Through the first quarter of the season, the Buffalo Sabres have been part of five coach’s challenges. The new league-wide rule, just implemented this season, has already been initiated some 51 times, with multiple calls being overturned thanks to second reviews of goaltender interference or offsides.
When it was first introduced, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the coach’s challenge. Even now, some 20-odd games into the season, there’s still a lot of uncertainty and controversy surrounding it. Here’s how I feel, summed up in a nutshell: sometimes it’s great (though not really for the Sabres yet this season); sometimes, it absolutely stinks, and sometimes, it’s a necessary evil.