WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Capitals fell to the Boston Bruins for the second time in eight days on Saturday, losing 3-2 in the shootout, but they came close to a potentially lengthy two-man advantage late in regulation that could have turned the tides.

With the Caps already up a man thanks to a boarding call from Nikita Zadorov, Mark Kastelic shot the puck over the glass from the Bruins’ defensive zone, a play the Capitals argued should be a delay-of-game penalty.

Several of the Capitals, including Alex Ovechkin and head coach Spencer Carbery were incensed when officials declined to issue a penalty, which would have given the Caps 54 seconds at five-on-three with the score tied. After the game, Carbery explained his side of the dispute.

“I went over this this summer, because this happened to us last year,” Carbery said. “So if you remember, they put a rule in place for it to be challengeable and I asked a specific question of, ‘Just call the penalty. Let the Boston Bruins challenge it.” But they say they need to be certain that it was a delay of game.

“My only issue with that is there’s four sets of eyeballs on the ice. Someone has to see that that goes straight out there. And they didn’t. So their argument is, ‘We can’t just call it and then expect Boston to challenge it. We have to have seen it.’ And that’s where it’s frustrating and unfortunate, that four guys don’t see that go out. One of the four guys to go like, ‘I have that going straight out,’ so they can’t call it.

“Which is frustrating, because it’s clear as day. I saw the broadcast was doing a bunch of replays on it, and it just it rolled up on them and goes straight out. And that puts us in a five-on-three. You would expect to score in that scenario.”

Kastelic shot the puck into the boards before it bounced off and ricocheted out of play, constituting a deflection that would not necessitate a penalty.

I thought the puck went out clean too watching it earlier, but you can see on this angle the puck is shot off the boards. pic.twitter.com/5lX5XfnjA7

What counts as a penalizable puck over the glass is defined by NHL Rule 63: Delaying the Game:

63.2 Minor Penalty – A minor penalty for delay of game shall be imposed…