from Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press,

Logan Couture helped San Jose eliminate Vegas with the benefit of an infamous major penalty call in Game 7. Then, his Sharks went up 2-1 in the Western Conference final against St. Louis thanks to a missed hand pass.

After that, they lost three straight to the Blues.

“I think it probably hurt us in the end,” said the star forward, who plays host to his third All-In for Brain Research charity casino Thursday night at Centennial Hall. “After that hand pass, which was obviously a mistake and the goal shouldn’t have counted, I felt like in the next couple of games if there was a close call, the other team got the benefit of the doubt.

“So in that aspect, it went against us. Obviously, it helped us win that game. But the rest of the series — and this is just my personal belief because I know the refs don’t go out to favour any team — when it comes to a 50-50 call, the other team is getting that benefit.”...

“You feel bad for the refs because they’re trying to do the best they can,” he said. “The steps the league is taking are going in the right direction. That (hand pass goal) call should have been reviewed. The call against Vegas that made it a major penalty, that’s something that needs to be fixed.

“Whatever they can do to make the right call, that’s all you can ask for as a player and fan.”

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