Blackhawks forward Michael Frolik charged towards the Red Wings’ net on a third-period breakaway when Detroit defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo appeared to swipe at or near Frolik’s hands with his stick. Around the same time, Frolik lost control of the puck and he was awarded with a penalty shot.
Frolik took advantage of the opportunity by scoring the game-winning goal in Chicago’s 4-3 victory. The teams will consequently play in a Game 7 on Wednesday.
After the contest, Colaiacovo offered up his defense.
“I just tried to make a play to the with a shot and it hit him in the hand,” Colaiacovo told the Detroit Free Press. “I was just trying to get it down to the net and it was a fluke bounce.
“There was not much I could really do — I’m just trying to make a play. It’s unfortunate the way it ended. I thought I did a good job recovering. I haven’t seen the play. I didn’t think I hit him in the hand. I thought I hit him in his pants. It’s an unfortunate call.
“I was surprised they called a penalty shot.”
Other Red Wings players were less vocal. Goaltender Jimmy Howard refused to talk about it. Meanwhile, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and defenseman Niklas Kronwall both separately dodged the question by arguing that it doesn’t matter what they think.
If you’d like to see what happened for yourself and make your own determination, the footage is available below: