Referee Gives Terrible Justification For Missed Call on Josh Manson Crosscheck on Auston Matthews

The Colorado Avalanche versus Toronto Maple Leaf game last night was filled with incredible ups and downs and was one of the best hockey games to be played this year. The pace was incredible, seeing the Avalanche come back from a 3-0 deficit.

The Leafs definitely didn't bring their best last night, as they only had one line really buzzing. However, they also faced the burden of terrible refereeing. They missed several calls last night, but one egregious one was a missed cross-check call on Josh Manson that he delivered to Auston Matthews.

Sheldon Keefe was obviously irate at the missed call, and the justification did nothing to cool him down. He was told by the referee that Matthews just fell on his own.

This wasn't the only call that was missed by the refs in the tight matchup. There was a clear slash on Timothy Liljegren that went uncalled, as well as a few high sticks that were missed.

Obviously, the Leafs didn't bring their best last night against one of the best teams in the NHL, so that will result in a loss anyway. But it does make it more difficult to stop a comeback when blatant penalties are missed. What's worse for Leaf fans is that it seems the referees just don't care, given their justifications.

As seen on Hockey Patrol - "NHL referee explains Why Josh Manson Wasn't Penalized for Hit on Auston Matthews and it's ridiculous"