great, Wayne Gretzky was not fond of this move. Last season he claimed that there should be a “time clock” just like baseball to prevent this type of play. Meanwhile, Kuznetsov has scored eight of his last nine attempts since March 2022.

Last season he claimed that he does not care if the move gets banned or not, but did explain that he does this as going fast meant the goalie would match him in pace. Whether the league will bring in a change to this rule now following this heavy criticism remains to be seen.

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